When rescuers first met Dex, the tiny pug looked like he’d already lived a lifetime of hardship.
Found wandering the streets of Austin, Texas, the one-year-old pup weighed barely 10 pounds. He was completely hairless except for the curl of his little tail — and his eyes were in such bad shape that he was on the brink of losing his sight.
At Austin Animal Center, Dex sat in a cold, empty cage, waiting out his stray-hold period. It meant no treatment, no comfort — just time ticking away while his condition worsened.
Then Pug Rescue Austin got the call.
Within hours, Dex was whisked into their care — and the truth of his suffering became heartbreakingly clear.
“His demodectic mange and skin infections were so advanced, it looked like he’d been suffering for at least six months — half his life,” said Signe Corbin, founder and director of Pug Rescue Austin.
His bulging eyes were also badly damaged. “He had painful corneal ulcers and almost no tear production,” Corbin said. “He squinted and kept them closed most of the time. It was awful.”
Dex was immediately started on medication — antibiotics, antifungals, pain relief, and soothing medicated baths. To save his vision, his foster mom gave him five different eye drops every two hours, day and night.
At first, Dex was terrified. He didn’t understand that the hands reaching for him were there to help. But as his pain began to fade, something inside him softened too.
“He was scared for the first few days,” Corbin said, “but once he started to heal, he warmed up fast — especially to his foster. He loved curling up in round beds with fleece blankets pressed against his skin.”
Soon, he began wagging his tail. Then he discovered toys, treats, and other dogs — and his personality began to bloom.
Dex’s story spread quickly online. Under the hashtag #dexupdate, hundreds of people followed his journey, sending him cozy T-shirts, pajamas, blankets, toys, treats — and donations to cover his care.
One of those followers was Beth Legacki, who had already adopted two pugs from the rescue. She fell in love with Dex’s spirit long before she ever met him.
“When I finally held him, I cried,” Legacki told The Dodo. “He was shy, but I knew instantly he was meant to be ours.”
Today, Dex is unrecognizable — a confident, playful little dog who finally knows he’s safe. He has five rescue dog siblings, a warm home, and humans who adore him.
“He’s tiny, but he’s definitely the boss,” Legacki laughed. “He’s the most confident and feisty of our pack — and he knows he’s got street cred.”
Still, beneath all that swagger, Dex is a total snugglebug. “He’s my little shadow,” Legacki said. “He always wants to be touching someone and loves sleeping under the covers.”
After everything he’s endured, Dex is finally living the life every dog deserves — full of warmth, laughter, and love.
“He makes us laugh every day,” Legacki said. “It’s hard not to get emotional when we look at him and think about where he came from.”
“Our home is filled with ‘thrown away’ dogs,” she added. “And we couldn’t imagine life without them.”
To help dogs like Dex get a second chance, you can donate to Pug Rescue Austin.
