Dexter the Dog was so overweight that he could barely walk.
"When Dexter came to us, he was 82 pounds. Our vet said he needed to lose up to 30 pounds. He was heart worm positive," Pattie Nitschke, President and Founder of Brittany Rescue in Texas said.
Nitschke said Dexter's previous owner had dementia and unfortunately, they never realized they were overfeeding the dog.
"We bring them in then take them to our vet and get them vetted, microchipped and examined and up to date on shots. We then find them a foster home and they can go on the website and then we go through the applications. [We then do] home visits. And then find the perfect match for both. For the Brittany and the owner," Nitschke said.
Dexter’s story turned around when Pattie rescued him from the shelter.
"He’s lost [more than] six pounds and two inches off his middle, so we are thinking six to nine months to get down to that weight and then he can go for his heart worm treatment," Nitschke said.
Dexter’s foster mom, Kelly Marsh, is now caring for him, making sure he stays on his strict diet and walking regimen.
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"I guess you could say I’m a stay at home dog mom," Marsh said. "He’s a lot more active. You can tell that he feels better since he has lost some of the weight."
A complete turnaround from the dog Dexter had become.
"They said in the shelter when they saw him that he had looked like he had given up. He just looked up and saw them and then just put his head back down. It just kind of tugged at their heart so they just kind of wanted to save him," Marsh said.
Dexter is not ready for adoption just yet, but he does have a Facebook page for the public to follow his journey.
