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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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A woman who left her mother-in-law in charge of the dogs while she was out of town was left in shock when she returned home to see what happened to her beloved pup.
At the end of June, dog owner Sarah, 28, and her husband went to Hume Lake Christian Camps in California for around a week as camp counselors. There was no cell service, and they didn't have contact with anyone outside of the camp for the entirety of their trip.
While they were away, Sarah's mother-in-law was at their home in Utah looking after the dogs: Shadow, a Belgian Malinois; and Bear, an Australian shepherd. Being unreachable didn't seem like a problem to Sarah at the time, as she told Newsweek that they weren't worried about her mother-in-law, the dogs, or their home.
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"We didn't discuss any hard rules about watching the home, but we did leave her with guidance to the dogs' feeding routine, like how much they need, when to feed them, how often to take them out," Sarah said.
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Her mother-in-law had initially asked if there was anything she could take care of while they were away, and Sarah just said they "didn't have anything particular in mind."
However, when the couple returned home on June 28, they were horrified when they pulled onto the driveway and saw Bear.
The 3-year-old Australian shepherd's fur had been shaved all over his body, leaving him without his luscious brown fur coat.
Sarah continued: "I was just stunned. I actually don't think I even spoke to her more than a simple greeting when we arrived home. The more I sat with the fact she had shaved my beloved Bear, the more I felt disrespected and confused.
"As a double-coated Australian shepherd, it's harmful to shave his body as his fur provides him protection from both cold and heat. I would have never made the decision or given approval to shave Bear's coat, so having that choice taken away really hurt. I feel guilty that I didn't give clear instructions about his care, but never in a million years did I think she would shave his coat off," Sarah continued.
Double-coated dogs have an inner coat of hair close to the skin, serving as an insulating layer, and an outer coat consisting of longer hair. They will often shed their under-layer in summer to help regulate their body temperature, while the outer coat helps protect from sunburn and insect bites.
The American Kennel Club suggests that shaving a double-coated dog can do long-term damage because the undercoat will grow back faster, which can impact the growth of the outer-layer of fur (which grows at a slower rate). This can also change the texture and color of the coat, making it appear patchy.
When asked why she had made that decision, Sarah's mother-in-law said that she had been shaving the fur around Bear's rear end for sanitary reasons, and when she realized it was uneven, she decided to "just even it out" by shaving his body too.
Sarah has a hard time believing that, adding that she "can't quite wrap [her] head around" the logic. Her mother-in-law has seen Sarah shave the fur around Bear's rear, which is only ever that on the back of his legs.
Shadow wasn't shaved, and nor was her mother-in-law's shepherd mix, which Sarah can only assume is because they are short-haired dogs.
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While they haven't spoken much about what happened, Sarah has since forgiven her mother-in-law.
"Forgiveness is never difficult, but I was also never angry about it. I can't change her actions, and I have a hard time understanding her reasoning, but, at the end of the day, I still have Bear," Sarah said.
The dog owner shared a video on TikTok showing her shock after seeing what happened to Bear while she was away. The clip shows Bear's newly trimmed coat, and it has gone viral with over 2.6 million views and almost 200,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
During the clip, Sarah says that she should have included a house rule not to shave her Australian shepherd—something she never thought needed to be said out loud.
There has been an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the video, as social-media users were outraged by the mother-in-law's actions. But Sarah said their anger is "a bit of a stretch" and doesn't believe there was any malicious intent.
She added: "I truly believe she didn't know it's bad to shave a double-coated dog. I am one to give the benefit of the doubt and forgive, but I am not one to forget."
With over 3,600 comments on the viral video, TikTok users have been quick to share their thoughts on the unexpected events.
One comment reads: "Rage is totally valid. But good news is one shave is not gonna ruin his coat forever. It'll grow back."
Another TikTok user wrote: "Commending you for not crashing out."
A third commenter added: "literally WHY would someone do that."
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