Big, brown, sad eyes look up from a shivering, dirt-caked body of a small dog. Quiet whimpers escape his snout begging for a warm bed and a full belly.
He is accepting as a stranger scoops him up and takes him home. The more medicine and food he takes into his system, the closest his restoration to full health — abandoned dog transforms to a happy and fun-loving friend.
Meet Chupey, the ‘poster boy’ of pet adoption stories.
Chupey was found in a restaurant parking lot April 2011. He was nothing but skin and bones and had lost most of his hair.
University Librarian Stephanie Wittenbach said the veterinarian she took him to said he looked like a Chupacabra. Hence the name Chupey.
“Chupey was a rescue dog who had really bad fleas and mange when I found him,” Wittenbach said.
But she took him in and nursed him back to health. After a month of Wittenbach-tender-love-and-care, plus food and medicine, Chupey grew back his hair and transformed into a healthy and friendly dog.
Recently, Wittenbach entered Chupey into the El Rey Fido contest which benefits the San Antonio Humane Society by the donations given in his name.
“Bringing him back to health and seeing how he turned out motivated me to give back to the San Antonio Humane Society for all they do to help animals like Chupey on the daily basis,” Wittenbach said.
El Rey Fido is a fundraiser for the Humane Society which is based off of the El Rey Feo foundation. The fundraiser involves committed animal lovers who use their dogs to raise funding. The dog with the most donors will be crowned El Rey Fido and others close behind will be part of the court.
“I’m just trying to get the word out to everyone who might take interest in his story and want to donate in his name to the San Antonio Humane Society,” Wittenbach said.
So far Chupey has 70 donors and has raised $935.
“Chupey stands out naturally because he’s a happy dog and eagerly greets people,” Wittenbach said.
Most contestants dress up their dogs in various attire that represents royalty. Chupey has two costumes: jingle bell collar and a ‘sparkly’ red bow, Wittenbach said.
The winners of the contest will become the new faces of the Humane Society.
“If Chupey makes it onto the El Rey Fido court, he and I would become spokespeople for the humane society,” Wittenbach said.
The winner will be announced March 23. Anyone can donate, even if just $1.
“It helps San Antonio’s Humane Society and it counts for another donor for Chupey,” Wittenbach said.
