On the remote island of Taal Volcano in the Philippines, PETA staffers stumbled upon a lice-infested puppy who had two infected wounds on his back. The puppy—now named Christmas—was found during a horse health clinic that PETA Asia, in partnership with International Veterinary Outreach, runs on the island in order to provide hundreds of horses used for trekking with basic veterinary care for the first time in their lives.

The dog and his littermates were taken to the clinic, where they received medicated baths and parasite treatment, but Christmas’ condition was severe. He likely wouldn’t have survived if left on the island, and his owners knew it. They agreed to surrender him to PETA so that he could be brought to Manila to recover and receive further care.

Here’s his amazing transformation:

After recovering, Christmas was adopted and is now enjoying life in the big city. Gone are the days when he had to fight for scraps just to survive. He now spends his time playing with his family’s other dogs, Zoey, Maya, and Thor, and best of all, he has more toys than he knows what to do with!

If you have the space in your heart and home to care for a dog or cat, please adopt. Never buy animals from pet stores or breeders, because doing so supports the cruel pet trade. If you live in the Philippines, e-mail us for more information on adopting companion animals.