Meet Kale Chips, One Husky Beagle
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jan 12, 2015 6:40PM
The new year is when many of us make a resolution to lose weight but here’s a dog that is in serious need of a positive life change.
Meet Kale Chips, whose elderly owner was no longer able to care for him and the dog was taken in by Chicago Animal Care and Control which promptly put out a call to Chicago-area animal shelters for an urgent transfer.
One Tail at a Time answered the call, but Kale Chips was so heavy he had to be wheeled out of the city dog pound. One Tail at a Time took Kale Chips to a veterinarian where they discovered the dog weighed a scale-busting (for canines) 85 pounds; a healthy beagle should weigh between 22-25 pounds and beagles are a breed that will not stop eating once they’re full.
Just as with humans, carrying too much weight can lead to serious health problems with dogs, including joint issues once they reach old age. Kale Chips currently has problems getting up to walk (another factor in his obesity) and One Tail at a Time has placed him on a strict diet with a goal of losing a pound per week. Thankfully, Kale Chips has plenty of support at One Tail at a Time, one of Chicago's better animal shelters.
Kale Chips' story should be inspiration for anyone else looking to get into shape as Chicago enters another winter and One Tail at a Time has established a challenge where people who want to keep their "get healthy" resolution can pledge a number of miles they'll be active through the end of February. How you log the miles doesn't matter: biking, running, walking, etc. As long as you do it.
One Tail at a Time is asking people who take the challenge to pledge a specific amount for every mile they log and a higher amount for every mile they fail to meet in their pledge. What are you waiting for? Sign up.
[H/T Huffington Post Chicago]