Baltimore Ravens player's heartfelt mission to rescue dogs in need is winning over the internet

The NFL has been in the middle of a lot of negative news of late, but one Baltimore Ravens player is bringing around some positivity through a deed of remarkable goodness.

Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley has sent a heartfelt message about saving rescue dogs in need. In an article written for ESPN, Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley has told the story of when the Ravens star was 14 and his parents brought him two cocker spaniels for Christmas.

Unfortunately, a babysitter's forgetfulness in shutting the gate to a pool led to the accidental death of one of the puppies, who drowned in the pool.

The then-young Baltimore Ravens player was devastated and has been affected ever since.

Ronnie Stanley has become a driving force to help dogs in need.

The mission of his charitable foundation is to improve the quality of life for rescue dogs and match them with those who have faced a challenge in life.

Full story here:

espn.com/blog/baltimore…

"I definitely took it hard, feeling helpless,” Stanley said, as per Hensley. "I couldn’t do anything. It was tough.”

Years later, Stanley started the Ronnie Stanley Foundation, which rescues dogs and helps them find good homes.

Stanley talked about how adopting three dogs changed his life forever.

"My life was forever changed for the better when I adopted Lola, Rico and Kaia. A lot of individuals can benefit from the companionship an animal can bring into their lives," said Stanley.

Stanley also spoke about how adopting dogs can benefit different people from different walks of life.

“It brings tremendous joy,” Stanley said. "I just think it was great to show that this idea can work, and it works for different types of people, different walks of life, different problems, so I think there’s a lot of opportunity.”

Baltimore Ravens star receives praise for his foundation from fans

When people found out late last year about Ronnie Stanley's foundation, he received praise from supporters from all across the country.

Shelly thought it's awesome what Stanley was doing.

@boardroom @megatronnie This is awesome! 💜🖤

Lynn, whose life was "enriched" after adopting seven "re-homed/rescued dogs", had high praise for the football star.

@boardroom @DeCostaLacie @megatronnie Ronnie you r my hero. we have had 7 re-homed/rescued enriching our lives. love them all to pieces.

Amotion, another dog lover, praised Stanley and thanked him for taking on what some considered an "unadoptable" dog.

@boardroom @megatronnie Thank u thank u thank u! This is much needed and youve been my #1 Ravens player since you adopted the most 'unadoptable dog' at @BARCS_SHELTER

Richard said that Stanley's story has encouraged him to adopt a dog, too.

@boardroom @DeCostaLacie @megatronnie Will get my rescue dog today 😊. Adopted him from Spain so it took a while, but so worth it. Also have a rescued rabbit already. There is a lot of psychological work to be done with these animals, but ones they open up. Just wow. Their souls are so beautiful.

Alexis was also encouraged to adopt a rescue dog and even posted a video of her pet.

@boardroom @DeCostaLacie @megatronnie I adopted a rescue dog 🐶 I love her 😍 https://t.co/fnMJLjNZpt

One Twitter user, however, did not seem too thrilled with the foundation's mission of matching rescue dogs "with people who have experienced trauma or illness."

@boardroom @EHansenNDI @megatronnie Dogs shouldn’t have jobs

Yet, there was another user who felt that having a sense of purpose is something dogs seem to love.

@SassMOMLA @boardroom @EHansenNDI @megatronnie dogs love having a sense of purpose

Stanley continues to receive praise from groups like the Softer Side, who tweeted out positive information about the work people do to help animals in need.

Ravens LT @megatronnie isn’t just an awesome Softie - now he’s also the founder of the Ronnie Stanley Foundation, bringing together rescue dogs and people in need. Ok, #RavensFlock, find out more at ronniesfoundation.org and go follow @Ronniesfdn! twitter.com/Ronniesfdn/sta… https://t.co/YrPTmOwacu

The Baltimore Ravens also sang praises of their star offensive tackle and his organization.

.@megatronnie has launched his own foundation, focused on the goal of pairing rescue dogs with people who may need a little rescuing of their own 💜

baltimoreravens.com/news/ronnie-st…

Ronnie Stanley, with his compassion for dogs and those who need them, has garnered much deserved praise for a player who once suffered a heartache that he turned into a purpose.