Resilient Akita Seeks Forever Home After Rescue from Harrowing Abuse
Ghost—a male Akita—was seized by Pennsylvania officials executing a search warrant on the property of an individual facing domestic violence and animal cruelty charges. Ghost was seized along with his brother, Panda, after being found in shocking condition. Ghost had a gunshot wound through his hind leg, and was starving and dehydrated having not had access to water in weeks. Emaciated to the point that his eyes appeared sunken in his skull, Ghost was in desperate need of nutrition and also had a severe eye and skin infection.
Ghost was treated immediately and transferred to a SafeHaven Animal Rescue Team foster home in Pottstown, Pennsylvania in February 2024 to continue healing and rehabilitating. Ghost has faced a long road to recovery but he’s ready to take the next step and find a forever home.
Dogs like Ghost can struggle to attract potential adopters because people assume their abusive pasts have made them aggressive or antisocial. In truth, dogs rescued from abuse have a remarkable ability to love and show affection and can make fantastic companions.
Get To Know Ghost the Akita
Ghost is a 3.5-year-old male Akita with a beautiful white coat and silver/tan markings. Akitas are an ancient Japanese breed with a high prey drive and a reserved temperament around strangers. Ghost is a typical Akita in many ways, and needs to be the only dog in the home. Ghost also needs an adult-only home with no cats or small animals because of his formidable size and strong prey drive. Though Ghost doesn’t enjoy young children, his foster says he is a “marshmallow” with human adults.
While he can be shy, Ghost is a goofy dog who loves to be outside, go on walks, and explore. Ghost is a large dog—most male Akitas weigh between 100–130 pounds—and needs an owner with breed experience who can confidently handle a dog of Ghost’s size. Ghost will also need a fenced-in yard with a 6-foot fence, minimum.
The right owner will help Ghost continue to heal physically and mentally, and work with him to continue his training. Ghost is intelligent and is doing very well learning commands in his foster home. Ghost is a little wary of men but seems comfortable with most adult women. Although it might take a moment for him to warm up, Ghost will make a wonderful loyal companion for anyone who will give him a chance.
You can apply to adopt Ghost on Petfinder or get more information by emailing [email protected].
How Are Animal Cruelty Cases Handled State-By-State?
While there are federal laws protecting animals—the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act) and the Animal Welfare Act, for example—most cases of animal cruelty are handled by state officials and fall under state jurisdiction. All 50 states have laws pertaining to animal cruelty, but they vary greatly. The Animal Legal Defense Fund publishes a list of U.S. Animal Protection Laws Rankings by state each year, assessing specific issues and how they are enforced and determining which states have the most thorough protections for animals.
Oregon was ranked #1 best state for animal protection laws in 2023. The state of Oregon has a very thorough grouping of legislative safeguards describing prohibitions against both general acts of animal cruelty and specific types of animal cruelty like forced fighting, sexual assault, cruelty to working and farm animals, cruelty to game animals, veterinary mistreatment of animals, etc. North Dakota was ranked #50 and the worst state for animal protection laws in 2023. Pennsylvania—where Ghost was seized—is smack-dab in the middle of the rankings at #23.
“North Dakota earned its lowest spot in the rankings because state lawmakers have yet to pass a number of important, and increasingly universal, protections. For example, North Dakota does not require that a person convicted of animal cruelty forfeit their animal, regardless of the extent of the cruelty,” says a report from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. “It also does not have any possession ban law that would prohibit convicted abusers from possessing or residing with an animal for a set period of time. Additionally, North Dakota does not have a law explicitly allowing animals to be included in domestic violence protection orders, nor does it have any law requiring or explicitly permitting social services workers to report suspected animal cruelty. “
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