People called for help after spotting an unrecognizable animal covered in mounds of fur strolling around a yard.

The story takes place in Clinton, South Carolina, where a distressed animal was brought to Clinton Animal Hospital after it was found walking around freely.

Though no one could know for sure what kind of animal it was due to pounds of fur growing all over its body, animal control called the volunteers at Heart of LCAC and informed them about their find.

After Betty Burns and her team arrived at the hospital, the animal was sedated and the vets got straight to work as they began removing excess fur from its body.

“If we didn’t hear him panting, we wouldn’t have been able to tell which end was his head. You couldn’t see his eyes, you couldn’t see his nose, you couldn’t see his mouth,” Burns revealed in an interview with The Dodo.

After removing as much as 15 pounds of fur from the neglected animal, one thing became sure – the animal was actually an adorable pooch who must have been locked in a tiny place for a long time to get in the condition he was in.

Following their successful procedure, the medical professionals determined that the dog, whom they named Pat the Mat, was a 9-year-old cocker spaniel.

As soon as he was rid of mountains of excess fur, Pat began showing his true colors and his playful nature, whereas he would spend most of his time playing with toys and running around.

“He’s such a sweetheart. He gets around great. He’s a favorite at the clinic, that’s for sure,” Burns added.

Since the life-saving rescue and the dramatic makeover, Pat was taken in by Too Broke Girls Dog Rescue who provided him with a foster family and a new chance at life.

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