“He never stopped wagging his tail.”
The pleading look in the little dog’s eyes said it all: He was in pain and needed help. Life as a stray in Arkansas had taken a toll, and he’d lost all his fur. Demodex mange turned his body into one big sore — but even still, he had hope. Luckily, the pup, later named Goulash, had someone in his corner.
Rochelle Steffen, founder of Mac’s Mission, saw a photo of the pink dog with soulful eyes on Facebook, and it grabbed her heart.
“When a dog like this has Demodex mange, it is like their skin is melting off. The Demodex mites cause the hair to fall out, and then the skin gets so raw,” Steffen told The Dodo. “Mange like this is slow to progress, and finding any dog in this condition is pure neglect on whatever owner had him first. He was quiet and shut down from the pain but still wagged his tail.”
At Mac’s Mission’s Missouri rescue center, Goulash received medicine to kill the Demodex mites and soothing baths to help his skin begin to heal. “We have amazing volunteers and supporters who really rallied behind him to help him in his recovery,” Steffen said. “He never stopped wagging his tail. One of our specialties is mange and we have been rescuing these specific types of dogs since 2009, and they are some of the most beautiful transitions we see here.”
Steffen knew Goulash would have a glow-up that would help him get adopted, but, unbeknownst to her, he’d already won over someone’s heart.
During Goulash’s treatment, a volunteer fell in love with the sweet pup and decided to foster him at her home, taking the lead on nursing him back to health. Goulash finally got to sleep in soft, warm beds and learned what it was like to be loved by a family.
Goulash quickly adjusted to his new home and has since become the happiest boy. He loves snuggling and playing with his foster family.
“He is so loving and is always by my side,” Goulash’s foster mom told The Dodo. “He loves car rides, any food, all other animals so far, any kind of toy and snuggling.”
“He sleeps in bed with me every night and snores like a grown man,” she added. “He is also the gassiest dog I’ve ever had. But he has the sweetest soul and is seriously the most loving dog I’ve ever met. We are so thankful for him.”
In just a few months, Goulash’s skin healed and his fur grew back. Finally, it seemed his sweet personality matched his handsome exterior.
“It is always wild to see the before photo and then the ones much later,” Steffen said. “They change so dramatically and their darkness leaves, and they are these bright and happy dogs once they heal. Goulash is deserving of such love, any mange dog is.”
When it was time for Goulash to begin his search for a forever family, his foster mom decided he was already home.
“His future now is love, happy play, kids to follow and a family to call his own,” Steffen said. “He was recently adopted by his foster family. They fell madly in love with him … and Goulash is now living his happily ever after.”
