No one knows for certain what life had formerly been like for this unfortunate pup named Sang Su before he was picked up from the streets as a stray, but one thing was instantly evident – he’d gone unloved for a very, very long time.

That absence of care and attention was indicated by the thick covering of matted fur that enveloped him from head to tail.

Sang Su was in such horrible condition, his overgrown coat made him nearly amorphous; so much so, in fact, that it was hard to even distinguish what breed of dog lay trapped beneath.

Knowing that Sang Su would require more attention than they could offer, employees at the shelter where he first found up approached the Trio Animal Foundation for aid.

The charity organisation specializes in caring for creatures who’ve undergone extreme neglect, but even they couldn’t have expected the dog’s horrible state.

“His fur was so tightly wrapped around his legs and ears that it was like a vice,” Sue Naiden, head of the Trio Animal Foundation, said. “Due to the large amount of urine-soaked fur that covered Sang Su’s body, he was hard for people to stand by since the stink from his fur burnt your nose and throat.”

But nevertheless the dog’s rescuers refused to give up on him.

Sang Su was taken in to undergo an emergency surgery by medical personnel who worked to remove him from the coat that imprisoned him.

“It would take four members of Sang Su’s medical team, working simultaneously, two hours to cut into his matted fur,” Naiden stated. “In told, Sang Su had nearly 3 pounds of fur taken away from his body.”

And at the end, Sang Su looked like a completely new dog.

Naiden had thought that Sang Su was a Shih Tzu, poodle or Lhasa Apso mix – but now his actual nature was exposed.

She said. “I have been in rescue for 20 years and this was the first time that I was mistaken about the breed of the dog behind such matted fur.”

Sang Su’s beauty could now show through — and so too could his spirit.

“Once Sang Su came out of anesthesia, he could finally see what was in front of him and move with full range of motion and without discomfort,” Naiden added. “For the first time in a very long time, Sang Su could extend his legs and run!”

But there’s something else Sang Su had been craving much more – the feeling of a loving touch across his skin.

Despite still looking somewhat distrustful of people after the horror he’d suffered, deep down within he definitely longs for interaction.

“All he wants to do is be held or lean up against you. His legs will be trembling but he still wants you to pet him,” Naiden added. “This yearning of affection is what will aid in his recuperation and capacity to trust people again.”

Though so much has already changed in Sang Su’s life, he’s not quite there in full condition. He has infections on both his ears that will require continuing care, and is having specific therapy sessions with other canines to develop his social abilities.

So far, things are looking up.

Sang Su has undoubtedly gone a long way, but maybe the best is yet to come.

When the time is perfect, Sang Su will be made available for adoption through the Trio Animal Foundation — and his rescuers could use all the aid they can get in covering the medical fees it’ll take to get him there. But watching how a small dog’s life can be so altered by affection makes situations like Sang Su’s more than worth the work and expense.

“His story and change are simply astounding!” Naiden stated.