When Emily picked up her new foster from Hope Animal Rescue in Raleigh, North Carolina, she thought she was getting a 9 to 10-week-old puppy with severe mange. On first appearances, tiny Gloria—Emily’s new foster dog—didn’t raise any questions, but Emily was about to learn something surprising about this itty bitty pup.

As an experienced foster, Emily brought Gloria home for some immediate TLC, starting with a medicated bath to address her mange. Emily didn’t know that she would soon discover her foster dog was more than met the eye.

@wally_the_pit Time for some TLC little gal 🛁 She is located in Raleigh/Durham, NC with Hope Animal Rescue 📍 #fosterpuppy #rescuedogs #fosteringsaveslives #adoptorshopresponsibly #rescuedog #bullybreeds #mange ♬ suara asli ||| BARU BELAJAR NGONTEN – Wafee

What is Mange? Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Options

Mange is a skin disease that develops following an infestation of parasitic mites. As the mites feed on the host animal, they also irritate their skin causing wounds, hair loss, and inflammation. Mange can be itchy, painful, and potentially deadly. The parasitic mites damage the skin, can cause the animal to become dehydrated and malnourished, and can even reduce their immune system response.

The most common treatment options for mange are topical medications, though animals with widespread mange or infections may require oral medication and more intense medical intervention. Giving dogs with mange a medicated bath—like Emily did for little Gloria—can help to remove the mites and soothe the skin.

Vet Visit for Adoptable Dog Gloria Reveals a Secret

Once Emily got little Gloria cleaned up, it was time for a visit to the vet! Gloria had a lot of hair loss, severe demodectic mange, and a cough, so a visit to the veterinarian was a must. Gloria’s health would need to improve significantly before she could find a forever home. Shockingly, the veterinarians discovered Gloria wasn’t exactly who they thought she was!

@wally_the_pit After my new foster’s physical exam today at @urbantailsdurham it was confirmed that I indeed did NOT pick up a foster ✨puppy✨ yesterday, but actually a full grown ✨mini adult✨. Yep, that’s right, our crusty girl is an adult in puppy form for the rest of eternity. she has all of her adult teeth in including one extra one in the top row and fully developed “lady parts” (don’t tell her I’m sharing that on social media) 🫣 I’m kind of laughing out loud now that I think about the fact that she would’ve been a really massive 9 to 10 week old puppy that the shelter listed as a “mastiff“ … yeah we’ve got ourselves a mini exotic bully of some sort on our hands. Needless to say, I love her more now ??? 💕🥰💕 #fosterpuppy #rescuedogs #fosteringsaveslives #adoptorshopresponsibly #rescuedog #bullybreeds #mange #dogmom ♬ 80’s style background music(1405364) – Green Woodpecker

Originally thought to be a 9 to 10-week-old puppy, vets confirmed that Gloria is actually an adult dog! Although she looks like a squishy little puppy, Gloria’s teeth and reproductive organs are fully developed, so she is full-grown, but she will probably look like a puppy forever!

Foster Dog Gloria Needs a Forever Family!

As much as Emily loves Gloria, she’s a seasoned foster and isn’t planning to “foster fail.” Once Gloria’s glow-up is complete, this adorable “forever puppy” will be ready for adoption and her forever home. If you live in or near Raleigh, North Carolina, you might be the perfect person to adopt little Miss Gloria—let’s learn a little more about her and how special she is!

Gloria looks like she might be some kind of exotic Bully—possibly a micro Bully or a pocket Pittie. Based on the color of the little amount of fur on her rear legs, Gloria will probably be blue and tan when her hair grows back. Just an itty-bitty thing, Gloria has a sweet, social, and affectionate dog who loves to snuggle and spend time with her foster humans.

You can follow Gloria’s journey on Emily’s TikTok account @Wally_The_Pit—when she is ready for adoption, you can apply to adopt through Hope Animal Rescue in Raleigh, North Carolina.