14 DAY TRIAL // The PDSA started a charity program based on diets and fitness regimes for overweight animals that need to slim down. One of the program’s most successful candidates is Ruby, a Jack Russell that won this year's award for Pet Slimmer of the year.
Ruby used to look like a four-legged barrel weighing as much as 20 pounds (9.1 kg) after her owners spoiled her with treats. Having a hard time on the streets before being adopted, the poor pooch was overwhelmed with treats from her new loving family. In time, she started gaining so much weight that she could barely move, and the only things that motivated her to be active were the treats.
“When Ruby first came to us, we all felt really sorry for her as she'd had such a tough start to life. So to compensate, we used to give her a little treat here and there,” Ruby's owner, Angela Martin, admits to Daily Mail.
The woman then adds, “the trouble was the whole family was giving her a little treat and over time she started to get really big.”
The spoiled dog ate more and more and when she did not receive treats, she stole them, sometimes getting sick after eating all kinds of rubbish. Now, after an intense fitness program and a strict diet, Ruby has lost almost a third of her body-weight, winning even an award for her commitment.
When she entered the program, the Jack Russell was morbidly obese and now she is almost at her ideal size, losing almost 7 inches (17 centimeters) from her waist, according to Daily Mail. Mr. Martin says “winning the competition is wonderful but the real prize is seeing Ruby enjoying a new lease of life tearing around the garden and playing with her toys.”
Loving pets doesn't mean to overindulge them with treats and many people don't acknowledge that. From the other pets that stood out in the competition, there was Mizzy the Bullmastiff and Prince the cat, who was addicted to sweets, weighing16 pounds (7.25 kg) at the beginning of the competition.