A Match Made in Heaven: Adopter Meets Suspected Dogfighting Victim on the Anniversary of her Fiancé’s Funeral

Felicia S. had been living alone for a while when she decided it was finally time to get a dog. Having made up her mind, she began searching for dogs online. That’s when she came across 4-month-old Tulle, who was located at an ASPCA recovery center. She admired his photo for a while but went on looking at other dogs to see who else was out there. All the while, she kept thinking about Tulle.

Later, on July 17, 2025, Felicia showed her coworker a photo of Tulle.

“I said, ‘I’m thinking about getting a dog. What do you think of him?’” Felicia recalled.  “She said, ‘He’s cute but are you sure?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to go meet him.’ She said, ‘We?’ I said, 'You’re coming too, and my niece. We’re going to go meet him.”

That same day, Felicia, her coworker and her niece went to meet Tulle.

“He was rambunctious! He had a lot of energy, and I wasn’t sure if I could handle that,” recalled Felicia. “Then my niece and my coworker said, ‘Nope! Just right for you Felicia, take him home!’ Everyone told me I could take a day and sleep on it, but I just adopted him that same day.”

It wasn’t until two weeks later that Felicia realized the significance of that day.

“July 17 is the anniversary of my fiancé’s funeral,” Felicia told us. “It didn’t dawn on me until I was looking at Tulle’s papers and was wondering why the date looked so familiar. I realized it was the day of his funeral and said, ‘Well, it was meant for me to have him then.’”

Paying homage to her late fiancé, Felicia renamed Tulle, King.

“King was the last name I was supposed to have,” explained Felicia. “It suits him too! He’s the king of the house.”

A Past of Cruelty

At just 4 months old, King had already seen more cruelty in his life than any dog ever should. In April 2025, King was one of more than 150 dogs removed from 10 locations across Dillon and Marion counties in South Carolina. The dogs — many of whom were observed with untreated injuries and scarring consistent with dogfighting — were transferred into our care and given the critical care they needed.

When Felicia heard how King was sadly brought up, she wasn’t surprised. In fact, after living together, she has found that his past explains a lot about him. What she did find surprising, however, was some people’s opinions about pit bulls in general.

Dogs found in chains at one of the 10 locations across Dillion and Marion counties in South Carolina.  

“People think pit bulls aren’t good dogs,” she said. “I’ve noticed that people will go the other way with their dog just because he’s a pit bull. He isn’t vicious, he just wants to play! Pit bulls are actually great dogs! They’re sweet, they’re kind, they’re rambunctious, they listen. I’m not training him to be vicious. He just wants to be loved. That’s what I’ve realized. He loves it all, the hugs, the kisses, the pets. He doesn’t like being in trouble.”

Thankfully, Felicia looked past the untrue and unfair stigmas about pit bulls and suspected dogfighting victims and decided to adopt King. 

That day, our staff said something that stuck with Felicia as a consistent reminder of his past and the exciting future that lies ahead for them both.

“I remember they told me, ‘Everything with you is going to be a first.’”

Knowing that she was giving him his first loving home, his first car ride, his first trip to the dog park and his first cuddles on the couch, Felicia was excited to start their life together —and give him the best one she possibly could. 

King of the Castle

On their first night home together, Felicia slept on the couch in her living room on the first floor of her home, right next to King’s crate. King was shy and enclosed, so she continued to sleep there for a few nights until, finally, she made her way back to her room upstairs. It took about two weeks, but King eventually got used to Felicia’s schedule and began letting his true colors shine through.

“Now he’s my alarm clock,” Felicia joked. “He knows that 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning, Mommy comes to let him out. He goes outside, comes inside and eats. Then he just runs around and plays.”

Feeling comfortable in his new home, King’s personality has gone from shy to open and friendly.

“Though, I’m pretty sure he’s judging a lot of people just by the way he cocks his head and looks at them,” Felicia laughed.  “People tell me he acts like me! He’s not shy but he is standoffish to certain people.”

Felicia loves taking King to the dog park to burn off some of his puppy energy and gets a real kick out of watching him run.

“When he takes off running, he doesn’t know how to stop,” she explained. “He runs into me because he doesn’t know how to press the brakes yet! He has a lot of speed, and I need to teach him how to slow down but I don’t move as fast as him!”

When asked how she feels about being able to give King a kind, safe and loving home, Felicia said it feels good!

“Great, actually!” She corrected. “I chose to adopt a dog because there are so many dogs out there that need homes and love, especially because of where they came from. I would rather adopt. If I could, I would do it again. And I probably will in a year or two.”

“He’s my baby,” she added. “He’s going to be spoiled. He’s a good companion. I don’t have any kids, so he’s my baby. He’s changed my life for the better.”