One night, a couple driving down a highway near Oviedo, Florida, came across a sight that made them stop in their tracks. They saw a dog on the side of the road, wandering about without any clue as to where he was going, and almost running into traffic. They immediately pulled over and went to check on the dog.
They were shocked to see his physical condition. He had severely matted fur which restricted his movement and covered much of his face, which is why he couldn’t see where he was going, and almost ended up being run over. He was barely responsive and looked like he had been abandoned and neglected for much of his life.
The couple just couldn’t leave him there. So they decided to take him in the car with them. But since they were unable to keep him overnight, they put out a desperate plea online – a call which was answered by groomer Kari Falla.
When a dog is matted that badly, it can cause its blood flow to stop as well as bruising to the dog. Seeing the dog in such bad shape, Kari knew she couldn’t wait till the next day to help him.
Kari rushed to her salon, BGE Grooming, in the middle of the night. “I knew it was bad, but nothing prepared me for what I saw. It smelled like death and the dog could not walk,” she said. Kari worked tirelessly till 3 in the morning. She fully shaved him and estimated that he had been carrying over two years of unchecked fur. She bathed him and took him to her local vet. Meanwhile, they decided to name him Lucky.
The next big surprise came at the vet’s office. Apparently Lucky was both blind and deaf. Add that to his matted fur and bad shape, he was almost certain to end up being road kill before the end of the night, had he not been lucky enough to be spotted by the kind couple.
The vet neutered Lucky and gave him shots and a teeth cleaning. The next step was to find him a forever home. Lucky’s story was posted on Facebook, and it caught the eye of Zachary Blair. He was so moved by the way everyone came together to help Lucky, he couldn’t wait to give him a forever home.
We hope no dog gets left on the road in such conditions. Every dog is precious and deserves a forever home where they’re loved and cared for.
