Rescuers were shocked to see that the fur covered the faces so well that it was impossible to tell which ones were on the front and which ones were on the rear.

It’s incredible the neglect and abuse a dog can endure. Even more amazing, is the transformation a rescue dog makes when they are given love!

When Ellen’s rescuers first laid eyes on her, they didn’t know if she was male or female. The small dog was a “clump of pungent urine-soaked matted fur” that had been picked up as a stray and brought to a shelter in Chicago.

Trio Animal Foundation didn’t even know which end of her was the front or back. Sue Naiden, the founder of the rescue, said, “We had to get a treat to see which end lifted up to sniff.”

“Flies and gnats swarmed around the pup and what appeared to be the dog’s back legs dragged on the floor and left a watery trail…just like a snail,” Sue described on Facebook.

“As it turned out, the dog had two very petite legs hidden underneath all the knotted fur and the outer appendages were just matted fur and debris.”

Once out of the shelter, Trio contacted a veteran groomer named Kelli, to help them dig through the “hard shell of fur”. Through the lengthy process Ellen never once growled or showed her teeth.

“When it came time to shave the matted fur that had tightly wrapped its way around Ellen’s raw legs like a snug boot, Ellen actually looked up at me and started to give me kisses… I could have died,” Sue wrote. “Even better, the first time that she could feel the touch of my hand on her newly shaven back … she looked me in the eyes and it was as if she was saying thank you… her past abuse was literally being shaved away.”

Ellen had been carrying over two pounds of putrid fur and the extra weight and neglect had taken its toll.

Ellen had to have physical therapy to relieve her joints and muscles, because they had become strained from the weight of the matted fur she had carried around. She had to re-learn how to sit and bend over to eat her food!

With the help of the rescue’s rehabilitation dogs, Ellen quickly gained back her trust and confidence and she was soon ready for adoption!

She received over 200 applications after her story had gotten out! Everyone wanted the 2-year-old dog. But the rescue was able to narrow it down to three families.

In the end, it was Ellen who ended up choosing her family.

When Ellen’s future adoptive mom came in with her dog Linus for their first visit, Ellen’s eyes immediately lit up and she ran right to him. It was love at first sight! It was very clear that this was the family she wanted to call her own.