When Stephen F.’s Hound-mix, Moe, died at the age of 12, he and his son Matan visited the ASPCA Adoption Center to find a new pet, just as Stephen had done with Moe and their dog before that. 

“We wanted a small dog because we live in an apartment, but when we arrived, we saw a German Shepherd named Arty who had just been made available,” says Stephen. “He jumped up on my son and licked me... and that was it.” 

From Surviving to Thriving

Nearly three months earlier, an emaciated Arty was rescued by the New York City Police Department from an apartment where he had been abandoned without any food or fresh water.

“For a young adult, Arty was remarkably underweight—just 35 lb.,” says Dr. Robert Reisman, the ASPCA’s Forensics Sciences Supervisor who oversaw Arty’s case. “He truly fit the expression ‘skin and bones.’” Within three months or receiving specialized care, Arty more than doubled his weight, reaching a healthy 80 lb.

Ready for Adoption

The family made the adoption official and changed Arty’s name to Marty, inspired by the main character in the 1955 Oscar-winning movie “Marty,” about an average man surprised to find himself falling in love.

Marty even gets along with the family’s playful 10-year-old cat, Minnie, despite their 76 lb. weight difference.

“He is such a smart, intelligent dog,” says Stephen. “Very rarely do you find a dog that lives up to the ‘Rin-Tin-Tin image’ of what a German Shepherd should be.”

“Making a dog part of your life makes life better,” Stephen adds. “We’re devoted to Marty. And he takes care of us, too.”