Horribly Matted Homeless Cocker Spaniel Becomes Three Pounds Lighter After Two Hours Of Meticulous Medical Grooming

They could barely see that he was a dog, let alone guess what breed he was

Chelsi

• Published in Animal Stories
• November 5, 2023

Humans and animals alike have the incredible capacity to withstand their traumatic pasts. A dog rescued in the streets of Chicago exemplified this type of admirable resilience.

The Trio Animal Foundation, whose primary mission is to provide financial assistance to homeless pets, was contacted by an open-access shelter. They had an urgent case that was beyond their own resources.

So terrible was this dog's condition that rescuers smelled him before they saw him. When they did see him, their hearts broke for the poor little guy.

"He looked like a matted ball, and he was a complete mess," was how they described the dog, Sang Su. No one knew what breed of dog he was.

They could barely recognize that he was a dog under his urine-soaked, matted fur. They assumed that, like most neglected dogs in terms of grooming, Sang Su was either a Shih Tzu or a Lhasa Apso.

The following day, Sang Su was attended to by four medical staff. Sang Su was placed under anesthesia, and the two grueling hours of his grooming were accomplished.

The 26lbs dog was three pounds lighter once the process was done. Sang Su had infections in several areas of his little body and major inflammation in places where his fur was so badly matted it pulled on his skin.

The biggest shocker was Sang Su's breed

Underneath his urine-soaked fur, Sang Su was actually a Cocker Spaniel mix!

He had a tiny nub for a tail and ears as long as his face

The poor dog was so terribly neglected that no one guessed his breed correctly

Thanks to the hard work of his medical and grooming team, the beautiful boy underneath was revealed

“I have been in rescue for 20 years and this was the first time that I was wrong about the breed of the dog underneath such matted fur," said the president of the Trio Animal Foundation in another interview

Sang Su's physical transformation was complete. The rehabilitation of his heart was an entirely different challenge.

Sang Su relied on the foundation's therapy dogs to bring life back into his eyes

They taught him how to become a dog again

The therapy dogs were gentle with Sang Su while he wore his head wrap to protect his still-healing ears

Sang Su's transformation, inside and out, was a truly re-bark-able change

Sang Su eventually found a loving mom who will make sure he never goes through another traumatic experience. Just look at that smile!

The staff of the foundation saw Sang Su's vacant eyes and hoped for the best. He was scared of humans at first but craved touch and attention at the same time.

They showered Sang Su with love and pets until he was ready to mingle with them and the therapy dogs who helped him adjust to his new, less hairy life. Sang Su is a testament that no pet is beyond help as long as there are people who are patient enough to work with them.

Chelsi