Dog Arrives At Shelter Weighing As Much As A Baby Elephant

When Trojan first arrived at the RSPCA, he was matted, dirty — and weighed 223 pounds, which is around the same weight as a baby elephant.

Poor Trojan was so overweight that everything was pretty difficult for him. His rescuers knew that their first order of business was helping him lose some weight so that he would be able to run around and just be a dog again. Everyone at the shelter helped Trojan on his journey, and in just a year, he was able to get down to 132 pounds, which is a much healthier weight for a dog his size.

“It’s taken a year, a very special diet and an exercise regime to help him lose the weight slowly and safely; and he’s now almost half of his original weight,” Nicola Anthony, the kennel supervisor at the RSPCA’s Ashley Heath Animal Centre, said in a press release. “Thankfully, he hasn’t lost his big character!”

Trojan is so much happier now that he’s at a healthy weight — and the final piece of the puzzle is helping him find the perfect forever home.

Trojan may be 10 years old, but in a lot of ways, he’s still just like a puppy. He loves exploring the world and everything it has to offer, and his rescuers are confident that he’ll make the best new addition to one very lucky family.

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“Although he’s in his twilight years, don’t let that fool you; he has no intention of ‘retiring’ any time soon,” Anthony said. "He is still strong and likes to go for short walks, plod around the garden and have a good sniff! He gets on really well with other dogs but doesn’t like being jumped all over, so he’s best around calm, respectful doggy friends. We think he’d be best as the only dog in his new home so he can have all of the attention and affection; and he really deserves it!”

Trojan does have arthritis and thyroid problems, so his new family is going to need to be prepared to stay on top of those issues. Other than that, he just needs lots of company and belly rubs, which definitely isn’t too much to ask.

Trojan has come a long way in so many ways. After losing all the weight and being able to live his life to the fullest again, he just wants to find a family to share it all with.