“I believe initially he might not have understood what it was. But he gradually bonded with it and cherished it.”

When LaChrystal Ricke spotted a Facebook image of the dog resting outside on a tattered armchair, she realized she needed to retrieve him. Immediately.

“He was sitting in a parking lot in this somewhat rough neighborhood,” Ricke, founder and director of Reggie’s Friends, a rescue organization in Houston, Texas, told The Dodo. “Someone had posted that they’d visited the gas station and encountered this emaciated dog. I wanted to collect him because it wasn’t a secure environment.”

Street dog lying on old couch Aniken resting on an old, soiled armchair near a gas station in Texas | Reggie’s Friends

Darkness had fallen by the time Ricke arrived at the gas station, but when she searched for the dog, now called Aniken, she couldn’t locate him. So she reached out on Facebook for assistance.

“I commented on the thread, ‘Hey guys, can you come out here? I can’t find him. I’m going to leave him alone for the night because I’m certain he found his secure hideaway,’” Ricke said.

The following morning, two volunteers returned to the identical location.

Woman lifting street dog from chair One of the rescuers lifting Aniken from the old armchair | Reggie’s Friends

“They began knocking on doors, inquiring if anyone had glimpsed him,” Ricke said. “But nobody’s seen him, nobody’s seen him. And then this small healthy female [street dog] emerged — we named her Tessa. She’s attempting to gain their attention, and guiding them back to this small shack in the rear where people have discarded all kinds of garbage — there’s automobile parts, there’s food waste.”

Then they discovered Aniken. “He was reclining on that seat that you observe in all the photographs,” Ricke said.

Woman hugging rescued dog Reggie’s Friends

Ricke drove back to the gas station to retrieve Aniken, as well as Tessa. At this point, Ricke assumed that Aniken was simply a very thin, undernourished street dog, so she was astonished to learn that the condition was far worse.

“We arrive home and he begins exiting the crate, and we start noticing these massive infected wounds,” Ricke said. “And they’re seeping — they’re still infected. My husband and I thought, ‘OK, we need to transport him directly to the emergency vet.’”

Dog inside plastic kennel Reggie’s Friends

But Aniken had more issues than infected wounds — his body was covered in enormous ticks, and chronic malnutrition had strained his organs. The veterinary team at BluePearl Emergency Pet Hospital was also extremely concerned about something else.

“The vet stated, ‘This is truly severe. This is one of the worst instances I’ve ever witnessed. We’re fairly certain that he was a bait dog,’” Ricke said.

A bait dog is an animal who is utilized as a practice target for fighting dogs in training — individuals will encourage fighting dogs to attack the bait dog, while making it impossible for the bait dog to defend itself.

Rescued dog hiding beneath blankets Reggie’s Friends

Ricke wasn’t initially persuaded.

“I didn’t believe he was [a bait dog],” she said. “That’s a term I truly try not to use casually, because I think many people really overuse that when they encounter an abused dog. And I thought, ‘Oh, you know, he’s got the scratches on his face. He’s a street dog.’ Then they opened his mouth and demonstrated to me — literally all his teeth have been extracted. His canines have been filed down, and it’s all characteristic of him being unable to fight back.”

Rescued dog with bowed head Reggie’s Friends

Ricke realized that there were additional indications that Aniken had been a bait dog.

“All of these wounds that were seeping, they were seeping because somebody had stitched them up manually,” she said. “Then you consider all the scars on his face, and you begin piecing it together, and there’s no other explanation — this was his existence. He was a bait dog. The purpose was for him not to survive essentially, which is terrifying.”

Woman petting rescued dog Reggie’s Friends

Aniken needed to remain at the emergency vet for several days, so one of the nurses decided to do something special for him — she obtained a stuffed elephant.

“Everyone at BluePearl adored this dog and everyone was deeply invested in his welfare,” Ricke said. “And one of the critical care nurses determined that he needed his first comfort item, so when she ventured out for lunch on Sunday, she purchased it and brought it back to him. I believe initially he might not have understood what it was. But he gradually bonded with it and cherished it.”

Dog with stuffed animal toy Reggie’s Friends

 

“I’m willing to speculate that it was probably the first one he ever possessed in his life,” Ricke added. “He definitely derived some comfort from it, and it was an incredibly thoughtful gesture for her to bring that for him.”

Once Aniken was stable, he was moved to a primary vet for additional treatment. Then he went to a foster home, where he’ll stay until he’s fully recuperated.

Dog with stuffed animal toy Reggie’s Friends

“He’s very withdrawn,” Ricke said. “It’s going to require time for him to emerge from his shell and comprehend that there are people who love him and care for him, and that we’re not going to harm him. And to understand that there will always be food and sweaters and stuffed toys and blankets.”

Dog with stuffed elephant toy Reggie’s Friends

“This degree of mistreatment is all-encompassing — it’s mental, physical and emotional, and it’s going to take time for him to overcome these things,” Ricke added. “But we feel very fortunate that we were placed in his path that we were able to do this for him.”

Sad looking dog wearing coat Reggie’s Friends

Aniken is already displaying signs of improvement, especially now that he’s in a foster home, Ricke explained.

“He’s gaining weight gradually and enjoying life in his foster home,” Ricke said. “He resides with two other dogs and loves it. He also enjoys sitting on the sofa with his foster dad.”

Woman kidding nose of rescued dog Reggie’s Friends

To help Aniken make a full recovery, you can make a donation to Reggie’s Friends.