Rescue dog Rags has three-hour makeover to remove 2kg of matted fur

From Rags to riches.

A loveable rescue dog called Rags had to undergo a three-hour makeover to remove 2kg (4.5lb) of matted fur from his body.

The Shih Tzu mix, believed to be between three and four years old, was covered in thick dreadlocks when he was rescued after wandering into someone’s garden.

Volunteers at Clarksdale Animal Rescue Effort & Shelter (CARES) said he was ‘covered in the thickest mats we’ve ever seen’.

He had been so neglected that it was impossible to cut his fur with just scissors.

He walked with bowed legs because his fur was tangled so tightly and he had hundreds of fleas and sores beneath his coat.

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But after a three-hour shaving from two staff members and a volunteer at the rescue in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Rags was totally transformed.

CARES board member and publicity officer Paige Daugherty said: ‘He looks like a different dog and I think he’s proud of his new look.

‘After killing the fleas and giving him a medicated bath, he’s much more comfortable than he’s been in quite some time.

‘We gave him a plush bed that he seems to really love so he slept much of the weekend but is happy and energetic now.’

Rags was found on Friday evening and was cleaned up over the weekend.

Ms Daugherty said: ‘The person that brought him in said they had been feeding him for a few weeks after he wandered into their yard but made it clear he did not belong to them.

‘His body was covered in the thickest mats that we’ve ever seen. We’ve never seen this much hair on a dog this size.

‘They were dreadlock type texture that scissors couldn’t cut. His ears were hanging low with seven-inch mats on each side. His skin was pulled tight.

‘Rags’ front legs were unable to straighten when he walked because mats connected at his elbows, so his front legs are bowed inward.

‘Despite his circumstances, he was a perfect gentleman while we worked on him and seemed completely grateful.

‘He bravely stood still and quiet with little restraint even when he was obviously in pain.’

The shelter is trying to raise money to pay to treat Rags for heartworm, a parasitic roundworm spread by mosquitoes which can be deadly.

Rags is now looking for a new owner.

Go to www.caresclarksdale.com for more information.