Dog freed as fur today is gone tomorrow

Womble was bought into the Dogs Trust in Leeds with so much hair he was almost unrecognisable. Picture: Ross Parry Agency

The three-year-old Lhasa Apso, which was found abandoned in a Leeds park, underwent a mammoth two-hour grooming session by vets at Leeds Dogs Trust.

Before that, only Womble’s tongue could be spotted through the mass of hair, leaving him unable to see or walk, or even go to the toilet.

The trust’s Leeds assistant manager Emma Cooper said: “Womble was brought to us by a member of the public just over a week ago and was a very immobile dog. He was struggling to walk, could barely see and with the fur weighing as much as a bag of sugar, he was in some discomfort and under intense strain. He couldn’t even go to the toilet.

“Womble is a lovely little active dog and is so different now than what he was like before he was shaven.”

Because of his extreme condition, Womble, named after the characters of the popular children’s television show, had to be sedated for the shave.

According to Dogs Trust Leeds, the breed usually needs to be groomed every three to four months to keep their fur in the right condition but in Womble’s case, his hair is thought to have been growing out of control for over a year, with even a sweet and some velcro found matted within his coat.

Local trust manager Amanda Sands added: “In the 27 years that I have worked here, this is the worst case of matted fur I have seen on a dog.

“It’s astounding a dog can be left to get into this kind of condition, and then abandoned.

“With his fur trimmed, he can now feel the ground beneath his feet and the wind on his skin.

“Fortunately for Womble, a new owner has come forward to give him and his new haircut a lovely new home and he is now looking forward to many years of regular grooming and good hair days,” she added.