Matted Rescue Dog Gets Makeover that Removes Pounds of Fur

Aug 22, 2023

"He is the most gorgeous looking dog I’ve ever seen," Matt the dog's foster mom tells PEOPLE about the post-makeover pup

South Plains SPCA/Facebook

A Texas dog rescued from a cornfield has made an incredible recovery and looks like a whole new pup after a much-needed makeover.

The dog — nicknamed Matt after the copious amounts of matted fur covering the canine's body upon his discovery, according to KLBK-TV — was rescued by the South Plains Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). The non-profit organization promotes animal welfare and educates pet parents on responsible pet ownership.

"We are asking for help with this dog found yesterday," the South Plains SPCA wrote in a Facebook post about Matt on Monday. "This dog is the worst case of dog neglect we have ever encountered. We have tried to clean it up some today but the hair is extremely matted and thick and we are unable to do anything at this time."

"The dog has rotten skin spots, hair matted to the skin so bad it is in grown into the skin, the nails are 2 inches long," the organization continued. "There are thousands of goat head stickers throughout the mats and stuck inside the skin. The dog yelps with pain every time we tried to cut the hair."

Thanks to donations from animal lovers moved by Matt's story, the South Plains SPCA could bring Matt to Ark Hospital for Pets for treatment and an extensive grooming session from Kayla's Grooming Service. Matt was under anesthesia for his shearing, which required carefully cutting out a collar left on the dog by his previous owner, which had become embedded in the dog's skin.

"When I first got the call, these people had found this dog behind their house in a cornfield, and I got a call by my president [Kim Moyers] to go pick this dog up, Tori Houston, a foster mom, and volunteer with the South Plains SPCA, tells PEOPLE. "And when I arrived, the condition of this dog was probably the worst I had ever seen any dog, ever; he had so much hair you didn't know which was the front, which was the back. He was covered in goat heads. He stunk so bad," she says. You couldn't see any part of his body. He looked like a pile of sheep wool."

South Plains SPCA/Facebook

"His hair growth was about five years of matting," the South Plains SPCA president Kim Moyers said, according to KLBK-TV. "It's just awful that he was probably seen in different places and overlooked. I don't see how he hasn't been seen roaming in the condition he was. I've never seen anything like him. It was shocking."

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Matt's makeover removed three pounds of fur from the 14-pound dog. It also gave his caretakers a better idea of the dog's current health and adorable good looks.

"He did have lots of bruising from where the skin was so matted so tight, and he does have anemia," Houston tells PEOPLE about what vets found after Matt's grooming. "So he's on iron medication for that and an eye infection. I'm sure that's because he wasn't able to see with all the dust and grime that was embedded in his fur."

"After we had one of our professional groomers — who's also an SPCA foster — groom him, he looked amazing," Houston, who is currently fostering Matt, adds. "He is the most gorgeous-looking dog I've ever seen. He's just drop-dead gorgeous."

In a follow-up Facebook post, the South Plains SPCA wrote, "Thank You for all of the donations and positive thoughts for Matt! He is feeling like a brand new man!"

"After his groom and him waking up he is such a sweet boy," the social media post added, noting vets estimate that Matt is around six years old. "His care will be lengthy, but he will be up for adoption once he has healed and all vetting done."

To support the South Plains SPCA and support their life-saving work, visit the rescue's website.