The new owners of a house in Nebraska hired cleaners to prepare the property before they move in. Its previous resident was a woman who died nearly a year ago. Ever since then, no one has gone to the property.
While the hired persons were cleaning, they came across a frightening sight. Hiding in one of the messy rooms was a dog with heavily matted fur. She was very dirty and stinky. No one told them that the previous owner had a dog.
No one knew.
Worst case ever
The poor pooch was taken by animal control officers and taken to the local humane society. The shelter staff said that the dog, named Ellie Mae, was the worst case of matted hair that they have ever seen. Her fur has grown thick and made hard by dirt, water, mud, and waste.
It didn’t even seem that there was a dog inside all that tangled mess.
Vets had to put Ellie Mae under anesthesia so she wouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort while they work on cleaning her up. For the next hour or so, they removed nine pounds worth of overgrown fur and everything stuck on it.
Thankfully, all those added weights didn’t cut off blood flow to her limbs. This meant that her legs were all fine.
They weren’t done yet, though. She needed her nails trimmed, and work on her teeth was necessary. She was also treated for hernia and various infections. She had so many problems that if she weren’t found by the cleaners, she would have succumbed to them soon enough.
New life
Ellie Mae was moved to a foster home, and there her rehabilitation continued. She has recovered well and has become a sweet and affectionate pooch. The 11-year-old Shih Tzu is now ready for a new forever home. And with her sweet personality, it wouldn’t be difficult for a family to fall in love with her.
Source: Nebraska Humane Society Facebook