A dog found wandering around the Sorrento area last week, severely matted and in pain, is almost unrecognizable after a makeover and a showering of community support.
Sorrento resident Amy Berry found the small brown dog on her rural property after it came over from her neighbour91Ƶs house. Berry noticed the dog was in bad shape, with heavy matting, fur covering his eyes and mud caked to his paws. She immediately took him to the vet for an assessment, where they found no tattoo or microchip and estimated his age at about five years old. Berry reached out on Facebook to find a groomer to help make the dog more comfortable.
91ƵHe had tape in his fur, and burrs, and wasn91Ƶt properly able to even eat the way his chin was stuck down to him,91Ƶ said Berry.
Donna Meads, owner of A Rover Makeover grooming business in Sorrento, said her daughter saw the post about the pup. Meads knew she needed to help, contacted Berry, and came in on her day off Friday, April 21 to tackle the job.
91ƵWhile I was grooming him, I noticed the dog wasn91Ƶt skinny,91Ƶ said Meads. 91ƵI figured the dog had an owner who had probably dumped him, he wasn91Ƶt lost.91Ƶ
She was concerned that although the dog had been being fed, it wasn91Ƶt being properly taken care of.
Meads said the matting had to be from at least two years91Ƶ worth of buildup and the tops of his ears were bald from heavy matting pulling out his fur.
On Saturday, April 22, Berry approached the owner about the dog. She asked why the dog was in the shape it was in and said the owner didn91Ƶt give a response, simply surrendering the dog to Berry91Ƶs care when she mentioned the SPCA had been contacted.
Meads had been housing the dog with the intention of fostering and potentially adopting him. When she heard the owner had officially given him up, Meads decided to fully trial the adoption idea, bringing the dog to her grooming shop to see if the lifestyle she leads would work for the dog. Otherwise, Berry has had an outpouring of support through social media to fall back on, including multiple offers of adoption.
91ƵHe91Ƶs not had a great start, for sure, so if it doesn91Ƶt work for him, it91Ƶs not a life that91Ƶs gonna work for him, he can91Ƶt be stressed,91Ƶ said Meads. She said she91Ƶd be getting the dog neutered and caught up on its vaccinations on April 27.
Although it doesn91Ƶt seem as if the dog has ever even been in a house 91Ƶ he91Ƶs afraid of stairs, TV, jumping on or off furniture and being on a leash, Meads said he91Ƶs a 91Ƶsweet little guy91Ƶ who seems to be doing well, acting happy and playing with other dogs in her shop.
While Meads is waiting to see if she officially adopts the pup, Berry has temporarily dubbed the dog 91ƵLucky.91Ƶ
91ƵWhen I first took him to the vet, they asked for a name, and I just thought, I don91Ƶt know, he91Ƶs pretty lucky today, let91Ƶs go with that,91Ƶ said Berry.
Meads has performed the grooming services free of charge and taken on the additional vet costs. If anyone would like to help with costs, they can stop by A Rover Makeover at 1240 Trans-Canada Hwy. in Sorrento or email arovermakeover@gmail.com.
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rebecca.willson@saobserver.net
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