"It's true, it's true! Reminds me of someone I just heard about today, in fact."

Yep, he just went there.

He doesn't have much in the way of details, but. The similarities between Devero and a loyal, abused hound, desperately trying to please its owner, are still fresh in his mind.

Who does that to another person?

Well, someone rotten at heart seems like a good descriptor.