A Chihuahua described as a "little skeleton" after suffering horror abuse, which saw him kept on a chain, has made an incredible transformation after finding his forever home. Henry, a Chihuahua mix, was one of seven dogs found in Windsor, North Carolina, in appalling conditions by animal charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Footage released by the charity shows Henry's terrible living conditions, which led to the death of a black pit bull named Minnie. In February, they found Minnie's "skeletal remains" inside a doghouse. He was still chained up, with an autopsy revealing that she died of "starvation and extreme neglect," according to PETA.

PETA's Statement

Bertie County Sheriff's Office had to remove the other dogs, Zeus, Duke, Sandy, and Duchess. The fate and whereabouts of another dog, Nala, are unknown. PETA said they kept the dogs in "filthy, deplorable conditions. The seven dogs on that property were consistently malnourished and neglected." This was even though PETA's fieldworkers had provided them with free food, doghouses, spay/neuter services, and other essential care and informed their owners about their basic needs. Last August, PETA's added a new member, Buddy, later renamed Henry. Luckily, Doreen Dykes from Virginia adopted him very soon. PETA got custody of Henry in August 2021. He stayed at PETA for two days, before Doreen Dykes took him in," the group said. Henry was estimated to be around eight years old and is now "safe and comfortable." He is living his best life with Dykes, who adopted him after her husband, Jim, passed away. Dykes said that "A lot of people have asked me about his past, and all I've said is I just don't know." Seeing her beloved Henry, she exclaimed: "Oh, how awful. I had no idea it was as bad as this. He was almost a little skeleton. And it was terrible."

A Horror Abuse

Henry was treated for heartworms, described by the FDA as a "serious disease that results in severe lung disease, heart failure, other organ damage." The on-screen captions on the video said: "He was chained outside alongside five other dogs. They were often found without food or water and were eaten alive by flies."

The fly strikes for years had disfigured Zeus's ears- according to PETA. PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch said: "Minnie and her yard mates languished, chained up like old bicycles in a backyard, and countless other dogs are in danger of suffering a similar fate." Nachminovitch added: "PETA rescued Henry in the nick of time. But countless other dogs like him are suffering out of sight, chained in backyards this burning-hot summer. PETA encourages everyone to keep their dogs indoors with the rest of the family. And remind others to do the same, and always come to aid animals in need like Henry." Dykes adores Henry, who raved: "He has these beautiful dark eyes, and I described them as black treacle. They're the softest, brownest, most beautiful eyes I've ever looked into. I think we have a pretty nice life, the pair of us. There's a quietness about him. With Henry, is a great love of being alive, playing, running around, and jumping off things."