iHeartDogs reached out to Rachel Belyavsky after seeing a post featuring her dog, Mowgli, on Reddit. She shared her story, and her amazing photos of Mowgli with us – and we’re thrilled to share them with you.
“We rescued Mowgli in June of 2017 through Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue. Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue pulls the majority of the dogs they save from high volume, high kill shelters in rural Texas – some with intake of 100+ animals a day. Mowgli was picked up as a stray and admitted to one of these shelters, so we don’t know anything else about his past. We think he’s a white German Shepherd who is around 5 years old but we have not breed tested him and can’t be sure of his age.
“When we were first sent his picture, he was very underweight, missing a lot of fur all over his body, and we were told he was heartworm positive – but he had the biggest smile on his face and we knew he was the dog for us.
“He was transported up to Virginia to us with a van full of other rescue dogs driven by volunteers and we picked him up in a hotel parking lot with a group of other fosters and adopters waiting to receive these dogs.
“Although Mowgli started out a little shy, the healthier he got the more he opened up to become the goofy, happy-go-lucky, talkative, snuggly boy he is today. He is heartworm free, a solid 88 lbs, and has since grown back all of his fur (and then some).
“In December of 2018, after a normal brushing session for Mowgli, I formed the pile of fur into a thought bubble and took a picture that I posted on Instagram and shared with family and friends. I honestly can’t say what inspired me to do it. The volume of fur that comes off of Mowgli in just an hour is comically large and I think I was looking for ways to emphasize that.
“After that, it became a fun challenge every time I brushed him to come up with something new to do with the resulting pile of fur and I’ve been creating this weird fur art ever since!
“Mowgli is truly a joy to us. I’m thrilled other people also appreciate him and the spectacle that is the byproduct of his shedding. The message I hope people will spread after seeing these pictures of Mowgli is that taking a chance on a rescue dog can be the greatest thing. I think some people have preconceived notions that you can’t rescue if you want a specific breed, or that all rescue dogs have behavioral issues, or won’t be as handsome, or that you won’t love a dog as much if you didn’t have them as a puppy – but as you can see, even the most ragged and downtrodden looking dog can come a long way.
“If you enjoyed these pictures of Mowgli, I would love it if you would donate anything you’re able to Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue so that they can continue to save dogs just like him and help them find loving homes. Or donate to a local shelter or rescue of your choosing! Anything and everything helps.”
Story and photos: Rachel Belyavsky
Toledo, United States.
