When animal rescuers picked Ellen up on the street, they couldn’t tell if she was male or female – they couldn’t even tell which was her front and which was her back. The small, homeless dog was alone on the streets, starving, and covered head-to-toe in thick, overly grown fur. The fur was matted and tangled, and smelled terribly of urine. This poor, defenseless dog was suffering alone under pounds of hair until the Trio Animal Foundation took her in.

When the Foundation found Ellen at a local animal shelter in Chicago, they could hardly believe their eyes. The dog was a ball of tangled fur, surrounded by flies and gnats, and smelling just awful. The team had to extend a treat blindly to determine what part of the pooch was her head. Knowing they had to do something, the Foundation took Ellen to their headquarters.

Once there, the Foundation enlisted veterinary groomer Kelli to come in and give this rescue pooch the haircut she so desperately needed. The haircut took over three hours to complete, ending in a total of two pounds of matted fur. Without the fur, the little dog only weighs 6.5 lbs., which means a fourth of her body weight was entirely tangled hair. It must have been an incredibly difficult way to live.

Despite the hard work the haircut took, Kelli and the other rescuers said it was incredibly rewarding helping this homeless dog.

“She looked me in the eyes and it was as if she was saying thank you…Her past abuse was literally being shaved away,” the rescuers said.

About ten minutes into her long overdue haircut, Kelli had a name for the pooch: Ellen. Having been freshly named and cut, Ellen was then given her first bath, which she loved! The dog was then given her first leash, toys, and warm dog bed before the Foundation officially put her up for adoption.

Happily, dozens of families submitted requested to take Ellen home, so the Foundation got to carefully select who would become Ellen’s forever family. They eventually found her the perfect new home! The couple that adopted Ellen immediately fell in love with her and already had a canine friend waiting for her at home named Linus.

The Foundation credits rescuing Ellen as one of their proudest moments, and we can see why. This amazing organization saved Ellen from a life of suffering, not just alone on the streets but trapped in a cage of disgusting fur. When they brought her in for her first ever grooming, they gave this adorable dog a whole new chance at life.

Ellen is a sweet dog with incredibly expressive eyes and a great personality! It shines so much more clearly with all that hair stripped away from her tiny frame. We’re so grateful this dog can live again in a brand new home and we are so deeply inspired by her incredible story.

What do you think of Ellen’s transformation? Share your thoughts on this amazing journey in the comments section below.