Morbidly Obese Dog Left Behind by Family, Immediately Put on Weight-Loss Program
We all have those couple — or more — pounds we’d like to shed. Sometimes it happens and the weight melts away, sometimes it doesn’t, but for one sweet pup, it sure did happen.
Miss Butterworth — and no, it isn’t Mrs. Buttersworth, like your brain is probably trying to insist on — was left behind by her previous family at a whopping 20 pounds. She looks like a Chihuahua, and that certainly is not a healthy weight for that small of a dog.
Volunteers at Asheville Humane Society described her as “a full-figured gal,” but the medical staff diagnosed her as morbidly obese.
She was double the weight she should be, and it was causing a plethora of health problems, including difficulty breathing even at rest and, of course, lethargy.
The pudgy puppy came to the shelter in June of 2017 and the staff have regularly updated their Facebook page following her weight loss journey.
The caption on the image below shows her name as “Miss Buttersworth,” but all following posts refer to her as “Miss Butterworth” instead.
She “was so overweight, she was nearly incapable of moving around,” the first Facebook post about her said. They had to start out with “a 5-10 minute workout per day.”
“Due to her size, we have to be very careful that she does not get overheated or that undue pressure is put on her heart,” the post continued.
“Per our veterinarian’s recommendations, she gets one walk per day and several outings in the yard at her foster family’s house, at her own pace. Along with a special diet, Miss Butterworth will get weekly weigh-ins and check-ups to chart her progress.”
She was also too heavy to be spayed, likely because going under anesthesia at that weight is far too dangerous for such a small little critter.
And so Miss B, as the staff affectionately calls her, was immediately placed in a foster home that could help her on her weight loss journey.
Over the course of six months, Miss B dropped an incredible eight pounds, which is 40 percent of her starting body weight. She is now ready for adoption!
As her adoption video states, she loves kids, dogs, and has even been known to tolerate cats. But most of all, she loves meeting people, so if you live in the area, you should consider going to meet her and possibly even adopting her!
As of Jan. 28, the shelter has received about a dozen applications, and many more people have commented saying that they’re going to apply or are in the process at the moment. So if you have high hopes of giving this triumphant pup her forever home, get on it!
With how much love and support this now-healthy pup has received, I can’t imagine she’ll be at the shelter much longer. As the shelter commented in response to someone saying she’s been a great ambassador, they said, “We are all so proud of her and it will be bittersweet to see her go!”
Congratulations on your accomplishment, Miss B, and we hope you find your forever home soon!
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