An old stray dog arrived at a shelter in terrible shape – her transformation amazed everyone

St. Louis, Missouri - Skagway was a venerable 10 years old and very exhausted when she wound up in a St. Louis animal shelter. Despite being in bad shape, the dog stunned carers by making a miraculous recovery!

This is what poor Skagway the dog looked like when she arrived at the shelter.
This is what poor Skagway the dog looked like when she arrived at the shelter.  © Facebook/Screenshot/Stray Rescue of St. Louis

Skagway had hair loss like so many abandoned dogs do, but in her case, mange was not to blame.

"All of that hair loss you see is because she was being eaten alive by fleas," the Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) explained in a Facebook post.

The senior dog was also struggling with severe arthritis in her hind legs and had problems walking.

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"She's old, weak, and has been neglected, like we sadly see so often," the team wrote.

Nevertheless, the staff did everything they could to nurse Skagway back to health, specifically targeting her fleas in the hope that her coat would grow back.

The SRSL also searched for a potential foster home for the pooch on Facebook. Little did they know what was to come!

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Thanks to a lot of love, Skagway the dog is in much better shape these days!
Thanks to a lot of love, Skagway the dog is in much better shape these days!  © Facebook/Screenshot/Stray Rescue of St. Louis

Contrary to expectations, a young woman quickly got in touch about fostering the pooch.

"I would love to offer her a comfy home," Halle Gordon commented on the shelter's Facebook post. "I just love senior dogs so much!!"

Of course, the staff didn't hesitate for long, handing over the senior dog to Gordon just a few days later.

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After a month, the SRSL received new photos of Skagway and were amazed to see that her coat had not only grown back completely but had even taken on a nice healthy shine.

"Skagway has even started getting up and trotting to the door on her own when her foster mom gets home," the team announced in a Facebook post on.

They added that this was "a tremendous accomplishment" given her poor health and low spirits when they first found her.

Thanks to lots of care, this sweet dog now has the chance to enjoy her final years in a safe and loving home.

Cover photo: Facebook/Screenshot/Stray Rescue of St. Louis

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