Meet Wesley. Wesley had a rough start to life. He was first discovered by our transport partner Donna with Ruff Transport. She was contacted by a Labrador rescue in Cincinnati to transport dogs from a breeder in Kentucky. The breeder’s husband recently passed away and she had suffered from a few mini strokes. She could no longer care for the dogs. When Donna first arrived, the conditions were heartbreaking. Dogs were separated in pens with electric fencing. Many had scars on their faces from where they got to close to the fencing and were shocked. Several had major health problems and all of them were infested with fleas. You could tell that may of them were never able to leave their pens and they were terrified of humans. Among all of the Labradors, Donna discovered one poodle. This poodle was Wesley.
Wesley was used by the breeder to create Labradoodle puppies to sell. When they found him, he was moving very slow. His fur was severely matted. The breeder wanted to surrender Wesley as well, but the Labrador Rescue couldn’t take him. Donna knew she couldn’t leave Wesley behind. So, she brought him to us at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. Upon our initial examination it was clear that Wesley’s fur was extremely matted. He could barely walk or use the restroom because the mats were so severe. When we got close to him, Wesley would shake in fear. He was so nervous and scared. It was clear that it had little to no socialization. Our team knew the first step to Wesley’s recovery was addressing his matted fur. Thankfully, a local groomer donated her time to help Wesley.
She spent hours cutting mat after mat out of his fur. After a lot of grooming and several baths, you could tell a weight had been lifted from Wesley. Although he was still nervous and apprehensive, you could immediately see the relief he felt. After his grooming, Wesley’s personality immediately shifted. He was so grateful and happy. He began opening up more to our staff. He was now able to go on walks with our amazing volunteers. You could see his personality grow each day. Soon, he was running and playing in the dog park like a happy, young pup again! He also loved to jump up and give people hugs.
Our veterinary team then neutered Wesley and gave him the medical attention and care he needed so that he could be placed into our Adoption Program. Little did we know, one special family was looking to adopt a new furry family member. The Mayor of Dayton, Nan Whaley, and her family wanted to add a new pet to their home. They came to our shelter to meet Wesley and it was love at first sight! They took Wesley home to make sure it was a good fit. Needless to say, he fit right in! The Mayor and her family decided to welcome Wesley into their family. Now, he is doing fantastic! He has literally gone from a very rough start in life to being the First Dog of Dayton!
