Chiquita is a 3-year-old Welsh corgi whose owner left her with the Arizona Humane Society after no longer being able to care for her.
However, when she was taken to the shelter, Chiquita weighed a whopping 40 pounds. Because a female corgi should weigh around 22 to 24 pounds, Chiquita was deemed extremely obese.
"Her owner fell on hard times and wasn't able to take care of her anymore," said Ashliegh Goebel of the Arizona Humane Society. "She could barely walk around, let alone jump up a sidewalk curb. It was really sad to watch."
Chiquita isn't the only pup who has had to deal with weight issues: Vincent the dog became severely overweight due to trauma.
"We like to call it the 'fat gap phenomenon,' where pets are actually obese, but pet owners refuse to acknowledge that," said Ashliegh.
Because of her extra weight, Chiquita had a hard time finding a forever home. After months of good ole fashioned exercise and portion control, Chiquita lost nearly half of her weight and is being adopted.
"Now that she can get around, we've noticed that she's got that bubbly pep to her step," said Ashliegh. "When we take her for walks, she's right at the end of the leash running around."
Soon she'll know the love of a permanent family thanks to Sharon Leary, who has just recently lost her dog to old age.
"I just fell in love with her as soon as I walked in the door," said Sharon. "I'll probably feed the dog better than I feed myself."
See Chiquita's dramatic weight loss transformation below, and please SHARE if you're glad she has found a new home!
