This past weekend, we sent out an S.O.S. to our followers when we posted an urgent plea for help. We learned late in the afternoon on Saturday that our newest intake, Loretta, was in need of an immediate groom. We had been asked to help her with very little background information or details, although we suspect she was part of a backyard breeding situation. When Loretta arrived in our care, it was immediately clear this girl was in MUCH worse condition than we expected. She was matted to the point she couldn’t walk and had to be carried.
We knew the emergency request for grooming services on a weekend was a BIG ask, but we also knew we could not wait until Monday to give Loretta some relief. We shared her story on social media and were absolutely overwhelmed with the outpouring of support that quickly rolled in.
First thing Sunday morning, Loretta was off to As The Tail Wags Grooming and Training in Oviedo, which is typically closed on Sundays but opened up just for our sweet girl.
Kristie, Shannon and Megan came in on their day off and worked on Loretta for over three hours, carefully shaving the thick coat which had been restricting her movement for so long. The matting was so severe in some places that Loretta’s skin was tearing, which is why you see some open wounds on her body in the photos, and her back legs appear to be atrophied from the restriction of movement.
Loretta’s transformation is a testament to the incredible power of community and compassion. To say this groom was a tough job is a huge understatement, but these incredible women gently worked their magic as if they were Loretta’s personal fairy godmothers, and we could not be more grateful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Kristie, Shannon and Megan for bringing our girl some immediate relief, and helping kick off Loretta’s road to recovery. 