Neglected Shih Tzu found with 9lbs of matted hair and 7-inch-long nails after she was left ungroomed for over a year
Shelter workers in Omaha, Nebraska, cut a dirty shell of matted hair off a neglected, 11-year-old Shih Tzu named Ellie Mae in what was described as "the shave of her life".
Ellie Mae had a "stinking mass of hair" that was so thick that it was impenetrable, according to Fox 42, before workers at the Nebraska Humane Society attended to the neglected pooch on Friday, September 13.
The outlet reported that the dog's master had died and she had not been found until people came to the owner's residence a few days earlier.
The small canine had not been groomed in over a year, the shelter suspected. Shockingly, the matted hair weighed 9lbs after it was shaved off. Nonetheless, experts said the hair was also a blessing in disguise. Shelter workers posted on Facebook that it protected Ellie Mae from a number of skin issues and diseases.
They also found that the abandoned pet's nails had grown to a whopping seven inches under the mass of hair, according to shelter workers.
Furthermore, the dog also had to undergo surgery for an undisclosed ailment and is currently recovering well. Ellie Mae would have died within days if she hadn't been rescued, officials from the Humane Society said.
Dr. Amber Horn, lead veterinarian at the Nebraska Humane Society said Ellie Mae "basically, just looked like it was a container of mops. dirty mops. And then we saw it move a little bit."
The pooch looked spunky and ready for a new home following her grooming and clean up. Ellie Mae already has one adoption offer, the shelter reported.
"Ellie Mae is an 11-year-old Shih Tzu. Someone does have dibs on her as of Friday night, but if they do not claim her by Monday morning, she will go up for adoption," Fox 42 previously wrote.