Meet Cooper: Six Years on a Chain Couldn’t Keep Him Down (VIDEO)

For Immediate Release:
June 4, 2019

Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382

For the first six years of his life, Cooper the dog was chained up outdoors around the clock. He couldn’t run and play, he was desperately lonely and bored, and he had no relief from a terrible flea allergy that caused him to chew off most of the fur on his back legs. But as a new PETA video released today shows, everything changed when his owner finally gave him to PETA and the next chapter of his life officially began.

After a lot of TLC, Cooper’s fur grew back, and his spunky, playful, loving personality soon caught the eye—and heart—of Kara Cuddapah, who adopted him. “Basically, wherever I go, Coop goes as well,” says Kara. “We play fetch, run errands, watch Netflix, and soon, we’ll be heading to the beach so he can try out swimming. He makes me so happy, and I just want the same for him—forever.” An added bonus for Cooper? He and Kara’s roommate’s pup, Jessie, have become fast friends.

“At last, Cooper has the life that he deserves—a roof over his head, daily walks, soft beds to lie on, a dog friend to play with, and a devoted guardian,” says PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “His lonely days on a chain are over—and anyone inspired by his story can make a huge difference for animals by pushing for a chaining ban in their area, which PETA can help with.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. More information about the group’s work to help dogs and cats is available here, and more photos of Cooper are available on PETA’s blog.