Stray dog has 3kg of dreadlocked fur removed in 'amazing' transformation

A stray dog lost 3kg of dreadlocks after a much-needed makeover by the people who rescued him.

Simon, an 11-year-old Shih Tzu, was taken to the KC Pet Project, an animal shelter in Kansas City, US, last week.

According to the shelter, Simon had "possibly one of the worst matted cases we have ever seen," with 3kg of dreadlocks weighing him down.

In a video posted to TikTok, vets show how they gave Simon the care he needed, removing all the excess hair and his dreadlocks.

"We can only guess how long it took for him to get into this condition, but one thing we know for sure is that life is about to get so much better for this boy," the shelter said on social media.

It took two staff members more than two hours to remove the matted fur.

They said that, surprisingly, Simon's skin was in "fairly good shape".

The 11-year-old dog has a few medical issues, including chronic dry eye. He also requires some dental work.

On TikTok, users could not believe the scale of the transformation.

"Poor baby. His fur is three times bigger than him," one person commented.

"Can't believe it's the same dog," another TikTok user said.

The shelter does not know how long Simon was left in this condition, but hope he now gets a second chance at a happy, healthy life.

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.