Declan the Pit Bull sure scored a touchdown when he got adopted by Cleveland Browns running back Terrell Watson.

Watson posted a very sad message to Instagram earlier in the week—that he’d come home from the gym to find that his “best friend,” a gorgeous pup named Koda, had passed away.

Feeling the house was too quiet, Brown searched online and found Declan, an active, happy, 2-year-old sweetheart at the city shelter, and then came on in and adopted him.

“It was love at first sight. We have already received a text from Terrell that Declan is ‘perfect,'” wrote City Dogs Cleveland on Facebook soon after.

Ed Jamison, Cleveland’s chief animal control officer, tells BarkPost he and the rest of the city’s animal welfare community “are very excited” that Declan’s gone on to score this major league home.

Hopefully, he says, it’ll help pave the way for other shelter dogs, especially Pit Bulls, to get into the game of being adopted.

UPDATE: Looks like Declan’s new name is Dexter — and these two guys are already having a ball. We can’t wait to see the photos of Dexter and Watson doing some tailgating (tail-gating?) together in and around the Dawg Pound.

Clear eyes, big smiles, can’t lose!

Please excuse the awkward sports metaphors. We are not sports people! We are just very excited for Dexter and his new dad, and all the dogs they may help by being so fetching together.

Speaking of: you can follow Dexter and Watson’s new life together on Instagram.

And check out other great dogs needing homes on City Dogs Cleveland’s Facebook page.

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