On the streets of Chicago, a large brown dog named Sprout was slowly being buried alive under the weight of her fur. Heavy mats encased her whole body and dragged behind her like an anchor.
Chicago Animal Care and Control picked up Sprout as a stray and immediately called rescuers at One Tail at a Time for urgent support.
“Sprout was in a horrific state when she was found as a stray. It was difficult to tell what breed she was, but we suspected that she was a mastiff,” Alli Rooney, marketing manager of One Tail at a Time, told The Dodo.
When Sprout arrived at the rescue, she seemed shut down and uncomfortable in a strange place full of unfamiliar people. The vet team sedated her for the extensive grooming and worked for hours, ultimately removing 32.4 pounds of fur from her body.
When Sprout woke up, she lifted her head with ease for the first time in months.
She’s currently being treated for a skin infection but is otherwise in good health and not underweight for her large size. It’s impossible to tell what what circumstances led the sweet dog to end up in such a shocking state. But it’s clear she’s known love in the past and hasn’t given up on humans just yet.
“Although timid, she is trusting of her foster mom and has a sweet temperament,” Rooney said. “Since her grooming, she has been coming out of her shell more and more each day. She has started to trot in the yard and beg for pets, which is really cute!”
While Sprout still has some healing to do, her future looks bright.
“She is currently in a very loving foster home that makes sure she is as comfortable as possible,” Rooney said. “She’s had several applications come in, and we know she will find an amazing home. One Tail will make sure that Sprout is spoiled for the rest of her life.”
One day soon, Sprout’s skin will heal, her coat will grow back full and healthy, and she’ll find herself at the center of a loving family.
