Instagram Swoons Over New Dog Star Named 'Beaux Tox' Who Was Born with a Facial Deformity

Don’t let his name fool you. Beaux Tox the yellow Lab has a face that is 100 percent real and it’s turning heads on Instagram, thus proving that looking different doesn’t stop people from finding you absolutely adorable.

Beaux Tox’s friend and colleague at Hill Country Dream Team Realty (Instagram: @hcdt.realty, Facebook: Hill Country Dream Team Realty) a boutique real estate brokerage in Texas, tells PEOPLE “Beaux Tox epitomizes the thing to which all humans aspire: a complete understanding that beauty is only skin deep. An understanding that is fueled by being unconditionally loved. And this is what inspires Beaux Tox to use his influence to help other animals find their place of unconditional love.”

Indeed, Beaux has become a local face of animal advocacy and pet adoption in their community, and his people have high hopes that his message — “As a rescue dog, I believe everyone deserves a home!” — will spread through social media and beyond.

Frasier is a good friend of this unique pet’s parent, and she has quite the epic story to tell about the 6-year-old pup’s life and times. Born to a litter of six puppies, his mama dog’s womb was so crowded that Beaux’s developing cranium became sunken. This scenario is responsible for the dog’s pensive look and closely set, uneven eyes. Luckily, MRI scans of Beaux’s head revealed that his facial deformity has no impact on his brain, intellect, nor ability to live a normal, healthy life.

Still, as a puppy, Beaux faced many challenges and difficulties. The breeder who raised him didn’t see any value in the pup, so Beaux was given away for free to his first owner who lived in Austin, Texas. There, Beaux’s playful personality did not mesh well with his new owner’s cats, and the dog was banished to the backyard.

Beaux spent five long years neglected in that lonely backyard, without even a dog bed to rest his weary head upon. Despite efforts by local rescue groups that tried to re-home him, Beaux kept getting returned due to his lack of training. Finally, a miracle intervened on Beaux’s behalf in the form of a new person named Jaime, who saw his picture on Facebook and fell in love.

Sadly, Beaux was in bad shape when Jaime first met him in person. His ribs were visible through his loose hanging skin, he was covered in fleas and infested with ear mites, and worst of all, he tested positive for heartworms. Beaux was given a 50/50 chance of survival.

“For one month in the clinic, Beaux had to be repeatedly put on oxygen,” Frasier tells PEOPLE. “Slowly though, over time, Beaux put on weight and fought back to where he could undergo heartworm treatment. Despite suffering hearing loss in his left ear due to mites and difficulty seeing with his right eye, Beaux eventually won a clean bill of health.”

Now, one year later, Beaux is loving life. He enjoys the outdoors, but prefers to lounge inside. His owner also hopes that Beaux will become the face of heartworm prevention and treatment.

To get the word out, she has set up an Instagram account (@beauxtoxthedog) and a Facebook page (Beaux Tox the Dog) for this “third chance” pup, whose adorable face and playful personality have captured the attention of people across the world. In fact, he’s been so overwhelmed with requests for more information and interviews, that Team Beaux says he “insists” they spread the word about his pet causes whenever his story is told.

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“Beaux gets it: love can be transformative; and he loves to use his influence to help transform the lives of needy and hurting animals everywhere,” says Frasier.

To support Beaux’s favorite causes, head over to his Go Fund Me page. And to learn more about this special dog and the many organizations he supports (and who support him!) check out these links:

Instagram: @beauxtoxthedog
Facebook: Beaux Tox the Dog

The Boerne TX Animal Shelter
Instagram: @hcaltx
Facebook: Hill Country Animal League/SPCA Inc.

The Fredericksburg TX Animal Shelter
Instagram: @hscpca
Facebook: Hill Country SPCA

The Kerrville TX Animal Shelter
Instagram: @freeemanfritts
Facebook: AWS Freeman-Fritts Animal Shelter & Clinic

The San Antonio Animal Shelter
Instagram: @sahumane
Facebook: San Antonio Humane Society

Beaux’s Clinic: Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic
Facebook: Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic