A sweet, adorable pet who gained weight by eating hundreds upon hundreds of sausages and ignoring her diet has now lost one-third of her bodyweight after following a hard workout.
After eating tons of Cumberland sausages while chatting with her owners, Pearl, a three-year-old bulldog, grew to almost 5 stone.
After being adopted by Jessica McDonnell and Sam McDonnell, she went on a diet that saw her lose a third of the weight.
The couple from Prenton in the Wirral, were worried for Pearl’s future health – and helped her to shed the pounds by upping her daily walks and cutting out her habit for sausages of the sofa.
At just three and a half stone now, she’s considered healthy for her age.
Pearl, a bulldog from Merseyside’s Wirral, grew to almost five stone in her three-and-a half years. She ate Cumberland sausages while sitting on the couch with her owners. Left, her largest weight, and right after she lost nearly a third.
Pearl with Jessica McDonnell on a walk. The three-year old dog was soft-pawed when she first came home.
The pup was suffering from arthritis as a result of all the sausages she ate every day.
Jessica, a 29-year-old financial services PR specialist, expressed her pride in Pearl.
“She was a great fan of her new diet and hasn’t stopped eating it, even though it’s not as delicious as the sausages.
“When she arrived home, her pads felt soft so it was obvious that she wasn’t taking many walks.
“It is so disappointing that she no longer needs a long walk. But once she gets out of the house, she enjoys it.
“We live close to the coast, and she loves it. She’s such a happy, joyful dog, and has shown great results.
Pearl weighed nearly five stone. She is shown at her heaviest when she was unable to move after eating lots and lots of sausages.
After being adopted by Wirral Animal Welfare Association and a rigorous fitness program, Pearl looked slim.
After Pearl was taken in by Wirral Animal Welfare Society, her new owners Jessica and Sam McDonnell from Prenton (Wirral) took her in.
Pearl was on a restricted calorie diet. She also took daily walks in order to keep her active.
Pearl, who had lived a miserable life on the sofa, is now back to normal thanks to Sanderson Vets of Pensby in Merseyside.
Anna Webb studied natural canine nutrition at the College of Integrated Veterinary Studies.
“Dogs are nourished by animal fat and protein. Pearl, for example, will eat more calories than she burns.
Photographed in her most severe state, Pearl is unable to lift her arms and has a slumped body.
After losing almost a third of her bodyweight, Pearl looks slimmer on the couch. She now weighs in at just over 3 stone (20kg) and is considered healthy for her breed.
After a lifetime of living on the couch, Pearl has returned to her normal life with the assistance of Sanderson Vets, Pensby.
Well done Pearl!
Jessica and Sam (37-year-old marketing manager) wanted to tell people about Pearl’s weight loss to discourage them from overfeeding their pet.
Jessica said, “There are many things people do to pets for love and that can be really cruel.
“Especially for breeds such as bulldogs, which can have breathing difficulties, it is crucial that they are kept at a healthy weight.
“We often see posts on Facebook that make fat animals look better. We are moved by Pearl’s experience and want to criticize those posting. To make people reconsider, we wanted to share her story.
“Pearl, a very loving and loyal dog, is our daily companion, especially when I work from home during lockdown. She has saved my life.
“Pearl was our first responsibility as a married couple. It is like having a baby. This responsibility is one we take seriously.
Jessica (37-year old marketing manager) and Sam wanted to make Pearl’s story public in an effort to prevent people giving too much to their pets.
Jessica added: ‘There are lots of things that people do to their pets out of love that are actually really cruel, particularly with breeds like bulldogs which have breathing problems, it’s so important that their weight is kept in check’