?cockapoo,matted badly

Question
not sure if could afford pro.groomer so sorry for this dog,found under neighbor shed in a 3 day rain,5-6 months ago. watched paper for lost pet,,dog must have been dropped off somewhere .dont know how to detangle hair at edge of matt,i want to help this dog,she {dog} seems as had grooming before,looks to me  maybe 3-4 years possibly had pups too.her hair is like cotten batting,help

Answer
Hi Michelle,
It was very kind of you to rescue a dog in need! You may have to shave her down short and let her fur grow back. It is expensive to have a dog professionally groomed and I understand the hardship, especially since you rescued this dog and may not have been in a position to do so. It is more costly initially to buy grooming tools to clip her yourself. Additionally, if she is matted to the skin, it will be difficult for an amateur to undertake such a task without harming her. Even trained groomers have difficulty shaving a dog so matted that we have to get the blade between tight mats and skin. It's not that it's impossible, but to attempt it without knowledge can result in irritation to the skin. I suggest you check with local shelters to see if they have volunteer groomers that can help you. Oftentimes, the lesser-known shelters (not SPCA) have volunteers that devote their time to helping animals in need.

If you can not find help, please send me a personal note via this site, and I will do what I can to help. Thank-you again for helping this dog!
Becca