People and groups devoted to saving animals encounter all kinds of scenes daily, and some leave them without words. Their work demands patience, empathy, and grit in equal measure.
Yet when they come upon an abandoned dog neglected so badly that you can’t tell where the head ends and the tail begins, that takes things to another level entirely.
The shock can silence even the most seasoned rescuers. Images like that linger long after the rescue ends for everyone involved.
A rescue team stumbled upon exactly such a dog on the streets of Lubbock, Texas, and they instantly realized a difficult task was waiting for them.
He shuffled timidly, avoiding eye contact, unsure of what came next. Even so, they were resolute about giving this pup a real second chance at life.
They Had Never Seen Anything Like It Before
One afternoon, Tori Houston, a volunteer with the South Plains SPCA, received a call from her boss, Kim Moyers. An abandoned dog had been found roaming Lubbock and needed urgent help.
“When I arrived, the condition of this dog was probably the worst I had ever seen any dog, ever; he had so much hair you didn’t know which was the front, which was the back. He was covered in goat heads. He stunk so bad,” Houston said for PEOPLE, “You couldn’t see any part of his body. He looked like a pile of sheep wool.”
President Kim Moyers explained that the dog’s coat held roughly five years’ worth of mats and that the initial sight at the rescue facility was upsetting.
“This dog is the worst case of dog neglect we have ever encountered. We have tried to clean it up some today but the hair is extremely matted and thick and we are unable to do anything at this time. The dog has rotten skin spots, hair matted to the skin so bad it is ingrown into the skin, the nails are 2 inches long. There are thousands of goat head stickers throughout the mats and stuck inside the skin.” SPCA posted on their official Facebook page the next day.
They also shared that a leash was embedded throughout the hair, which led to the collar being fused to the neck, a scenario rarely seen.
It was hard to fathom how this 6-year-old dog stayed alive in such a dreadful condition. And it was heartbreaking that nobody had noticed him sooner or tried to assist.
Thankfully, the right hands arrived at the right moment, and this dog finally got the opening to live the life he deserved.
Kind voices and slow movements began to rebuild his trust, one careful day at a time.
A Beautiful Boy Was Hiding Underneath
The SPCA team asked anyone able to contribute to donate what they could because the full course of treatment would be costly.
Many supporters were moved by the tale of Matt, the symbolic name they gave him. In a relatively short time, enough funds were raised to cover his care.
Soon, Matt was taken to Ark Hospital for Pets for medical treatment and a thorough grooming session courtesy of Kayla’s Grooming Service.
At the Grooming Service, Kayla Thurmon, who also volunteers with them, shaved away almost three pounds of fur from the 14-pound pup. That is a staggering amount of hair!
Besides allowing a clearer picture of his health, the procedure finally revealed the handsome boy who had been concealed under all that wool for so long.
“After we had one of our professional groomers — who’s also an SPCA foster — groom him, he looked amazing,” Houston said and added. “He is the most gorgeous-looking dog I’ve ever seen. He’s just drop-dead gorgeous.”
Regarding his medical status, they learned he was anemic, so iron pills were necessary. He also had an eye infection that required treatment.
“I’m sure that’s because he wasn’t able to see with all the dust and grime that was embedded in his fur,” Houston said.
Despite the challenges, particularly the health issues, Houston couldn’t resist that sweet face and chose to foster him for the next few months until he was ready for adoption.
He Finally Got The People He Deserved
Shortly after taking him in, Tori shared on Facebook that Matt was progressing wonderfully.
“This morning and this evening we went walking around the park. He just loves to go walking. He barked at a few people, cars driving by, and other dogs. He hates taking his Iron, and eye meds, but what he doesn’t know this is actually helping him to be the best dog he can.” she wrote.
Day by day, Matt blossomed, physically, medically, and emotionally. Life without that extra three pounds became so much easier, and it’s no surprise his recovery moved quickly.
After only about six weeks, the SPCA announced on Facebook that Matt was ready to start a fresh chapter.
“Making his Long Awaited Adoption Debut – It’s MATT!!,” they wrote and added all the important information about this beautiful doggo.
While people didn’t immediately recognize all his potential, that moment arrived soon enough, and it was the happiest of his life!
The SPCA later posted that, among several dogs, Matt had been adopted that month as well.
For Matt, everything finally aligned… no more mats, and his health had fully rebounded.
He also landed the forever family he deserved, and his coat grew back, this time only as much as needed to look perfect on him.