Groomer changes the lives of neglected dogs with free haircuts

A professional groomer in the US is transforming neglected hounds into posh pooches, one swipe of the clipper at a time.

Mark Imhof, 45, makes weekly trips to Animal Care Centres across New York, to give free haircuts to shelter dogs.

“These shelter dogs are afraid and just want to be accepted,” Mr Imhof told The Huffington Post.

“I’m trying to give some of their self-respect back.”

Mr Imhof said he often witnessed a complete personality change in the dogs once they had been freed of their matted, dirty fur.

“They are so much freer and happier. Their sense of smell is stronger, so they like when the matted, dirty fur is off of them.”

A former CPA consultant, Mr Imhof got into the business after an enlightening experience with a pit bull he ended up adopting.

“My girlfriend almost didn’t pick her because she looked so broken in real life.

“When I bathed her after we adopted her, the dirt just came off her in clumps. We thought to ourselves, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could go to the shelters and help the dogs look better?’” he said.

Mr Imhof now runs his own certified dog grooming company, The Dog Guy, and has groomed almost 100 dogs - half of which have been in shelter homes.