Neglected Poodles and Doodles Found Dirty and Matted Lose 51 Pounds of Filthy Fur During 3-Day Makeover (Exclusive)

• Alaqua Animal Refuge rescued nine dogs from a backyard breeder after receiving a call from a concerned family member of the breeder

• The rescue's vet team removed over 51 pounds of matted fur from the dogs

• After going through the makeovers, the dogs went through months of recovery to address their injuries

A pack of poodles and doodles are learning what love is.

Alaqua Animal Refuge in Walton County, Fla, recently received a call from a concerned animal lover about a group of dogs being used for backyard breeding.

"Backyard breeders are individuals who breed dogs for profit without proper care, health screenings, or concern for the animals' well-being. Unlike reputable breeders who prioritize responsible breeding and health checks, backyard breeders often operate in poor conditions. Dogs are kept in cages, bred repeatedly, and denied proper medical care," Laurie Hood, the founder and president of
Alaqua Animal Refuge, explains to PEOPLE.

According to Hood, the concerned individual who called her rescue was a family member of the backyard breeder who was worried about the dogs under the breeder's care.

"We knew we had to step in when we saw their condition," Hood says of the dogs.

Alaqua Animal Refuge responded to the call and found nine dogs with the backyard breeder. Hood says the canines, a mix of poodle and doodle breeds, were "suffering from severe neglect, with their coats so matted that they could barely move comfortably."

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"These dogs were not treated as pets — they were purely a means for profit, living in small, filthy enclosures with little to no human interaction or veterinary care. Their coats were so overgrown and matted that it caused them immense discomfort, skin infections, and mobility issues. Many of them were also emotionally shut down, unsure how to trust humans," she adds.

Employees with Alaqua Animal Refuge spoke to the dogs' owner, who eventually agreed to surrender the nine dogs to the rescue. The organization removed the animals from the backyard breeder's property and brought them to its veterinary team, who went to work on one of the "worst states of neglect we've ever seen," per Hood.

The vet team decided the feces-covered, heavily matted fur covering all the dogs needed to go first.

Hood says the matted fur was "restricting their movement," growing over the dogs' eyes and causing skin infections.

"Our veterinary and grooming team carefully shaved each dog, a process that took three days total and hours per dog because of how tightly matted their fur was. The matting was not just uncomfortable—it was dangerous. Mats pull on the skin, cause sores and infections, trap moisture and bacteria, and make movement painful," she shares.

After the veterinary team finished the three-day job, they removed over 51 pounds of fur from the nine dogs, more than 10% of the canines' total body weight. Unfortunately, the recovery of the poodles and doodles was far from over after these makeovers.

"Beyond grooming, these dogs needed veterinary care, vaccinations, spaying/neutering, and emotional healing time. Some had infections and malnourishment issues that required medical treatment. Tragically, half of the dogs tested positive for heartworms, a serious and potentially fatal disease that requires months of expensive and intensive therapy. We immediately started them on a medical protocol to eliminate the heartworms and monitored them closely throughout their recovery," Hood says, adding that the rescue also worked with the dogs on We also worked with the dogs on socialization, "as many were fearful and unaccustomed to human kindness."

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All the work led to a happy ending; after months of recovery, all the dogs found loving forever homes with animal lovers eager to make the pets part of their families.

"It has been incredible to see them transform—learning to be dogs again, experiencing love and kindness for the first time, and finally living the happy, carefree lives they always deserved. Their journey from suffering to safety is a testament to the power of rescue," Hood says.

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She hopes that the hardships these dogs overcame will teach people about the cruel realities of backyard breeding and drive more animal lovers to adopt.

"The cute designer puppies you see online or in pet stores often come from heartbreaking conditions like this. If people stop supporting these unethical breeders and choose adoption instead, we can put an end to this cruelty. Every dog deserves a life filled with love, not suffering in the shadows of greed," she adds.

While the nine dogs Alaqua Animal Refuge rescued from the backyard breeder are thriving in adoptive homes, the nonprofit still has dozens of pets searching for forever families.

To learn more about Alaqua Animal Refuge and the rescue's adoptable animals, visit the organization's website.

Read the original article on People