Three Incredible Homeless Dog Transformations – You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Now

Meet Ellen, Augustus, and Antonia. Although found separately, all three of these dogs were discovered in absolutely atrocious conditions. But thanks to the loving staff members of the Trio Animal Foundation (TAF), based out of Chicago, these canines were able to make amazing transformations. You simply won’t believe the abuse and neglect that these three sweethearts had to endure. These three homeless dog transformations will absolutely blow your mind.

Let’s start with Ellen…

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 has 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.

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.

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.

If you loved Ellen, then you will fall head over heels for our next furry fighter named Augustus who was found roaming the streets of Chicago hovering on the brink of death. (Scroll down)

‘Horrific’ is the only word that can describe the condition that Augustus was found in. Not only was every bone visible on this poor dog, but Augustus was also found covered in what the medical team decided, were likely chemical burns.

As the incredible rescue team at Trio Animal Foundation (TAF) carried sweet and defeated Augustus into the veterinary hospital, he was losing blood from his wounds, and hair was sloughing off in chunks. This poor dog was barely surviving.

The medical team was unsure of his ability to be nursed back to health but with all this poor dog had been through, he deserved a chance to live the life intended for him. So the team did everything they could. Immediately, assessments were taken and diagnostics commenced. Augustus’ first emergency to tend to, among many other issues, was his extremely low red blood cell count. Augustus was in need of a blood transfusion. Although he lay on the table, lethargic and apathetic, the healthcare staff saw a fighter in him and weren’t going to let him give up now.

One thing was certain, this recovery was going to be one of the most miraculous ones TAF had ever seen and that it was going to be a certain uphill battle to get there. Augustus was anemic, his organ enzyme levels indicated damage likely from starvation, his white blood cell count was sky high, his skin was badly damaged, he had a large sore on his hip bone, and he had a gunshot wound on his back leg.

The large, open sore on his back hip was a stage 4 pressure sore from laying on his side for too long without moving. Because Augustus had no padding around any of his bones, the contact between the bone and skin with the ground for long periods of time created what is seen here. It was so deep, that it just about reached the bone.

Augustus also had an infected gunshot wound on his back foot.

In addition to his wounds, Augustus was fighting infections throughout his system. His condition was, in fact, so grave that Trio believed that he was very close to death. There were even some people who saw his pictures on Facebook who asked Trio to put Augustus down so that he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.

However, Augustus wasn’t ready to call it quits.  With Trio’s help, Augustus began his slow recovery.  At first he was given fluids via an IV catheter until he could drink fluids on his own.  Trio then started him on small meals, but his system had a hard time readjusting to eating again, and he suffered with stomach issues, especially diarrhea.

Slowly, Augustus began to put on weight but he still had many skin conditions and infections. Augustus was given oral medications to combat these infections and given special scrubs for his burned skin lesions and for the pressure sore on his hip. His skin was also treated with silver sulfadiazine to keep bacteria from infecting his surrounding skin or getting into his blood. As painful as these treatments must have been for Augustus, he still managed to wag his tail when he had visitors. What a strong willed boy!

Sadly, Augustus’ condition was poor so his recovery was very rough. One day, his face and neck swelled up to the point where his air supply was almost cut off. Trio had to rush Augustus in for emergency surgery to have the lymph nodes in his neck and salivary glands removed.

Augustus woke up from surgery and was immediately very sweet and licking the technicians. The surgeon had to place a drain in Augustus’ neck for the fluid that was built up in his neck. Unfortunately he began to run a fever, most likely as an immune response to the foreign object in his neck. The surgeon also had Augustus’ lymph nodes biopsied to ensure that there was no cancerous cells present…

The anticipation of the results was immense but finally the team got some tremendous news — the results came back negative! The drain was also removed and his fever quickly subsided.  Things were looking up but they new they had to tackle the next issue at hand. Gaining weight would be Augustus’ next hurdle!

Thankfully, Augustus is an amazingly strong dog. In just a few short weeks, he started filling in and took on the appearance of a totally different dog.

Augustus and those that rescued him decided to choose life for this now, sturdy young man. Augustus continues to pack on weight and muscle and has begun to resemble a healthy adolescent dog with a huge heart. Here, he is seen with his new toys, which he loves, especially, a particular pheasant. He brings it with him wherever he goes and is very gentle with it. Although things were looking up for Augustus and his new stuffed animal friend, he did experience some skin setbacks…

Although he started to heal internally, he was still combating a skin infection and needed to gain more weight. He continued to receiving medicated baths, ointments, and antihistamines for the uncomfortable itchiness he lives with. Uncomfortable itchiness isn’t getting this happy boy down, though. No way, pal!

Another smiling Augustus picture.  Although this boy has recently suffered some more setbacks with skin problems, he just won’t let things get him down. He is continuing to play, put on weight, and maintaining a positive attitude about his future. Although he’s gained some weight, he needed to gain more to fill out his body and be on a healthy trajectory towards a happy, pain-free life. You won’t believe what he looks like now.

It’s amazing how much Augustus has changed!  He is already starting to look like a totally different dog. His hair is growing back and he has been able to put on quite a bit of weight. We are so happy for him and will fill you all in on his continued progress and hopefully finding his forever home. If you want to help Augustus, like Trio Animal Foundation’s facebook page and donate on their website here.

You won’t believe our next shocking story about Antonia, the dog who was found being eaten alive by maggots. This story starts now….(scroll down!)

Poor, sweet Antonia was discovered in an alley in Chicago by a garbage can. Can you imagine being eaten alive? Well, that was what was happening to Antonia. MAGGOTS WERE BURROWED INTO HER SKIN ON HER FACE HEAD AND NECK!

Had she been left there with the trash or had she just collapsed there?  Fortunately for Antonia, a kind person rescued her and took her to a shelter, which in turn, called TAF.

When she was discovered, Antonia was covered in matted fur. Here, you can see a large oblong ball of matted fur that could be mistaken for a tumor. But even worse, under all that fur, Trio staff members discovered a horrific finding…

They found that maggots had burrowed into her skin and were EATING HER ALIVE! It’s hard to imagine what kind of pain Antonia must have been feeling as these maggots ate away at her face. In this picture, you can see them popping out of her skin between her eyes.

The poor girl was facing many ailments, worst of all being the maggots and the destruction they would leave behind. As the maggots grew in size and number, they continued to feed on her skin and produce a destructive enzyme that digests skin. They then burrow into these holes and continue the process repeatedly. This left her skin exposed to large amounts of bacteria that could have gotten into her blood stream.

Antonia also had a high fever,  and was very lethargic so she was started on IV fluids, pain medication and antibiotics right away.

A blood panel was ran to see if she was stable enough for anesthesia so the vet team could put her out in order to cut off her large and extremely dense matts with a scalpel. The Veterinarians were then able to flush out the maggots from her skin.Without the hair and extra living maggots, Antonia was shaping up to be an adorable little girl.

Antonia’s scabs slowly began to fall off. She skin exposed underneath was still extremely sensitive. Antonia was very scared when any hand came around her head or neck. This was not only because the pain she was in, but most likely also an effect of abuse in now, distant path. She felt safe with the rehabilitation dogs, however, and loved to lay next to Antler.

Antonia’s road back to good health was not an easy one. Her ears caused her so much pain that she would scream if anyone touched them. The bacteria infection had been persisting for so long, that her body was unable to mount a strong immune response against it, even with the help of antibiotics. She had to be heavily sedated for the Vet to get a good look into them and properly flush them.

Not surprisingly, she was also very afraid of people touching the wounds left by the maggots. The brown marks in the picture are where the maggots had burrowed into her skin.

Because of her severe issues, Antonia had to spend a lot of time in the doggy hospital, which was starting to make her depressed. So the decision was made to move her into a foster home. Her reaction to this news is best seen in the next adorable photo…

Can you believe this happy pup? Her disposition and overall well-being greatly improved upon being allowed to live comfortably in a foster home with some of her new pals. She especially took to Antler, as seen previously, and an adorable pit bull, named Hippo, as seen in the next photo.

Antonia is thriving in her foster home with her new friend Hippo and is making great strides in her recovery! It’s hard to believe that this is the same pup that would have certainly died if not for Trio.

Not only does this adorably fluff ball look like a new dog, her pain-free, happy demeanor make her seem like a different dog altogether. Finally, her ear infections have subsided and have given her the opportunity to be comfortable and at peace, at long last.

All three of these dogs that were found in gut-wrenchingly awful conditions who wanted to give up on life were transformed into healthy and happy dogs that wanted nothing more than to live and be loved.  But none of them could have made it here without kind, good-hearted people like you, who took them off of the streets and brought them into shelters or the capable hands of Trio Animal Foundation, or the amazingly talented and relentless veterinarians and staff of the ER animal hospitals of Chicago. The treatment of these special dogs who now all live in our hearts is not cheap, however. If these stories have touched you, please consider making a donation to the Trio Animal Foundation. Make sure to include the name of the dog you want your donation to be applied towards.

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!

Antonia was adopted by a lovely couple and now lives in the quiet suburbs of Chicago. She is being loved constantly and spoiled just as she should be! Antonia deserves the world.