A massive ball of fur was dropped off at the Central Missouri Humane Society by an anonymous individual. At first glance, it was nearly impossible to identify what lay beneath the tangled mess of hair. The person who abandoned the pet mentioned it had been found in a small dog bed at a local supermarket. Shelter workers immediately sprang into action to help this little one, determined to uncover the identity of the creature hiding beneath all that matted fur.

“It turns out that this ball of fluff was a dog in dire straits,” the Central Missouri Humane Society announced on Facebook. “She couldn’t walk, had a lot of fleas, and her severely matted fur suggested she was in pain. “Thanks to the people at Pawsitively Precious, she was anesthetized and two workers spent three hours removing matted hair from her body. Despite the grooming and bath, the tiny dog was unable to walk away.

“Upon getting x-rays done, it was discovered that she had been in this condition for so long that her paws had deformed and she had several broken bones,” Pawsitively Precious posted on Facebook.

They never gave up on the little pup, who they decided to name, Precious. 

Though she can’t walk or run as a normal dog would, Pawsitively Precious says she “has a lot of love to give and will make an excellent pet for a very special home someday!”