How Skinny the Rescue Pup Got Her Groove Back (and Gained Weight!)

When the good humans at A Purposeful Rescue found Skinny at a local Los Angeles shelter, she was in rough shape: "She was, well, skinny, she had ear infections, terrible skin, no hair, and needed to be spayed," says Adria Hash, Vice President of the non-profit that saves dogs from high-kill shelters in the LA area, focusing on pups that often get overlooked (aka ‘magical unicorns’). "Her chances of getting out of the shelter were very low due to her condition and the fact that she was kept back in the medical ward," she explains. So they rescued her and placed her in the hands of foster parents Vanessa and Carter Hansen, who shared with us how Skinny has regained her confidence (and regained some of that weight!)

What is Skinny’s personality like?
At first, she was timid. But two days after we had her, she found her voice and let us know she wanted attention. From there she became a cuddle bug and loved being held and lying on blankets. She’s learned to follow her foster brothers’ lead on walks, runs down the hallway and cuddles up to her humans. It took her a little time to blossom, but there’s been a new surprise every week as she has become more comfortable and learned she was safe. She also began to smile – which is the cutest thing ever – and loves to do so while she gallops happily towards you with her top lip pulled back and underbite exposed.

Why did you want to foster Skinny?
One of our co-workers introduced us to APR and we knew the group was a good fit. Their focus on the less desirable dogs at shelters tugged at our heart strings and we were happy to take in a pup that was timid and unsure. It has been an amazing journey to see her personality unfold as she built confidence in us and herself. She is such a different dog it’s amazing! Every week there is something new with her and we couldn’t be more thrilled that she is on the verge of being adopted!

What are some of her favorite things to do?
Skinny loves to follow around her foster brother, fall asleep on her faux fur blanket, and run as fast as she possibly can back to the house after a walk. She loves having a place to call her own and recognizes it as her home. When she’s not running around, she loves to sit in our laps or as close to you as possible and soak up the love. She is a magnet for rubs and attention!

How has she responded to Ollie?
Skinny has happily eaten the Ollie food. We slowly mixed it in with the food that she was originally given and she took to it immediately. Now she is exclusively fed Ollie and immediately tells us it’s time to be fed once she’s hungry. She devours her food and will lick her bowl after each meal! She also loves the probiotics, which serve as a quick treat as well as a great way to hide her meds in!

What differences have you noticed in her since eating the food?
When we first got her she was so skinny and completely hairless. With Ollie, she made a point to eat every healthy bite in her bowl and steadily gained weight over time. The biggest change I’ve noticed is her eagerness to eat breakfast and dinner. When we first picked her up it was clear she had been eating street scraps and living on a very unhealthy diet. Once we put her on Ollie, she had a new excitement when it came time to eat and her stomach issues seemed to disappear. Additionally, her coat began to grow back grew extremely fast, and while we can’t say Ollie was the main reason, we definitely think the well balanced diet played a big part in it. Now she has a thick coat of hair and it continues to grow back to what her natural coat was.

Anything else you want to share about Skinny?

Skinny has stolen our hearts. She is an amazing dog and it has been so fulfilling to see her transform into the loving, friendly and ridiculously adorable pup that she is. While we are sad to see her go with an upcoming adoption we are so excited for her to have found herself again and a loving forever family.

Photo credit: Emily Shearing for A Purposeful Rescue

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