A dog abandoned behind a Lorain skating rink became a viral sensation. But his real story began after the cameras stopped rolling.
On May 29, 2026, a surveillance camera at Lorain Skate World captured something heartbreaking.
A vehicle pulled into the back of the parking lot. A dog was let out. The vehicle drove away—and the dog immediately began running after it.
He didn’t understand that he had been abandoned.
He only knew that the person he trusted was leaving.
The video was shared by Lorain Skate World and quickly spread throughout the community. Watching the dog desperately chase after the car was enough to break the hearts of thousands of people. The story quickly became one of those moments that seemed to appear everywhere online, with members of the community sharing the video and asking how they could help.
But while the internet was watching, this scared dog was still out there.
For days, he wandered the streets of Lorain, confused and frightened, crossing busy roads and trying to make sense of what had happened. A local resident eventually gained his trust with food and was able to safely get him contained. He was brought to the Lorain County Dog Kennel before making his way to Friendship APL.
A New Name. A New Beginning.
When he arrived at Friendship APL, we knew he needed more than just a safe kennel.
We gave him the name Skates, inspired by the place where his story began.
A name gave us a way to start telling a different story for him—one that wasn’t about the person who abandoned him, but about the dog he could become.
And Skates had a lot to overcome.
He wasn’t aggressive. In fact, he was a sweet dog. But he was nervous. He was unsure of people and understandably reluctant to let his guard down. He was young, energetic and had very limited training.
We also knew something else.
Because his story had gone viral, there were suddenly a lot of people interested in adopting him.
That attention was wonderful. It meant people cared about Skates. But it also presented a challenge.
When an animal becomes the center of a viral story, it can be easy to fall in love with the story before truly considering the needs of the animal.
We didn’t want that for Skates.
We didn’t want the person who saw the heartbreaking video and immediately thought, I want him.
We wanted the person who would think, What does Skates need to thrive?
After everything he had been through, Skates needed someone who would be patient. Someone willing to continue his training. Someone who understood that earning his trust would take time. Someone prepared to work through his separation anxiety and help him adjust to a new home.
So instead of rushing Skates into adoption, we gave him another opportunity.
Skates Goes to GCI
We quickly realized that our Grafton Correctional Institution (GCI) dog training program could be exactly what Skates needed.
Through this longstanding program, selected dogs leave the shelter environment for approximately two months and work one-on-one with dedicated handlers. During their time in the program, dogs learn basic obedience, participate in play groups with other dogs and, perhaps most importantly, have the opportunity to simply be dogs in a different environment.
The program also gives our team something incredibly valuable: time.
Time to learn who a dog really is.
Time to see how they respond to new experiences.
Time to understand their personality, strengths and challenges.
And for Skates, that time made all the difference.
He blossomed.
The nervous dog who had once been cowering in the back of a kennel became an eager learner who was ready to show everyone what he could do.
His handler’s graduation notes painted a completely different picture of the dog the world had first seen running desperately after a car:
“This dog is the most amazing dog there is. Very smart and has picked up on all of his commands.”
Skates learned sit, down, shake and high five. He became housebroken and showed just how food-motivated—and trainable—he was.
He loved playing fetch.
He loved swimming in his doggie pool.
He loved playing with other dogs.
He could be vocal when he wanted something and would happily “talk” to his people.
He was still afraid of storms and experienced separation anxiety, likely because of the instability and trauma he had experienced before coming to Friendship APL.
And when he bonded with his people, he bonded deeply.
His handler noted that Skates could be protective of his people and home, meaning he might bark when strangers arrived—but underneath all of that was a dog who simply wanted to be loved.
The “Dingo” That Wasn’t
As Skates’ story continued making headlines, his former owner appeared in court and her explanation for abandoning him made headlines of its own.
She told the court that Skates was not a German Shepherd mix, but a “dingo” and a “wild dog,” saying she believed releasing him was better because he was supposedly accustomed to the wild.
But Skates had another story to tell.
Friendship APL eventually sent out a DNA test to learn more about this very unique-looking dog.
The results?
German Shepherd. American Pit Bull. Chow Chow. Weimaraner.
There was no dingo.
And perhaps more importantly, there was nothing “wild” about Skates.
He was a young dog who wanted to learn. He wanted to play. He wanted to be around other dogs. He wanted to chase a ball, splash in a pool and curl up with his people.
He didn’t need to be released into the wild.
He needed someone to give him a chance.
Justice for Skates
While Skates was busy working on becoming the best version of himself, his original owner faced the consequences of abandoning him.
She was charged with animal abandonment, as well as violations related to dog registration and rabies vaccination. She ultimately pleaded no contest to the animal abandonment charge.
In July, she was sentenced to 90 days in jail and $300 in fines, with additional restitution ordered for Skates’ care.
But while the legal process moved forward, Skates’ life was moving in an entirely different direction.
From Viral Dog to GCI Graduate
After approximately two months in the GCI program, Skates returned to Friendship APL.
And he wasn’t the same dog who had arrived weeks earlier.
He was confident.
He was trained.
He was playful.
He was affectionate.
And he was ready for his next chapter.
The Part of Skates’ Story We Hope You Remember
It would be easy to look at Skates’ story and remember the surveillance video.
The dog running after the car.
The heartbreak.
The anger.
The court case.
The “dingo” comment.
The viral posts.
But that’s not the ending we want people to remember.
We want people to remember Skates the dog.
The dog who was scared but never gave up.
The dog who learned.
The dog who discovered he loved swimming.
The dog who learned to shake and give high fives.
The dog who loved playing with other dogs.
The dog who blossomed when someone finally gave him the time and patience he needed.
And most importantly, the dog who got a second chance.
Skates’ story is also a reminder of why shelter work is about so much more than finding animals an available home.
Sometimes, the best thing we can do is slow down.
Sometimes, a dog needs training before adoption.
Sometimes, an animal needs time to decompress.
Sometimes, the perfect adopter isn’t the first person who raises their hand.
And sometimes, giving an animal the best possible second chance means recognizing what they need—not simply what we want for them.
Skates was given that chance.
And that is the story worth sharing.
