Please remember to budget for the cost of regular grooming when taking on certain kinds of dogs.

Harper (shown above), a Labradoodle, was surrendered to us very recently. The two year old has extremely matted fur and so she has been to the groomers this week – for 3 hours of grooming!

She will have a week off before she goes back for another few hours. Sadly, this is a prime example of how important it is with certain breeds to arrange regular grooming. Please do check when adopting a dog how often they should be treated to keep your dog happy and healthy. Harper is absolutely gorgeous, but she will need lots more TLC before she will be available for rehoming.

We have also just taken in poor Bobby who sadly demonstrates just how serious extremely matted fur can be. Bobby the Shih Tzu was found as a stray in the Bury area and was brought to Bleakholt. He was found with his fur so matted that he will need to go under anaesthetic to have his fur removed. The problem is so close to his eyes that he will need to be sedated to deal with the problem.

Sallie, Rehoming Supervisor for Dogs, said: “Bobby was in such a state. He was so matted his eyelashes were intertwined into his fur and, where he had been trying to chew through, he has hair stuck to his teeth, all of which will have to be surgically removed. We can’t see his teeth to judge his age yet. He will feel a lot better once it’s all removed.”

Although an extreme example, it is so sad to see dogs coming in in this condition.

If you would like to help with the cost of making Bobby feel so much better, please click here to donate whatever you can.

Bobby won’t be ready for rehoming for some time, but will feature on our Dog Adoption page, along with Harper, when they are both ready.

Dogs currently available for adoption can also be found there now.