British actor Sir Patrick Stewart was in for a pleasant surprise when he decided to foster a pit bull for the first time. The moment he was introduced to Ginger, she showed him how affectionate and gentle of a companion she is. Stewart can be heard thanking the pup when she approaches him and immediately offers cuddles and kisses.

Stewart quickly fell in love with the “60-pound lap dog.” Unfortunately, he and his wife were unable to adopt Ginger. They live in the UK for part of the year, where ownership of pit bulls is banned by the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Stewart, who admits to having once believed stereotypes about pit bulls being violent, was so moved by the short time he spent with Ginger that he felt compelled to advocate for the breed. After Ginger’s departure from his home, he partnered with the ASPCA in an effort to take a stand against dogfighting.

Despite her fame, Ginger is no different from the countless loyal and loving pit bulls who are in search of forever homes but are stigmatized as “dangerous.” The widespread illegal use of pit bulls for dogfighting contributes to this popular but false perception of the breed as inherently aggressive. Combating the negative image of pit bulls is imperative to helping more of them find forever homes, making Stewart and Ginger’s story both invaluable and inspirational.