In the quiet hours of the night, Kari Falla, a professional dog groomer, was leisurely browsing through her Facebook feed before retiring for the day.
Her attention was suddenly caught by a post about a stray dog discovered in the vicinity of her residence in Oviedo, Florida.
The dog was in a pitiful state, its fur heavily matted and infested with fleas.
A leash was even entangled within the matted fur.
The dog was in urgent need of assistance, and Falla felt compelled to step in, knowing she had the skills to make a difference.
Falla immediately reached out to the man who had found the dog, offering to open her salon even at the late hour to provide the dog with a much-needed grooming session.
As the clock struck midnight, Falla unlocked her salon doors and began the task of grooming the neglected pup.
Upon seeing the dog, Falla was taken aback by the severity of the dog’s condition.
She described the mats as being “soaking wet, infested with fleas, full of yeast infection, and attached like a mummified cast.”
The stench emanating from the dog was overpowering.
Despite the daunting task ahead, Falla was determined to help the dog.
Throughout the night, Falla worked tirelessly, shaving off clump after clump of fur.
By the time she was done, she estimated that she had removed between 20 to 25 pounds of fur.
The transformation was astounding.
The dog, once hidden beneath layers of matted fur, now looked like an entirely different creature.
After the grooming session, the man who had found the dog took him to a veterinarian for a check-up.
It was there that they discovered the dog was both blind and deaf.
The fact that the dog had managed to survive on the streets for so long was nothing short of a miracle.
In honor of his resilience, the man decided to name the dog Lucky.
This heartwarming tale quickly spread throughout the local community in Orlando, leading to an outpouring of donations to Falla’s shop.
However, Falla declined to accept the donations for herself.
Instead, she used the funds to cover Lucky’s veterinary bills.
In an interview with Orlando News 6, she said, “We always groom rescue dogs and shelter dogs for free, so as soon as I found out, it was a no-brainer.
We believe in paying it forward.
Sharing a little bit of kindness goes a long way. And in this case, it saved a life.”
Lucky’s story has a happy ending.
The man who found him decided to adopt him.
Lucky quickly grew fond of his new owner and enjoyed playing with his new sister, Chi Chi.
Despite his past hardships, Lucky remained a cheerful dog, spreading joy to everyone he met.
Falla continues to play a role in Lucky’s life.
She offered to groom Lucky for free for the rest of his life.
She explained her decision to Orlando News 6, saying, “It was a no brainer that we would honor free grooming for Lucky for the rest of his life so he never has to go through that again and humanity doesn’t have to fail him.”
Thanks to the combined efforts of Falla and the man who found him, Lucky is now thriving and looking better than ever.
His story serves as a reminder of the power of kindness and the difference one person can make in the life of an animal in need.
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