LINCOLN PARK — A month after she was trimmed of nearly two pounds of urine-soaked fur, Ellen is ready for a new home, according to the agency that rescued her.
"It was a month ago today that TAF's Ellen had 2 pounds of matted fur and debris shaved from her body," read a Facebook post from Lincoln Park-based Trio Animal Foundation on Wednesday night. "I am happy to announce that she has made a full recovery and is ready for her new life."
Hundreds of adoption applications poured in to adopt Ellen, an eight-pound dog believed to be a shih tzu-terrier mix. She hadn't received a clean bill of health to be adopted until it was announced Wednesday night.
"The number of people captivated by her story has been truly remarkable," Sue Naiden, president of the Trio Animal Foundation, said in July.
Ellen currently lives at Naiden's house with three other foster dogs.
Ellen was described as a dog with "a clump of pungent urine-soaked matted fur" when the foundation obtained her from a shelter on July 13.
"We couldn’t even figure out if the dog was a male or female," read a foundation Facebook post titled "FROM HELL TO HEAVEN… ELLEN HAS GOTTEN HER LIFE BACK!"
The post was shared more than 11,500 times.
"When we first saw this dog in its cage, we didn’t know which end was front or back. We had to get a treat to see which end lifted up to sniff," the post read. "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."
A groomer from Mutt Hutt spent 1½ hours shaving two pounds of fur from Ellen, who was then given a bath and another trim.
"We see dogs who are in terrible condition of all the time. Anybody volunteering or working at an open access shelter will see cases like Ellen’s many times throughout the year," Naiden said. "However, in Ellen’s case, I couldn’t believe that nobody stepped up to help her any sooner."
Potential adopters can fill out an application at www.projectrescuechicago.org.
More photos of the Ellen's transformation can be seen here.
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