Video: Four Years Alone in a Pen Didn’t Crush This Dog’s Spirit—See Him Now!

For Immediate Release:
July 29, 2024

Contact:
Maddy Missett 202-483-7382

Four long years locked up in solitary confinement inside a tiny backyard pen could crush even the strongest spirit, but Timothy, the dog who endured this terrible isolation and neglect, never lost his. An emotional new PETA video celebrates his resilience and chronicles his story from when he was fenced in around-the-clock to the moment his new life began.

PETA fieldworkers visited Timothy in rural North Carolina regularly, doing everything they could to provide him with some comfort and socialization, and each time, they tried to convince his owner to relinquish him. Finally, when Timothy was around 4 years old, PETA’s team prevailed—and wasted no time in opening his pen and whisking him away to a loving family in Syracuse, New York. The video follows Timothy as he joyfully greets his new family for the first time and they detail plans for his new life—which will include hiking, camping, and, of course, living indoors.

“Timothy has found a loving home, but countless other dogs like him remain penned or chained outside 24/7 without adequate food, water, shelter, or social interaction,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA urges everyone to keep dogs indoors with the rest of the family and to talk with their elected officials about banning unattended tethering, which will help ensure that these sensitive animals aren’t kept chained outside 24/7 like old bicycles.”

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.