Ronnie Stanley, All-Pro offensive tackle for the Ravens, launched The Ronnie Stanley Foundation, an organization, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for rescue dogs, provide training that cultivates therapeutic properties, and then match each rescue with an individual who has faced a challenge in life such as a chronic illness or emotional trauma.
The Ronnie Stanley Foundation is focused on placements in the Baltimore area with plans to extend its services into other communities in the near future.
Stanley has been an advocate for pet adoption since 2016 when he adopted Lola, a six-year-old Pitbull mix from The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS). Since then, Stanley has welcomed two other rescue dogs into his home.
“My life was forever changed for the better when I adopted Lola, Rico, and Kaia,” said Stanley. “My goal in founding The Ronnie Stanley Foundation was to create a community where humans help animals, and animals help humans in return. A lot of individuals can benefit from the companionship an animal can bring into their lives.”
Stanley has curated an influential group of individuals to sit on the Board of Directors for The Ronnie Stanley Foundation including Ravens’ Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta, Washington Football Team’s COO & CFO Greg Resh, Jisset Pena and Jana Fleishman of Roc Nation, former NFL defensive end Justin Tuck, and former NFL free safety Eric Weddle.
The Ronnie Stanley Foundation has partnered with BARCS to recommend rescue dogs for the program. The Foundation will provide 30 days of training, food and housing with certified trainers at Leash Free Living. In the interim, the Foundation will vet recommendations from various community organizations for potential adoption placements.
Once the family or individual is selected, the Foundation will arrange a meet and greet to ensure a favorable match with the rescue dog. After a successful match, the foundation will provide each new family with essentials, including a crate, crate pad, dog bed, two bowls, collar, leash, waste bags and dispenser, snacks, food, and an assortment of toys.
The Ronnie Stanley Foundation will continue to arrange complimentary training sessions and ongoing check-ins with the family to ensure a successful placement.
So far, The Ronnie Stanley Foundation has trained and placed two dogs in their forever homes. Lyric was a neglected 4-year-old Pitbull mix, who was used for breeding and was still lactating when she arrived at BARCS.
The Casey Cares Foundation, an organization that supports children with chronic illnesses, recommended Nikira, a young girl with sickle cell anemia to The Ronnie Stanley Foundation as a match for Lyric.
“Lyric helps me when I am sad and down and I love having her be a part of the family. She helps distract me when I am not feeling my best and helps me through those rough times,” said Nikira. “She brings light into our home.”
The Ronnie Stanley Foundation placed Garrison, an abandoned 2-year-old Pitbull mix, with Jonathan Birckhead, a U.S. Navy veteran who completed a tour in Iraq during Desert Storm and is diagnosed with PTSD.
“Life after the military, there are some good days and there are some bad days. Garrison supports me in so many ways. He’s a ball of energy. He wants to be loved and we have plenty of love for him,” said Birckhead. “Garrison is now fully integrated into our family. You might as well call him Garrison Birckhead. The Ronnie Stanley Foundation helped make my family complete. To all my military vets in need of a support pet, I strongly recommend reaching out to the foundation.”
To learn more about The Ronnie Stanley Foundation and support the organization’s mission please visit www.ronniesfoundation.org. Follow The Ronnie Stanley Foundation on Instagram and Facebook.
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