Taking care of our dogs is an extremely important task. Making sure they are well fed, groomed, and healthy are all necessary to give your pup the best life possible.
Understanding how important all of this is also makes it really heartbreaking when we are reminded just how difficult it is for stray dogs to take care of themselves.
Because of this, many of them end up looking horribly emaciated, sick, and matted. Rudolph was stuck in the same situation.
He was struggling to survive on the streets, and his fur was severely matted, but he caught a break when rescuers from Seattle Animal Shelter came to save him.
Everyone Was Shocked
When the rescuers finally helped him get settled into the shelter, he looked really comfortable. Rudolph was a very friendly dog, so it was easy to be around him.
After waiting for a bit, his rescuers realized that he really needed a grooming appointment. His fur was severely matted and it was causing him a lot of problems.
Melissa Mixon, who works for Seattle Animal Shelter, told Newsweek: “He kept bumping into walls and seemed to startle easily, probably because he couldn’t see well.”
They had no idea how he ended up in such a rough state. The theory was that he belonged to someone, but there was no way to confirm that.
She continues by saying: “His movement was also restricted because of the severity of the matting, and he was unable to take full strides when he was walking. This kept him from moving very quickly and moving his head and neck around freely.”
Because of his breed, his fur needed constant care and he was completely neglected. They checked to see if he had a microchip.
Time For A New, Shiny Coat
When the results came in, and the rescuers confirmed that he did not have a microchip, they took him to a groomer. The entire process took at least an hour and a half before it was finally over.
Now that Rudolph looked much better without all of that fur, he was visibly more happy. He got really excited and started jumping and running around the room.
His rescuers were glad to see he was in such high spirits after his grooming. I mean, how wouldn’t he be? This problem was finally solved.
Mixon said: “When taken out into the corral later that week, Rudolph was springing up in the air with his legs flailing like a baby giraffe having the time of his life.”
Because he didn’t have any other pressing health issues, it meant that his rescuers could place him on an adoption list very soon.
He was lucky because the rescuers were able to find a new family pretty quickly. He is now in an amazing new home where his parents take care of all his needs.
Sweet Rudolph is now living the dream life with the most amazing people and I am so happy everything turned out well for him.