The amount of excrement and grime in Lázaro’s hut in the barn, where he was confined, was astounding. This dog’s life was miserable and he was covered in 35 pounds of hair, but when he was saved, everything changed.

When Lázaro’s owner was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a neighbor sought the assistance of Jessica Kincheloe and a groomer to provide the dog with the care he or she needed.

The dog groomer who took care of Lázaro and asked to remain anonymous said, “From the look of the dog and the door, it seemed like a long ᴛι̇ɱe had passed.”

Initially wary, Lazaro “calmed down and began to comprehend that this was helping him feel better,” according to Kincheloe, but only after shearing the hair below his neck.

“He felt comfortable being touched by people, but it didn’t feel natural to him. He and we hit it off right away. Particularly after giving out sweets,” claims Kincheloe.

According to Jean Harrison, the founder of Big Fluffy Dog Rescue, Lazarus is still getting used to his new existence. Even the way he walks feels unfamiliar to him.

For instance, Harrison recalled how Lázaro once “went cautiously over to a fresh grilled steak, this seemed very sad to us.” But as soon as he realized what was going on, he was overjoyed to be able to eat that meat.