Neville was wandering the streets of San Bernardino, California, for weeks in 90-degree weather before he was finally rescued.
No one really knows what happened to him or how he ended up on the streets, but one thing was certain – Neville desperately needed help!
A Good Samaritan found him outside a business in San Bernardino, where he spent the whole day in smothering heat. After giving him some food and water, the person contacted City of San Bernardino Animal Services.
A Morbidly Obese Stray Dog
When the Good Samaritan brought the dog to the shelter, the staff was shocked at how overweight the dog actually was.
They immediately contacted the vet, who determined that the dog had a serious thyroid problem.
“Total love bug, everyone in love with him! He has a thyroid problem. This poor dear needs our help,” the staff posted in a Facebook group in the hope that a good rescue or an adopter would see the post.
With a whopping 132 lbs, Neville was desperately obese. He was almost two times bigger than the recommended weight for a healthy dog his size and age.
Neville was initially listed as a 2-year-old brown German Shepherd mix, but upon further inspection, it turned out that Neville was actually a girl.
“She was only at our shelter for a short period of time before she was adopted. However, we knew she needed help,” Jodi Kroeger, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino Animal Services, told The Dodo.
The post thankfully attracted a lot of attention, and Neville was rescued quite quickly.
Niki Thai Van Dat, the owner of Niki’s Play N’ Stay, saw the post and decided to drive almost 7 hours from Modesto, California, to pick up this girl.
Getting The Much-Needed Help
When Neville – now known as Buddha – arrived at Modesto, she was immediately brought to the veterinarian to get the official diagnosis.
With 132 lbs, Neville was unable to walk on her own and she had to be wheeled in a wagon everywhere.
“The day after we brought her home, we took her to the vet and we ran tests. Her thyroid is low, but not low enough to diagnose her with hypothyroidism yet,” Niki told The Dodo.
Niki put Neville on a healthy diet and found ways for her to exercise without hurting her joints. She did end up needing medications after all, which she takes two times a day now.
Eventually, Neville began to lose weight. “She had her weight at 112 pounds versus 130 pounds at the shelter. I cried in the parking lot,” Niki told the Dodo.
This is Neville (Buddha) today at 69 lbs:
What an amazing change! She literally lost half of her original weight, and she looks like a completely different dog.
Neville is now ready to find her forever home and continue her weight-loss journey.
Niki wrote on Facebook:
“She is ready to find a family that will let her be the lazy couch potato she is and give her frequent pets (not treats, haha). On walks, she carries her own leash and just follows us. You can leave the front door open, and she will not leave. She does enjoy sunbathing in the backyard. In regards to playing, she tires very quickly. We don’t walk her for long distances.”
She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, potty-trained, and great with other dogs, cats, and children. According to Niki, her energy level is pretty low, and her favorite activity is sleeping.
We truly believe that Neville will find a forever home soon that will love and take proper care of her for the rest of her life.
