California Puppy Surrendered As A Stray Lost All His Hair At Five Months Old
At just five months old, a tiny puppy was surrendered as a stray with severe skin issues. Thanks to a dedicated California foster mom and a lot of soothing baths, his life completely transformed.
A Heartbreaking Arrival
At just five months old, a tiny puppy had already experienced far too much hardship in his short life.
He was found as a stray surrender, completely stripped of his puppy fluff and suffering from severe skin issues.
He made his way to Cleft Pup Brigade, an animal rescue based in Northern California.
That’s when a dedicated foster mom named Andrea stepped in to help. She knew the area had a severe overbreeding problem, especially with Frenchies and other bully breeds, and she was determined to give this little guy, named Harold, a safe place to heal.
The Sourdough Puppy
When Andrea first met Harold, two things immediately stood out to her.
The first was how incredibly small he was for his age, and the second was his overwhelming smell.
While friends asked if the new foster puppy was soft and cuddly, Andrea had to be honest about his condition.
“Honestly, he feels and smells like a warm loaf of unbaked sourdough bread,” she explained.
Washing Away The Pain
Harold’s allergies and yeast infections had progressed to the point where he had lost all of his hair.
He was, as Andrea described, “a sticky, moist little mess, quite frankly.”
To give him some immediate relief, she started with a gentle, soothing bath.
She used warm water and Dawn dish soap, washing him twice to carefully remove the grime and soothe his irritated skin.
A Healing Routine
Andrea quickly realized that Harold’s diet needed a complete overhaul to help him heal from the inside out.
Since many Frenchies have chicken allergies, she immediately stopped feeding him chicken-based food.
She switched him to a new diet designed to calm his system down.
Alongside the food change, Harold started receiving special treatments and medications to fight the stubborn yeast.
Spa Days Every Day
Healing Harold’s skin became a dedicated daily mission for his foster family.
He was prescribed a special medicated shampoo and received a soothing bath every two days.
On top of that, Andrea gave him daily rubdowns with a special hydrocortisone and aloe lotion.
The gentle, consistent care worked wonders, and soon, his missing hair finally started to grow back.
The Truth Behind His Coat
As Harold healed, his true appearance began to shine through.
He had striking light blue eyes, and his incoming hair hinted at recessive colors like dilute fawn or tricolor.
Andrea suspected his rough start was the result of a bad breeding situation.
Breeders often focus on achieving these rare looks without taking the health of the animal into account at all.
A Goofy Little Shadow
With his body finally feeling better, Harold’s true personality blossomed.
He proved to have an unbelievably expressive face that kept his foster family laughing all day long.
He also became Andrea’s tiny, constant shadow around the house.
He loved to follow his humans around, weaving through their legs and happily standing right on their feet.
The Ultimate Snuggle Bug
Harold wasn’t just playful; he was incredibly affectionate and loved to be close.
He loved to burrow his head inside Andrea’s shirt or tuck himself right under her hair to sleep.
Taking naps and relaxing close to his humans became his absolute favorite pastimes.
He was finally getting to be just a sweet, carefree baby.
A Bittersweet Goodbye
Andrea’s goal was always to keep Harold safe and get him feeling 100 percent before finding his forever family.
As much as she loved curling up with him for movie nights, she knew the whole point of fostering was to eventually say goodbye.
Today, Harold’s foster journey is completely finished.
He has officially been adopted and is now living his very best life with a wonderful family.
