In November 2014, Chris Kemoeatu, a former player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his brother Ma’ake, who played for the Baltimore Ravens, left Zeus, their Cane Corso, at a pet boarding facility in Baltimore.
The brothers were moving to Hawaii and said they would get their dog when they could.
Nine months later, Zeus is still at the Pooches and Purrs facility.
The brothers have neglected to get their dog — and they’ve also neglected to pay his boarding and vet bills, which have added up to more than $9,000.
“[Chris] said he was coming back in about a week or two and then we were going to move forward, and then I didn’t hear from him,” Renee Mason, co-owner of Pooches and Purrs, told WBAL. “Technically, I could have found a home after 10 days, but I’m trying to do the right thing for the dog.”
She said she last spoke to Chris three weeks ago. He asked her not to rehome Zeus, although two people have expressed interest in adopting the 6-year-old dog.
Earlier last year, the Kemoeatu brothers were in the news for a far more compassionate reason: Ma’ake left the Ravens and donated a kidney to Chris, who’d had kidney problems since the age of 13.
Renee told WBAL she was aware of Chris’ medical issues and was trying to be understanding.
“But, I mean, he’s taking advantage, completely,” she said.
Neither Chris or Ma’ake could be reached for comment.
As for Zeus, he’s “a gentle, kind soul, that’s exactly what he is,” Pooches and Purrs co-owner Keith Mason told WBAL.
“We’ve all grown to love him. He’s easy to love.”
Photos via Twitter