Hairless Puppy Dumped at Homeless Encampment ‘With Writing All Over Her’

A hairless puppy has been found in an alarming state of health at a homeless encampment in California.

Homelessness is on the rise in America. In December 2024, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published figures showing that more than 770,000 people were in shelters, temporary housing, or had no shelter.

That figure represents the highest recorded since the federal government began keeping tabs on homelessness in 2007. That number also has knock-on effects when it comes to animals.

According to the charity Feeding Pets of the Homeless, anywhere between 5 percent and 10 percent of homeless people have dogs or cats. In some areas of the country, the rate is as high as 25 percent.

That’s led to major problems in homeless encampments like the one in Stockton, California, where the not-for-profit animal rescue, Hungry Tailz, currently provides assistance.

“We go out to the homeless encampments in Stockton, California, every Friday to feed, provide supplies and medications, and ask if they’d like to get their female dogs spayed,” a spokesperson for Hungry Trailz told Newsweek.

“Most people out there know us, and we’ve built relationships with them to create trust in order to help their pets.”

That’s how they ended up coming to the aid of Naya the puppy.

“A homeless lady was waiting for us to arrive on Friday to ask for help. She told us they found this puppy at a different camp, and she was hairless with words written all over her body,” Hungry Tailz said.

Naya’s skin condition is the result of Demodex mites. These mites are passed down from mother to puppy shortly after birth. In normal circumstances, they remain in small numbers, causing few issues.

However, if the carrier puppy’s immune system is weakened, it can lead to the rapid growth of these mites, resulting in hair loss and other skin irritation. Naya’s issues are likely a result of the conditions she had been living in.

Sadly, Hungry Tailz said she is far from being an outlier. “There are hundreds of dogs reproducing daily in homeless encampments, and this puppy was just one more addition. It has gotten out of control,” the organization said.

Naya was one of the lucky ones because she had someone looking out for her. “She was picked up by another homeless lady who was keeping her safe until we arrived to intake her,” Hungry Tailz said.

Over the next month, she will be treated with Credelio, an oral flea and tick treatment designed to kill the mites. She is expected to make a full recovery and is currently decompressing in a foster home, where she is receiving the necessary love and attention that had been largely absent from her life before now.

Hungry Tailz shared a video of Naya’s story to its TikTok account, hungry.tailz, in the hopes of raising awareness of the alarming levels of animal neglect they are witnessing in these homeless encampments.

“Dogs are reproducing, and many helpless puppies and moms are suffering. They’re having their babies in horrible conditions and repeating the cycle,” it said. “Many puppies do not make it to adulthood due to various diseases.”

The organization is calling for greater efforts in providing affordable resources for the spaying and neutering of these pets. Naya will, in time, be ready and available for adoption.

“She will be a normal dog and can be adopted by a loving family,” Hungry Tailz said. “Naya loves other pets, kids, and adults. She will make an amazing companion.”