When Abby was picked up off the street by animal control in September, she was skinny, sick and eating garbage to survive. One look at the nearly bald senior dog — thought to be between 10 and 12 years old — and animal control knew she needed more help than they had the resources to give her. They contacted the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana, whose rescuers could see there was a beautiful dog ready to shine through if given love and care.

Abby’s rescuers were shocked by the condition she was in. It was hard to believe she’d been able to survive that way on her own. The senior dog was suffering from ear and skin infections, a broken hind leg and several other ailments that needed attention. Most of the things she’d been dealing with had clearly gone untreated for a very long time, so Abby’s new friends wasted no time in finally starting her on her healing journey.

“We had to give her daily shampoos and meds to clear her skin infections and treat her ear infections,” Sarrah Walton, who works at the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana, told The Dodo. “She received large amounts of love and care during this time.”

Abby underwent treatment after treatment and even had to have surgery, but it all paid off. She feels so much better now than she did when she first arrived — and she’s also completely unrecognizable.

Abby has one more treatment to finish up, but after that, she’ll be all ready to find her forever family. She’s come such a long way, and all her new friends can’t wait for her to get her happy ending.

If you’d like to help other dogs like Abby, you can donate to the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana.