After Southwest Virginia Relief Effort, 10 Formerly Neglected Dogs Urgently Need Loving Homes

For Immediate Release:
September 29, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

Ten dogs rescued from life at the end of a chain or confined to a pen, abandonment, and neglect in Southwest Virginia are now safe and cozy indoors—many for the first time—at PETA’s Norfolk headquarters. PETA is urgently seeking adopters and foster guardians for the group, including Boopsie, a remarkably companionable puggle whose foster guardian says she gets along well with cats and other dogs; Ursa, a mellow Great Pyrenees, and her 12-week-old puppy, Sunny, who got his first-ever bath after his rescue; and Rachelle and Bee, a pair of sweet-natured dogs found abandoned at a rural gas station.

The rescues capped a weeklong relief effort by PETA and the Twin County Humane Society in and around Galax, where more than 250 dogs and cats received free spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and microchips. As PETA fieldworkers canvassed the surrounding area, they provided dogs kept chained outdoors with shelter, veterinary care, and other basic necessities—and persuaded several guardians to let PETA find them safe indoor homes.

Also awaiting loving families are Baylor and Lexi, two friendly, active young dogs who spent the beginning of their lives tethered outside with little to no shelter but are now delighting in walks, games of fetch, and snuggles; Missy, a sweet 3-year-old Australian shepherd/collie mix who spent her former life chained outdoors; Levi, a speckled 3-month-old mixed-breed puppy who was given to an ailing man without the means to feed or care for him; and Pitzi, a tiny 2-year-old Chihuahua who was found terrified and tethered outside without shelter and is nervous but eager to make friends.

Ursa (left) and Sunny (right). Credit: PETA

Rachelle (left) and Bee; Pitzi (right). Credit: PETA

Missy (left) and Baylor (right). Credit: PETA

Levi (left), Boopsie (center), and Lexi (right). Credit: PETA

“These dogs have gone from being isolated outside, deprived of the comfort and companionship they craved, to discovering the simple joys every dog deserves: a warm bed, a toy, a walk, and someone to love them,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is asking caring families to open their hearts and homes and give these dogs the happy endings they’ve been waiting for.”

Prospective adopters and foster guardians on or near the East Coast can e-mail [email protected]. PETA fieldworkers can transport the dogs to approved homes, and each will arrive spayed or neutered, microchipped, dewormed, and fully vaccinated.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.