Police Officer Adopts Abandoned Puppy He Found While On Duty

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — A police officer in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and his fiancée were looking to adopt a rescue pit bull as the new year began. So when Matthew O'Hanlon and other on-duty officers came across one that had apparently been abandoned in an industrial area near East Gate Square on Jan. 2, it turned into the perfect match.

The puppy, later named "Thor" by O'Hanlon, had no identification and a cut on his head, the Mount Laurel Police Department told residents on Facebook. Thor was taken to the Burlington County Animal Shelter in Westampton for treatment; and after no one claimed him, O'Hanlon decided to adopt him right away.

"I called the shelter 20 minutes after I dropped him off and told them that I wanted him," O'Hanlon said on "Good Morning America."

A tooth from another animal was found in Thor's head, according to the report. He has since recovered and is doing well as the officer's newest family member.

O'Hanlon is making sure Thor "gets lots of attention and treats," the police department said.

Pit bulls are affectionate and loyal, O'Hanlon told WPVI, hoping to dispel some part of the negative stigma associated with the breed. His last dog was also a pit bull, he said.

"My fiancée and I were looking to get a pit bull, and when you see a pit bull puppy with an injury, it's hard to pass up on."