Under the Mound of Fur – An Incredible Shelter Dog Transformation
Meet Ellen, a large mass of matted fur that reeked of urine and could barely walk. This is the atrocious condition Ellen was found in. She was brought into a local shelter, where she stayed until a compassionate worker decided to contact Trio Animal Foundation (TAF), knowing they would be interested in taking on this case. Thanks to the loving staff members of the TAF, based out of Chicago, she was able to make an amazing transformation. You simply won’t believe the neglect that this sweet dog endured and your jaw will certainly drop when you see what she looks like now. Spoiler alert, she’s adorable.
Believe it or not, this was Ellen when the Trio Animal Foundation first discovered her in a cage at a public shelter. The mud, urine, feces and dirt packed into her long hair has created a serious disaster that is likely pulling very hard on her skin and is very uncomfortable. It’s unknown how long she had been walking around like this.
The people that worked at the shelter even had a hard time discerning if this poor pup was a male or female. She was so matted, the Trio staff members who went to pick her up couldn’t even tell which end was her head and which was her back end.
Her face and mouth were just barely visible under all that overgrown hair. It was clear to TAF that this was going to be a huge challenge.
Poor Ellen was a mess. She not only looked bad, but her matted fur reeked of urine. Even worse, the Trio staff members thought that the dog was dragging her hind legs. But upon closer inspection, it turned out that her legs were just knotted up in fur.
It was obvious that the dog underneath all of this fur had to be miserable, especially since the dirty clumps of hair weighed so much that they were starting to rip out of her skin by the roots. Fortunately for Trio, a local grooming service, Mutt Hutt, agreed to clip the funky-smelling canine.
At times, Ellen’s malodorous stench was unbearable for the workers grooming her. How incredibly sad to have lived a life smelling of one’s own feces and urine and repelling people anywhere she went.
As the expert groomers began shaving away her large mats, an adorable doggie face started to emerge. What began to surface, was a much smaller dog than anyone anticipated with large, kind eyes.
The groomers continued shaving laboriously and cautiously, bit by bit. They had to pay careful attention taking to not to burn her skin with the hot blades or slice the skin, since the hair was matted so tightly against it.
Excavating a dog from under all that crusted-up, hardened fur was not an easy task. But after a while, a canine did begin to emerge from the smelly casing of hair. How light she must have felt!
And even though there must have been times when the dog was uncomfortable or scared during the process of removing all of that fur, onlookers were surprised that the sweet dog never once growled or showed her teeth. In fact, at one point, she even shared kisses with those trying to help her.
By the time the groomer had completed her mission of freeing Ellen from her furry prison, the ground was covered in two pounds of hair. That’s an amazing amount of fur considering how tiny Ellen really is. Standing next to the pile of matted fur that came off of this sweet girl really puts the weight she was carrying into perspective. Boy, oh boy, did she clean up nicely though!
Sadly, all of that hair wasn’t just unsightly and smelly. It had also caused a lot of stress on the petite pup’s joints. So Ellen was treated to therapeutic massages and given medication to help her deal with the pain and possible infection.
Ellen turned out to be a very resilient pup. Her three rehabilitation dogs made sure of her quick mental recovery!
They did so well that she quickly adapted to new environments and began to get along and socialize with many other dogs.
When the staff felt that Ellen was ready, they put her up for adoption. Ellen received hundreds of applications but only one lucky person would be able to call this little one family. It was no surprise that Ellen received so many applications – just look at those eyes and that adorable underbite!
After reviewing several applications, they decided on a woman who they knew would give Ellen the love and care that she so desperately deserved. Look how happy she is! Along with a new mom, Ellen also received another special family member…
…A little boy dog named Linus! And Ellen could not love him more. She is finally living the happy life she always deserved. TAF stated in a Facebook post that as soon as Linus walked through the door, Ellen’s eyes lit up and ran right to him. If that’s not destiny, I’m not sure what is. The next picture of the two snuggling will melt your heart into a large, love puddle.
It was clear from the start that these two were meant to be. Ellen could not have been more happier with her loving new mom and her comforting brother, Linus.
Click Next To See Ellen’s Mind-Blowing Before and After Photo
Take a look at this heart-warming dog transformation! Between her precious underbite, her sweet eyes, and her loving disposition, it’s no wonder so many applications piled up for a chance to take her home. We can’t believe the amazing gem of a dog that was hiding for so long under all that matted hair. It really is a miracle.
Without the help, expertise, and compassion of the people who brought Ellen off of the streets, the shelter worker who decided TAF should step in, the capable TAF team members who took her in, loved her, and funded her transformation, the groomers who were patient and freed her from her hairy constraints, and the vet team that helped heal her internally, Ellen might just not have made it. It is this collective effort that ensures the miraculous recoveries of these loving and deserving dogs. The treatment of Ellen, like many others who now all live in our hearts, is not cheap. If Ellen’s story has touched you, please consider making a donation to the Trio Animal Foundation for future animals that need this help.
Please know that WLI has no affiliation with TAF and does not receive any compensation for any donations you make. Our purpose is to bring these remarkable stories to your home (or office;-))and spread the shared love we all have for our four-legged friends!