Rescue Dog With Rope Embedded in Neck Goes From 'Feral' to Adopted in Weeks

A Great Pyrenees who was rescued after spending a year in agony with a tightly knotted rope embedded in his neck has found a forever home. This happened just one month after arriving at the shelter as a feral dog. Wesley, who is around 2 years old, arrived at Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), where he required intensive care from its Medical Triage and Wellness Clinic for the severe wound around his neck. With a deep fear of humans, Wesley was described as "practically feral" and required not just medical attention but lots of compassion and care from the APA! staff, which supported him throughout his recovery.

Now, just a month later, he has found the perfect home with new owners Bryan Corralejo and Victoria Montemayor, who live in Pflugerville, Texas. "I first saw him on Instagram when APA! put out a request to raise donations for his medical care," Montemayor told Newsweek. "I continued to keep track of his progress on Instagram, and when I saw a few weeks later that he was listed for adoption or foster, my husband and I decided to reach out." The couple have three senior dogs that were adopted at around 10 years old and have been through illness or surgeries. So they are familiar with caring for large dogs in recovery. In 2023, 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, up 4 percent when compared with 2022 intakes. At the end of 2023, 117,000 additional dogs and cats were in the animal sheltering system, compared with the same time the year before. After his traumatic ordeal, including being tied up with the rope around his neck, Wesley is finally in a home where he is getting the love he deserves.

"He is settling in great," Montemayor said. "We have two golden retrievers and a bloodhound, and he immediately fit into the family. He still gets some anxiety when we leave him alone, but as long as he is with the rest of the dogs, he handles it much better than when he had to be isolated." Far from the terrified dog rescued by APA! in April, Wesley is now excited to play with toys and the other dogs. "He loves to play with rope toys and play tug-of-war," Montemayor said. "His biggest concern now is scaring himself when he sees his reflection in the glass door and wondering when dinner is," she joked. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.