Poodle with 'thickly matted fur full of fecal matter and bacteria' gets unbelievable makeover before getting adopted: 'He was a different dog'
This is your quintessential Cinderella story, and at the center of the story is a poodle aptly named Lionheart by his rescuers. The adorable seven-year-old, who has been living under a bed for two years, was surrendered to the Richmond SPCA in Richmond, Virginia, on April 2019. His fur was so thickly matted, that the staffers couldn't tell which side was its head, and according to the organization, the matted fur even hindered Lionheart's eating, drinking and walking.
Director of veterinary medical services for the SPCA, Dr. Angela Ivey, said that they wouldn't even have known that Lionheart as a poodle had his former owner not said so. The dedicated members of the SPCA got to work, and painstakingly shaved off all the fur, which is said to have contained "a tremendous amount of fecal matter and bacteria," over several hours after sedating him. They then clipped Lionheart's nails, so that they could take stock of his condition. It was evident that several years of neglect had taken a toll on his medical condition.
The team tried to ease Lionheart's various difficulties. A blog about the poodle's recovery on the SPCA website reads, "We tended to Lionheart’s sores on his skin, performed a dental to relieve him of terrible, untreated periodontal disease, neutered him and treated him for internal parasites, carefully monitoring his fur regrowth." Over the next three months, Lionheart received medical care, and most importantly a lot of love and support. He was well and ready for adoption by this time.
During a conversation with Today, Ivey revealed that surprisingly, despite all the trauma and neglect that Lionheart has been through, he was very friendly and trusted right at the get-go. He was a different dog, she says. Richmond SPCA CEO Robin Starr added, "He almost immediately, when he woke up, was bouncy and happy and full of energy. I'm sure he had lots of pent-up energy after all that time."
Since then, Lionheart's life has taken a turn for the better, especially after getting adopted by a loving couple, who have renamed him, Cody. Starr claims that they take their new dog everywhere they go and "just adore him."