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Maximus, a pit bull puppy who was seen being picked up and thrown into a storefront gate in Yonkers in a video that went viral on social media in late January, is now up for adoption, Yonkers officials said on Friday, Feb. 17.
"Maximus has been through a lot and is looking for a loving home," officials said in a post on social media.
The puppy's former owner, Mount Vernon resident Anthoin McPherson, age 29, was charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly abusing Maximus on Wednesday, Jan. 25. He was arrested after Yonkers Police caught wind of the video that depicted him throwing the dog into the storefront, which happened in the city's 4th Precinct.
With the help of SPCA of Westchester County’s Humane Law Enforcement Unit, McPherson was located only hours after the video surfaced online. After further investigation into McPherson, police also discovered prior acts of abuse, such as a video of him hitting Maximus with a belt in the stairwell of a building.
After McPherson's arrest, Maximus was turned over to the SPCA of Westchester, who assessed him for any injuries or sicknesses.
Yonkers officials said the cost to adopt Maximus would be $80, and that he is "very people-friendly, but not so much with other animals in the home."
He is available at the Yonkers Animal Shelter located at 1000 Ridge Hill Blvd.
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