Overgrown Hair On Neglected Dog

"The male poodle mix was recently found in north Scottsdale. He was so matted and full of debris that he was hardly recognizable as a dog. "His hair was so long, matted and full of burrs, thorns, dirt and debris that you couldn't see where his legs or ears or face were," said Betty Drake, one of the good Samaritans who rescued him. "The only clue was his nose, which you could see if you knew where to look."'


Several years ago, I watched a dog groomer working with a dog that hadn't been properly groomed for years. This dog was completely matted all over, feces stuck to its bottom so that it could barely defecate, the dog was filthy and smelled horrible. It took nearly all day for the groomer to remove the dog's hair. What was left was a completely shaved dog, and a pile of hair and dirt that was bigger than the dog.

This dog was brought to the groomer by the owner's family. The owner was a senile elderly woman who couldn't really care for the dog any more.

Here is the story of a similar case. I urge you, if you know of someone with such a dog... please intervene, for the sake of the person and the dog. And if this person is no longer capable of taking care of the dog, then please find the dog a new home through a reputable rescue non-profit group.