When a tiny pug puppy arrived at The Animal Foundation (TAF) a few months ago, staff members were stunned. Weighing just 8 pounds, the young dog was completely hairless, her skin raw, inflamed and painfully red.
“She’s only a year old, and in unimaginable pain,” TAF shared on Facebook. “Her tiny, malnourished body is cracked, bleeding and raw.”
The puppy, later named Talulah, was suffering from an extreme case of mange. Without fur to protect her, her skin was bright pink and severely irritated, leaving her miserable and barely able to move.
“She’s itchy, swollen and shivering from pain,” TAF wrote. “She can hardly stand. She can’t play. She’s just a shell of a dog — but she wants to feel better.”
You can see more pictures of Talulah when she first arrived at TAF here:
Talulah’s condition was one of the worst cases shelter staff had ever seen, but they knew she still had a fighting chance. She was quickly placed in a medical foster home with a detailed treatment plan — and the perfect caregiver.
Her foster mom, Amber, had already helped nearly 400 animals heal through TAF, and she was more than ready to take on Talulah’s recovery.
“She’s receiving medicated baths, soothing mousse treatments, antibiotics to fight infection and pain medication to give her relief,” TAF explained. “Mange is caused by microscopic mites. It’s treatable, but recovery takes time.”
See Talulah one week into her recovery journey here:
And time — paired with love — worked wonders.
After just one week, Talulah’s skin began to calm, and soft black fur started growing in.
“Her skin is healing, her tail is wagging, and her sass is starting to show,” TAF wrote.
Two weeks in, the painful cracks had smoothed over, the redness faded, and Talulah was no longer showing signs of constant discomfort.
“Talulah is wiggly, curious and looking great,” TAF shared. “No longer red and itchy, she can finally begin to enjoy being a puppy.”
See Talulah’s progress here:
By the third week, Talulah had transformed into a playful, energetic dog who bounced around with her foster siblings, her smile growing wider as her fur filled in.
“It’s unbelievable,” TAF wrote. “And this is only the beginning.”
Talulah continued to exceed every expectation — and in late September, nearly two months after her rescue, she received the greatest gift of all: a forever family.
Renamed Wednesday, the once hairless, suffering puppy is now thriving in her new home.
“Today, Wednesday looks like a completely different dog,” TAF wrote in an update. “She’s cuddly, sassy and now has two tortoise siblings, Herbie and Pie.”
Once trapped in constant pain, Wednesday is finally living the joyful, carefree life she always deserved — and her family couldn’t be more in love.
“Our favorite part is how sassy she is,” her mom Annette shared. “When she’s in the mood to snuggle, she’s a total cuddle bug. She’s brought so much joy into our home.”
To help more animals like Talulah — now Wednesday — receive lifesaving care, you can donate to The Animal Foundation.
