Matted Dog's First Haircut Ever Reveals A Surprising Fact About Her Past

When Meg Larson first saw photos of a dog named Gracie Mae, her heart broke. As the intake manager at Ruff Start Rescue in Minnesota, Larson had seen her fair share of dogs with matted fur — but Gracie Mae’s condition was rough.

“It was like, ‘Oh God,’” Larson told The Dodo. “Her eyes were completely matted, covered, completely shut.”

Gracie Mae’s situation was desperate. Her owner, an elderly woman who was no longer able to care for the pup, had several days to move out of her home and into an assisted living facility.

A neighbor offered to help find a new home for Gracie Mae, whom the owner said was almost 9 years old.

When the county impound didn’t have room for the pup, they reached out to Ruff Start Rescue.

“It was probably a situation where the woman might not have even really understood how bad of shape Gracie was in,” Larson said. “Thankfully, we have the most amazing group of fosters.”

Within minutes of reaching out to her foster network, Larson secured a temporary home for Gracie Mae. The next step: a much-needed spa day.

When Gracie Mae arrived at Ruff Start Rescue, Larson said she acted like a “still puppet.”

“She really couldn't move and she couldn't see,” Larson added. “She had a little bit of nervousness because [of] lots of new smells, lots of new sounds.”

After the team sedated Gracie Mae, they gently shaved off a full pound of fur, which Larson described as a “shell.”

Staff were relieved that Gracie Mae appeared well-fed and had no wounds from the mats pulling on her skin.

That night, at her foster home, Gracie Mae became a brand-new dog. Being able to see and move freely without her shell made a world of difference. She immediately turned into a giddy puppy around her foster’s other dogs, playing with and closely observing them.

“Her first day and a half, the foster said, was learning,” Larson said. “She was just so friendly and fun.”

After her spay surgery, vets realized Gracie Mae was much younger than they thought. She’s only about 4 years old.

Gracie Mae was recently adopted by a loving local family. She’s since become a “daddy’s girl,” who follows her new dad everywhere.

“She's settled in amazingly,” Larson said. “She wears a little turtleneck sweater because she's also not used to not having a sweater on her all the time, so everything's a little chilly.”