An abandoned dog whose fur had become so flea-infested and matted that it threatened his life was given an eleventh-hour transformation after being found on the side of the road in the middle of the night.
The sweet four-year-old pooch, who was discovered by a kind-hearted couple in Oviedo, Florida, was in such a terrible that he was unable to walk properly or use the bathroom because of his tangled coat.
Thankfully, however, salvation came in the form of kind-hearted dog groomer Kari Falla who responded to the couple’s late-night Facebook plea to help them rescue the pooch and opened up her dog salon in the middle of the night to care for the poor animal and offer him a life-saving transformation.
Ruff cut: This abandoned dog was found on the side of the road unable to walk or use the bathroom due to his overgrown and matted coat that covered his eyes and paws
Transformed pup! After his three hour coat grooming and two flea baths, the pup – named Lucky – looked like a different dog, having had all his hair shaved off
Mission accomplished! Kari Falla rushed to open her grooming shop at midnight to make sure that Lucky didn’t suffer anymore and her life saving work was done after 3am
And thanks to her care, the dog, fittingly named Lucky, now looks like a completely new creature, and he’s happier and healthier than ever – having been suffering for months as the result of his awful condition.
Lucky’s flea-infested coat was so overgrown it completely covered his eyes, mouth, and even stretched beyond his paws. His terrible condition led his rescuers to believe he was likely neglected for his entire life.
‘They said they found it on the side of the road and it almost got hit by a car. They couldn’t keep it for the night and the woman was looking for someone who could,’ Kari shared to Inside Edition about Lucky’s discovery.
But his dark days began to clear once groomer Kari opened open her shop BGE Grooming at midnight and got down to business after seeing their online post asking for help.
The pup was brought in, but he couldn’t even walk on his own or use the bathroom due to his various afflictions including fleas and a horrendously overgrown and matted coat.
‘When a dog is matted that badly, it can cause its blood flow to stop as well as bruising to the dog,’ Kari revealed.
‘I could tell he’d been that way for a few years from the pictures. You could tell it was extreme neglect. I knew it was bad, but nothing prepared me for what I saw. It smelled like death and the dog could not walk. They had to carry it,’ Kari said.
Awfully Pawsome: The four-year-old dog’s cut and bath changed his life, freeing him of flees, allowing him to walk and relieve himself, and put him into a safe foster home
Hard at work: Kari, an animal lover, shares that her grooming salon does emergency work for rescued dogs all the time, as a part of her passion for animal care
A matted mess! Lucky’s overgrown coat looks like a wild animal all on its own (above) and after it was cut off, it transformed the pup into a whole new creature
Fun in the tub! The pup, once shaven, was given two flea baths to rid of his severe infestation and two hypoallergenic baths as well, to assure he was fresh, healthy, and clean
‘When he was brought to us by the transporter, he couldn’t even walk. He was carried in. His hair was so matted they became casts all over his body. He could not walk let alone wag his tail. He could not poop, his butt was sewed shut with matting. He couldn’t feel you touching him, the mats were so thick it was insane. He was suffering,’ one status by BGE Grooming described.
She brought out her grooming tools and took action in a three hour emergency grooming operation, one that normally only takes the expert an hour and a half.
After a much-needed cut, Lucky was then cleaned up with two flea baths and two soothing hypoallergenic baths and allowed to cuddle on the couch.
Soon they learned that the dog was blind and deaf in addition to neglected.
But he was sweet as can be during his rescue process and didn’t protest the operation the tiniest bit.
‘The dog was perfect for me when I was grooming him. It’s like he knew I was helping him,’ Kari shared.
Comfy and cozy! After his tedious cut and baths, Kari shared some snaps of Lucky in his new figure, calm and at ease in his new coat
Sleepytime! The pup lies down for some moments of much deserved rest, on what be the first comfortable home of his life in his four years
Pawsing for a nap: Lucky settles down for a nap and is still on the look out for an adopting family as he patiently waits with a welcoming foster family in the mean time
‘Once we shaved him, he was wagging his tail and was so happy. I knew I did the right thing,’ she added.
Kari shared Lucky’s progress on her business’ Facebook page with hopes to track down his potential owner, and fans quickly praised them for their good deed.
‘We always groom rescue dogs and shelter does for free, so as soon as I found out, it was a no brainer. We believe in paying it forward,’ she shared to Click Orlando.
‘Sharing a little bit of kindness goes a lot way. And in this case, it saved a life,’ she added.
Today Lucky is happy and healthy in a foster home, waiting for the right home to adopt him.
The BGE Grooming in the mean time has been posting updates on the pup’s care and shared a video that reveals the happy dog wagging his tail.
‘Look how happy he is now,’ the post said.
And compared to his original state, Lucky’s rescue mission is miraculous strike of good fortune that lives up to his name.