People who work in animal welfare probably have their heart shattered every day, especially when the animals are left not only abandoned but also suffering from horrible injuries.
One of such stories happened in Arkansas. Someone left a pup, who was later named Goulash, in such a horrible condition that at the moment the rescue team found him, almost all the dog’s fur was gone due to demodex mange, which turned his body into one big sore.
More info: Mac’s Mission
The pup, named Goulash, was found abandoned with demodex mange, which turned his body into one big sore
When Rochelle Steffen, founder of Mac’s Mission dog rescue, saw the dog’s photo on Facebook for the first time, she was horrified. Goulash barely looked like a dog, as he was almost entirely pink. Demodex mites had caused his hair to fall out, leaving his skin really raw and sensitive.
“Mange like this is slow to progress, and finding any dog in this condition is pure neglect on whatever owner had him first,” Rochelle explained and also noted that although the dog was quiet and shut down from the pain, he still wagged his tail.
The shelter the dog was in at the moment had some truly tremendous problems, so the pup was delivered to Mac’s Mission as an urgent rescue.
“We know he is terribly immunocompromised with the mange so he is very delicate,” the rescue organization shared on their social media right after receiving the dog.
“He is doomed for death where he is so let’s put some odds back in his favor to try and live through this hell he was forced into. Rescue is hard every day and today it just got harder but we will be the soft landing he needs for whatever happens,” they added, asking people to share their post and donate as much as they could, since saving Goulash would potentially cost thousands.
It didn’t take long before lots of amazing volunteers and supporters stepped in to help the dog in his recovery. Besides lots of love and care, at Mac’s Mission’s Missouri rescue center, Goulash received much-needed medicine to fight the demodex mites and plenty of soothing baths to help his skin finally begin to heal.
“He never stopped wagging his tail,” Rochelle shared. “One of our specialties is mange and we have been rescuing these specific types of dogs since 2009, and they are some of the most beautiful transitions we see here,” she added.
The rescue team were in a rush with Goulash’s glow-up because they knew this would help the pup to get adopted faster, yet unexpectedly received good news in the middle of his healing process. The dog didn’t have to wait any longer, because one of the volunteers had fallen in love with Goulash during his treatment. The woman decided to foster the pup at her home, where she would be able to carefully nurse him back to health.
It took just a few months and attentive care paid off; the dog’s fur successfully grew back. Now that Goulash’s skin was healed and his sweet personality matched his handsome exterior, the pup was ready to begin his search for a forever family, yet his foster mom fell so madly in love with him that she adopted him herself.
The rescue team not only helped the dog in his recovery but also in finding a new loving family
Goulash finally seems to be living his happily ever after. The dog adores snuggling and playing with his new fur-ever family.
“He loves car rides, any food, all other animals so far, any kind of toy and snuggling,” his foster mum said. “He sleeps in bed with me every night and snores like a grown man,” she added and noted that Goulash is so loving and is always by her side.
The woman shared that she is truly thankful for him because the pup has the sweetest soul and is seriously the most loving dog she has ever met.
“It is always wild to see the before photo and then the ones much later,” Rochelle shared and noted that dogs change so dramatically when their darkness leaves, because after healing, they are bright and happy again.
Probably not everyone knows that most shelters and rescues do not have the resources or time to provide specialized care for so many dogs in need and, unfortunately, many animals are euthanized as a result.
Mac’s Mission is trying to give these dogs the chance they need to heal as well as a nurturing and loving environment. And as Goulash’s story beautifully shows, the tiny but hardworking rescue organization and their dedicated volunteers are definitely making a huge difference.
People on the internet were shocked by the cruel treatment the dog received and wrote grateful messages to those who saved him
