Everyone Loves A Makeover Show: The Hot Mess Scale, Walking Bathmats and Making Oprah Proud

Remember this, Brad. And remember we shall never forgive them for this. 

While there's nothing quite as funny as pictures of indignant pets in bathtubs, this isn't going to be that type of blog, gratuitous initial photo aside.

What we're really here to talk about is hair. Oprah would be really, really proud of us. In addition to being your best, most favorite shelter that has all the awesome pets that you want to come in and adopt right now, we're also masters of the makeover.

Occasionally we do it just because the dog comes in looking like an enormous fur ball and we need to verify that there is, in fact, a dog in there. Like Waldo. On a Hot Mess scale of 1-10 Waldo was barely at a 5. He was just really super hairy and kind of grimy.

He looks suspiciously like what shows up under the couch if you don't vacuum for a while. 

While he wasn't scaring children and acting as an ecosystem for parasites, he certainly wasn't terribly comfortable and looking his best. So off to our groomer he went and became a brand new Waldo who was rapidly adopted. 

Look! It's a dog! And it's adorable!

The majority of our makeovers come in a lot higher on the Hot Mess scale. For long coated dogs grooming isn't an option, it's a necessity. Long coats don't shed, they just get snarly and icky. 

Like Odin, who was off the charts on the Hot Mess scale:

We would look miserable like that too, buddy. Don't worry, we've got you. 

Odin resembled a smelly walking bathmat. Found living at a construction site, his coat was a time capsule of nasty things found at construction sites. Hay, dirt, poo, cement dust, burrito bits - it had all found it's way into his fur. Like most badly matted dogs he had skin infections under those mats. He was so bad we were blown away to find this under there:

I'm so handsome I almost can't stand myself. You should give me a cookie. 

Ermaghawd! Once we shaved off the contruction site, adorableness emerged! Of course with a face like that Odin got adopted pretty quickly. 

As did Marleigh, who came in looking suspiciously like a used Swiffer product but with super extra bonus fleas:

Not only am I sporting the dirt-ombre look, I've also brought several  hundred tiny, hungry backpackers with me.

And wound up turning into the sweetest little schnauzer-poo pooch we had ever seen. And she could rock a sweater like nobody's business.

It might be pink but it's way more comfortable than the fleas.

Of course there's also our star of newsletter fame, Tee The Snarling Shih Tzu mix. Blinded by her large face mats, she had adopted a 'bite first, ask questions later' policy. Had she not been growling constantly it's doubtful she would have been recognizable as a dog.

Hello? Is there anyone in there? 

After a salon day and some TLC, she morphed into a supermodel with a much, much better attitude. She and her adopted mom later went on to be cover-models for a feature story in our newsletter. 

Why yes, I am the most adorable creature ever. Next question?

Getting this beautiful doesn't happen overnight. Particularly when you're rebounding from A Bad Hair Lifetime. Dogs, like us, go through that awkward growing-in phase sometimes. Remember that time in grade school your mom decided to save money by cutting your hair herself right before school pictures? Sometimes we have dogs on the floor that look a bit like that, like Willie.

I'm the only dog in this blog available for adoption. Just so you know.  

When they do, it's not because our groomer is having an off day. Rachel, our groomer, is a miracle worker*. It's because they had to be shaved or cut in such a way that there wasn't much left to work with. Sometimes they even have to wear sweaters because they're a little bald.

But that's all good because it's better to be bald, dressed and healthy than matted and not. 

Right, Fiona? 

STUFFY! Lurf STUFFY!

Throw your toy in the air if life is better without mats....

STUFFY HAILS GROOMING! 

Yeah, that's what we thought. 

We know, Oprah. We're proud of ourselves, too. 

Pretty much all of our makeover stories have since been adopted (YAY!) but we do have a few that are in the works, like bathing beauties Brad and Angelina. They'll be showing up on the website when they're available to adopt. Willie, the world's sweetest Cocker Spaniel, is already ready to adopt and he'd really like you to come down and meet him. Like now. 

*True fact: In addition to working her miracles with the gentlest hands on scared shelter dogs, we also offer grooming to the public as well. If you don't believe us about how awesome Rachel is, check our Yelp. People and dogs love Rachel.