Dog News

Mistletoe the Matted Dog Gets New Haircut

by Katherine

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On December 10, 2014, a woman from Merriam, Kan., was out for a walk in a public park when she found a stray dog resting in the park’s gazebo. The dog’s fur was so matted that his eyes, nose and mouth were not visible. It is a mystery how the pet is alive after enduring such animal neglect, the matted fur on his face made it difficult for the little dog to eat or see.

Photo Credit: Great Plain SPCA
Photo Credit: Great Plain SPCA

 

Soon after getting spotted, the pet was taken to the SPCA’s Lost Pet Center near the park and rescuers worked diligently to free the dog from the restricting hair capsule.

Volunteers at the center couldn’t determine the little fur ball’s breed until the matted hair was shaved off. After a bath and a well deserved hair cut, rescuers discovered a beautiful male, Shih-Tzu mix hiding under all that hair.

Aside from the new haircut, the canine also received a new name, Mistletoe, and he is currently under veterinary care with the SPCA.

Mistletoe after the matted hair from his face was removed. Photo Credit: Great Plain SPCA
Mistletoe after the matted hair from his face was removed. Photo Credit: Great Plain SPCA

 

“We are expecting him to need extensive medical care in the coming weeks,” Great Plains SPCA posted on their Facebook wall.

In preparation for the costly medical care Mistletoe will need, rescuers are asking the community to consider making a small donation to help cover the dog’s medical needs.

If you would like to help Mistletoe, visit http://bit.ly/GPDecMatch. Thanks to a generous donor who has offered to match all donations made before the end of the year, your donation to help this stray dog or any other dogs with the Great Plains SPCA will go twice as far.

Follow the Great Plains SPCA on Facebook, to learn more about Mistletoe.