It’s truly remarkable the difference a haircut can make, especially for a dog. Many stray and neglected dogs go ungroomed, causing them distress as their fur becomes tangled and matted.

When one dog groomer came across a stray dog in terrible condition, she went the extra mile to help him — and the transformation is truly incredible.

A good samaritan saved a stray dog from hit by a car in Florida. The dog was in shocking condition, covered in thick, matted, flea-infested fur.

The woman posted photos of the dog online, capturing the attention of Kari Falla, owner of BGE Grooming. The dog was in such bad shape she was worried he might not survive at all. “The pictures … they would’ve euthanized him,” Falla told News 6.

So, Falla decided to go above-and-beyond to help: she opened her dog grooming business after hours to give the matted stray a much-needed makeover.

She took the dog in at midnight, and worked through the early hours of the morning with her husband and daughter to give the dog an emergency grooming. It was no easy task.

“Pictures don’t even come close to showing how bad these mats were,” Falla wrote on Facebook. “They were soaking wet, infested with fleas, full of yeast infection and attached like a mummified cast. The smell was horrendous.”

But by 3 am, the dog was finally free of all that thick, grossly matted fur — and the transformation was stunning.

“After a few tedious hours of shaving these horrible mats off, WE FOUND HIS CUTE FACE!” Falla wrote, sharing a before-and-after photo:

“We can only imagine the amount of relief this baby is feeling after being relieved of all these painful mats!” she wrote.

Falla and her family had provided free services to rescue dogs and shelter dogs in the past, but this was an especially meaningful case. “We believe in paying it forward. Sharing a little bit of kindness goes a long way. And in this case, it saved a life,” she told News 6.

Since the fur was removed, the dog — now named Lucky — was able to be examined by a veterinarian. He was deaf and blind, as the severe matting had pushed into his eyelids, requiring surgery.

Despite everything, Lucky was still a happy, loving dog. “He has every reason to be angry at the world and he’s not,” Falla said. “He’s still retained his innocence and his happy-go-lucky soul.”

When the story went viral, Falla began receiving calls from people interested in giving Lucky a home. It wasn’t long before the sweet dog was adopted.

It’s safe to say that Lucky will never have to experience the heartbreaking neglect and conditions he suffered through ever again — and he’s getting free grooming sessions for life, a gift from Falla and her family.

“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,” Falla told News 6.

It’s always heartwarming to read about people helping dogs in need, and this story is truly incredible. What an amazing transformation, we’re so glad Lucky is free from all that matted fur and has a loving new home!

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