For weeks, Dave the dog endured the elements outside without adequate food or social interaction. Now, the canine is a different dog from that neglected pup.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) shared Dave’s story with PEOPLE, including a video recounting the dog’s 2024 rescue. PETA first learned about the canine through its fieldworkers who spotted Dave languishing outside a Windsor, North Carolina, home day after day.
Based on what fieldworkers observed, Dave’s owner left him chained up outside 24/7 without regular access to food, water, and love. The fieldworkers checked in on Dave and got a closer look at his condition. According to the video, they found that Dave was underweight and had one of the “worst flea infestations we’ve seen.” Dave also had a severe case of mange. Mange is a skin disease caused by parasitic mites that causes hair loss, skin infections, and intense itchiness.
Unfortunately, Dave’s owner at the time refused to get the dog veterinary care or turn the pet over to a rescue. PETA contacted the authorities after several failed attempts to get the owner to surrender Dave.
Dave’s owner moved the dog to another location before the authorities arrived but brought Dave back to the same spot soon after. The authorities eventually were able to seize the dog due to his “neglected state,” per PETA.
PETA earned custody of Dave and worked with Reba’s Rescue to heal the pooch and find him a family. Before his adoption, Dave received treatment for his nasty case of mange, which allowed him to grow back his smooth black and white coat. PETA also had Dave neutered ahead of his adoption.
Reba’s Rescue and PETA found Dave a home with a loving family who prepared to be patient with the pup as he adjusted to a life of affection and care. The family renamed the dog Roux.
The new name has shepherded in a new start. Today, Roux adores snuggling with his pet parents and enjoying his “better ending” after a harsh beginning.
PETA hopes Dave’s story inspires others to advocate for the proper treatment of pets, including adjustments to legislation that would make leaving your dog tied up outside illegal.“Dave has found a wonderful home, but countless other dogs like him are chained outside 24/7 without adequate food, water, shelter, or social interaction,” PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch said in a statement. “PETA urges everyone to keep dogs indoors with the rest of the family and to lobby for bans on unattended tethering, which will help ensure that they aren’t chained outside like old bicycles.”