The ulti-MUTT diet! Couple who rescued morbidly obese 90LB beagle from a kill shelter proudly reveals his incredible three-year transformation after strict health regimen helped the dog shed 63LBS
- Chad Schatz and Erin McManis, both 40, from Phoenix, Arizona, have been documenting their dog Wolfgang’s physical transformation on Instagram
- They adopted the beagle through the Arizona Beagle Rescue in May 2019
- After three years of following a strict diet and daily exercise regimen, including workouts on a doggy water treadmill, the beagle is down to a healthy 27 pounds
- In celebration of National Pet Obesity Awareness Day earlier this month, the lawyers shared a heartwarming video of Wolfgang’s progress since his adoption
- The montage starts with footage of the beagle hobbling around at 90 pounds and ends with him running around the yard at lightning speed at 27 pounds
A morbidly obese beagle who weighed 90 pounds when he was rescued from a kill shelter has lost more than 60 pounds thanks to his loving new owners.
Chad Schatz and Erin McManis, both 40, from Phoenix, Arizona, have been documenting their dog Wolfgang’s incredible physical transformation on Instagram since they adopted him through the Arizona Beagle Rescue in May 2019.
After three years of following a strict diet and daily exercise regimen, including workouts on a doggy water treadmill, the beagle is down to a healthy 27 pounds.
In celebration of National Pet Obesity Awareness Day earlier this month, the lawyers shared a heartwarming video of Wolfgang’s progress since they gave him a forever home.
Chad Schatz and Erin McManis, both 40, from Phoenix, Arizona, adopted their beagle Wolfgang in May 2019. The morbidly obese dog weighed 90 pounds at the time
After three years of following a strict diet and daily exercise regimen, Wolfgang is down to a healthy 27 pounds
The montage starts with footage of the beagle hobbling around at 90 pounds and ends with him running around the yard at lightning speed at 27 pounds.
The lawyers highlighted the dangers of canine obesity and showed gratitude for all the support they have received in the caption, which was penned from Wolfgang’s perspective.
‘My parents told me I was cute from the moment they picked me up at the shelter (even when they struggled to get me in their car). They said I was so unique that I was a unicorn,’ they wrote.
A post shared by Wolfgang (@obese_beagle)
In celebration of National Pet Obesity Awareness Day earlier this month, the lawyers shared a heartwarming video of Wolfgang’s progress since his adoption
The montage starts with footage of the beagle hobbling around when he was 90 pounds
However, they noted that there is nothing cute about ‘extreme obesity in dogs,’ saying they ‘believe it is neglect or abuse.’
‘Even a little extra weight on a dog can add a lot of stress on the dog’s joints,’ they explained. ‘We do firmly believe that small, consistent steps can yield big result.’
The couple also shared some of Wolfgang’s ‘major victories,’ including fitting through their doggy door, walking his first mile, and completing his first 5K.
The couple was under the supervision of a vet when they put Wolfgang on a diet of high-protein, low-calorie meals such as ground turkey meat with vegetables
The beagle was so large that he needed his own special doggy door because he couldn’t fit into the one they already had
Wolgang got plenty of low-impact exercise walking on a canine water treadmill during his first year with the couple
‘I still can’t believe I’m an athlete now,’ they concluded the post.
Schatz and McManis have been fostering animals since 2009, and they had successfully rehabilitated five obese dogs before they took in Wolfgang, People reported last December.
The couple had only planned on fostering Wolfgang, but they were so charmed by him that they ended up adopting him.
They were under the supervision of a vet when they put him on a diet of high-protein, low-calorie meals such as ground turkey meat with vegetables.
Schatz and McManis also took the beagle for swims in their pool
They increased the distance of his walks bit by bit, and by February 2020, he had lost nearly half his body weight and was down to 55 pounds
The couple shared some of Wolfgang’s ‘major victories,’ including fitting through their doggy door, walking his first mile, and completing his first 5K
Schatz worked on Wolfgang’s stamina by taking him on walks early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun had gone down.
McManis explained to People that the vet had warned them that the dog’s ‘heart and organs had to work extra hard to support his weight, and he could suffer from heatstroke if he was in the sun too much.’
They increased the distance of his walks bit by bit, and by February 2020, he had lost nearly half his body weight and was down to 55 pounds.
Over the next two years, he continued to steadily lose weight with his owners’ help.
Schatz and McManis have been fostering animals since 2009, and they had successfully rehabilitated five obese dogs before they took in Wolfgang
They had only planned on fostering Wolfgang, but they were so charmed by him that they ended up adopting him
The couple’s heartwarming video ends with footage of Wolfgang running around the yard at lightning speed at 27 pounds
McManis shared that the beagle’s ‘crowning achievement’ was finally being able to fit through their doggy door. As a reward for his hard work, they now allow him a couple of licks of his favorite treat — a Starbucks Puppuccino.
Wolfgang reached his goal weight of 27 pounds this year, and while he does have some excess skin, McManis explained that it ‘mostly a cosmetic issue,’ and they don’t have plans to remove it.
‘Chad and I feel passionately that morbid obesity is a form of animal neglect,’ she said. ‘Allowing a dog to get to be 90 pounds when he should be 25 or 30 pounds is a form of abuse.
‘We try to advocate and educate when we can.’
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