Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/phil-golden-retriever-weight-loss/
Animal abuse comes in different forms, and it can even happen by those who mean well.
That was the case with Phil the golden retriever. It seems his owners loved and cared for him greatly, but they didn’t know how to properly show their love.
Instead of caring for Phil so he’d be healthy and feel his best, they allowed him to eat all that he wanted, to the point it was affecting his health. They probably didn’t realize they were hurting the poor dog by allowing him to “free feed,” but he eventually worked his way up to 150 pounds.
With his health at serious risk, Phil desperately needed to be rehomed with someone who could help him get his lifestyle under control and lose about 60 pounds. That’s when Kelsey stepped in and decided to offer Phil the help that he needed.
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She shared on Instagram, “Some of the first couple of things I learned about Phil were that he was too overweight to walk up stairs, and that he cannot walk on hardwoods without slipping.”
Phil was put on a strict routine that included a food plan and regular walking. Slowly, but surely, Phil began to lose weight and make improvements in his health.
Kelsey shared that just shortly after being in her care, Phil was able to jump on the couch for the first time!
Phil continued to make milestones in his weight loss, like moving from a custom collar to a standard size large collar.
Eventually, he reached the goal of losing 60 pounds!
They announced the great news on Instagram, saying, “NEW WEIGHT ALERT Phil is finally at his goal weight!!!! I am so proud of Phil and all of the hard work he’s put in over the past 1.5 years! Now we just have to maintain his 83 pound bod”
While 83 pounds was his goal weight, he actually went on to lose another 9 pounds!
Losing weight is a lot of work, and the same is true for animals. Phil is doing amazing and seems to be living his best life.
You can keep up with Phil and follow his journey on Instagram, @orangeboyphil.
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
