From Painted Street Dog to Beloved Family Pet
In Halloween 2022, a black dog wandering the streets of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, fell into the wrong hands. Someone painted him with toxic paint to look like a skeleton as part of the Día de los Muertos celebrations.
Rescue by Compassion Without Borders
Thankfully, volunteers with Compassion Without Borders, an animal rescue operating shelters in Mexico and California, spotted the dog. He looked sad and almost ashamed of what had happened.
The volunteers brought him to their facility for a bath and medical exam. Victoria Von Thal, who handles social media for the rescue, said it took three volunteers and three days to remove all the paint from his fur.
“They say he was very good,” Von Thal said. “He allowed them to do it. So, he’s a sweet boy.”
Dante’s Recovery
Despite the mistreatment, the dog—later named Dante—remained trusting and patient. He lost some fur and experienced skin irritation, but suffered no other injuries.
Several weeks later, Dante was transferred to Muttopia, the rescue’s facility in Santa Rosa, California, for a fresh start. Von Thal explained:
“We go, like, every two months. We bring dogs from Mexico, mostly medical cases.”
Upon arriving in California in November 2022, Dante was full of energy and playful—ready to leave his painful past behind.
Finding His Forever Family
It didn’t take long for Dante to find a loving home. In spring 2023, he was adopted by a family with several children who could run and play with him. He immediately settled in.
“Dante is doing great,” his family shared. “He is such a sweet boy and fits in perfectly with our family. The neighbor’s dog has become his best friend, and he has puppy play dates in our yard.”
A Life Full of Joy
Since his rescue, Dante has traveled the country, attended his siblings’ soccer games, and even taken up chasing the garbage truck as a favorite pastime. What was once a scared street dog is now a true family pet.
On his first Halloween in the U.S., Dante wore a skeleton costume for trick-or-treating—this time safely and with love.
“We wanted to honor where he came from,” his family said. “Also, we wanted to show people that if you want your dog to be a skeleton, you don’t need to paint them with lead house paint.”
Though the costume nods to his difficult past, Dante’s happy expression shows he is now living a life full of love and joy.