Incredibly overweight German Shepherd leaves shelter staff gobsmacked
San Bernardino, California - When this German shepherd waddled into the San Bernardino Animal Shelter, caretakers were astonished by how incredibly overweight she was.
Per The Dodo, Neville was found wandering the streets of San Bernardino, California, in mid-July. A kind soul grabbed the dog and brought her to the local shelter.
Coming in at 130 pounds – almost triple what she'd normally be expected to weigh – Neville was clearly not healthy, and shelter staff suspected that her thyroid wasn't working properly.
The volunteer-run Facebook page Save SVC Shelter Friends put up a post in the hope of find a new family for the plump pooch, who had clearly been neglected.
It worked almost immediately, and Neville was successfully placed by the end of July.
Mistress wants to help Neville lose weight
Fortunately, Neville's new owner Niki was well aware of just how much professional help her new pet needed.
"The day after we brought her home, we took her to the vet and ran tests. Her thyroid levels are low, but not low enough yet to diagnose her with hypothyroidism," she told The Dodo.
Nikki is hoping to get her hands on a pool so Neville has a way to exercise without causing herself any joint pain. In the meantime, the sweet doggo's diet regime is going well and she's already lost almost 20 pounds.
"She’s given me a renewed sense of purpose," her human said. "I had been struggling with lack of drive to continue working with animals, and she just renewed it."
It looks like Neville is getting her much-deserved just deserts!
Cover photo: Collage: Facebook/Screenshot/Save SBC Shelter Friends