Until he was 8 months old, he was neglected by his former 'owner' who would beat him, cut his skin with a razor, and sliced off part of his left ear.
A 10-year wait
Cleto was rescued from this situation and taken to a shelter in Mexico City by West Coast Paws Dog Rescue.
The rescuers hoped he would find his forever home fairly quickly, but sadly, that wasn't the case.
For 10 years, Cleto lived in the shelter, behind the bars of his kennel.
For Cleto, the only home he had ever known was a violent one, so the shelter was a real step up for him. It helped him to socialise with other dogs, but the rescuers were sad to know that he had never had a proper home.
Getting noticed
It was difficult for Cleto to get noticed among 100 other dogs at the shelter. What's more, his severed ear might have scared some people off, possibly hindering his chances of adoption.
The rescuers decided to feature Cleto on Facebook by posting a short video about his story.
Thanks to a strong network of people who shared, liked, and commented, Cleto's post reached the perfect person.
A lady decided to adopt him and open her home to him in Canada!
The day Cleto was finally able to leave the shelter and head to his forever home, he truly couldn't contain his excitement. And who can blame him!
The sweet dog ran as fast as he could, chasing his happily ever after. He was so excited and happy to finally be in the arms of those who promised to love him forever.
We wish him all the best with his forever family!
