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German Shepherd Makes Incredible 5-Month Transformation and Finds a Forever Home

Seven-year-old Baby Yoda’s breed was unrecognizable when she was first rescued from "horrific conditions" by the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) in early February.

Nearly five months later, however, the German Shepherd has found a happy ending: she has been adopted.

"When she arrived for treatment in AHS' Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital she was almost completely hairless, covered in scabs, and could not comfortably settle down without scratching her irritated skin until it bled," a release from the humane society said of Baby Yoda.

It added that she also needed extensive dental work and was living in "extreme pain" but still "maintained the sweetest personality." Veterans in the animal welfare world at the AHS broke down in tears at Baby Yoda’s heartbreaking experience.

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In a video filmed halfway through the dog’s recovery, AHS’ Vice president of medical operations, Dr. Melissa Thompson, said, "If you were to look at Baby Yoda, you wouldn’t be able to tell that it was a German Shepherd. There’s maybe a few hairs that stick out of her head."

"All this hair loss is because she’s been scratching and itching and there’s been so much damage to her hair follicles, the hair comes out," she continued. "So this isn’t something that happens overnight, this happens over a long period of time. This poor dog has just been miserable."

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Baby Yoda has received treatment for her skin mites, including medicated baths, low-level laser therapy, and oral medications. Though she will require medical help throughout her life due mainly to allergies, her months of rehabilitation left her ready for a new home and a family to call her own.

“You couldn’t even tell what she was when we picked her up. It was just one big pile of wrinkles. You couldn’t even tell she was a dog, let alone what breed she was," Tracey Miiller, AHS’ field operations manager, said in the release. "Now she is so soft!"