Video: Dog’s Smile Says It All After He Was Rescued in the Nick of Time From the Streets of Mexico

For Immediate Release:
October 23, 2024

Contact:
Maddy Missett 202-483-7382

When PETA’s fieldworkers headed to Chichimilá to host a free spay/neuter clinic, they had no idea they’d be bringing an extra passenger back to the U.S. with them. But when an exhausted, malnourished, and injured dog wandered in, they knew they couldn’t leave him behind. A new PETA video follows the little dog—now named Gordon—on his journey to his new home and shows his dramatic transformation from the timid, sad-eyed pup who crept into the clinic to the smiling, tail-wagging, confident companion he is today.

When Gordon showed up at the clinic, he was severely malnourished and suffering from a badly broken hip—and being left behind would have meant a slow and painful death on the streets. The Dancing Star Foundation sponsored Gordon’s surgery in the U.S., and after a few weeks of recovery, PETA found him a loving home with one of the group’s supporters in Massachusetts. Today Gordon spends his days hiking, canoeing, and snuggling on the couch with his loving guardian.

“Gordon has a lot to smile about these days, as he is safe and sound and a respected family member,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “Our nation’s shelters are bursting at the seams with fantastic dogs like Gordon who need a home—and a smile!—of their own. Please, always adopt—never buy—animal companions.”

“There’s so many [dogs] who need homes,” says Gordon’s guardian, Vicky. “They’re the best dogs, absolutely. Definitely adopt from a shelter.”

So far this year, PETA’s Global Compassion Fund has sponsored three spay/neuter clinics in the vicinity of Cancún, providing free sterilizations for more than 764 animals in underserved neighborhoods. Fieldworkers from the organization also deliver doghouses, dog food, and flea prevention; deworm dogs; and fit dogs with collars in these neighborhoods—all free of charge.

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 the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.