Misfits of Alberta Animal Rescue, Canada, had recently rescued an obese Golden Retriever named Kai. He weighed 173 lbs. and was chosen to be put down. The foster mom Pam believed that the dog's previous owner must have loved him but did not realize that they had overfed the dog and that he was under-exercised.
When Pam saw Kai for the first time, she thought she had to do something to help the poor dog. There was no way she would give up on him. Even though he was morbidly obese and was in pain, Kai had such a happy personality, so Pam decided to adopt him.
When Kai reached his new home in Edmonton, Canada, it took him 25 minutes to get up the three steps into the house. When Kai got inside, he lay still in one spot even if he wanted to be a part of everything; he just could not move around.
The vet advised Pam that Kai should weigh around 75 pounds. However, when they measured the dog's body weight, he found it was about 173 pounds. It was a massive target for Pam and Kai. However, she believed that she could help Kai.
Pam decided to get Kai hooked on healthy food like carrots, blueberries & bananas. However, he needed motivation while he exercised. Whenever Kai exercised, he panted every day. So, they started with water treadmills. Pam felt that the Golden Retriever loved going on a walk outside.
Soon, Kai could climb up the truck all by himself and go on walks. Abby, Pam's black Labrador, was a very active dog, and she motivated Kai a lot. So the proud mom was thrilled when her Golden Retriever lost weight. As Kai got more mobile, he met and greeted everyone in the park in person. He soon began to run.
Pam was amazed by the dog's dedication to reducing weight. She knew that it was exhausting and must have hurt Kai, but he achieved his target weight of 75 lbs. He could now do what he always wanted to do. Pam even signed him to become a therapy dog, and he passed the test with flying colors.
