Obese golden retriever Frannie wins hearts online during weight-loss journey (2024)

When Annika Bram’s rescue dog, Georgia, died last May, Bram promised herself she wouldn’t take in another pooch for a while.

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Bram, 24, who is in her second year at the UC-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, planned to wait until she finished school.

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While she missed having a dog, “I was just trying to be responsible,” she said.

But then Bram’s roommate sent her a video of an 8-year-old golden retriever named Frannie. The dog’s floppy ears and expressive eyes got her attention. The video was posted by a dog rescue group, Rover’s Retreat, in December.

Frannie was severely overweight, and had lived outside for her entire life. Her owners were planning to euthanize her, and she desperately needed a home.

Frannie reminded Bram of Georgia – who was also overweight when Bram adopted her from a different rescue organization. The dog was 160 pounds when Bram got her, and she helped the pup lose 85 pounds during their five years together.

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Suddenly, Bram decided she needed Frannie in her life.

“I was in shock; she looked identical to Georgia,” Bram said. “I think Georgia sent her to me. Georgia is telling me I need to help this dog.”

Bram immediately contacted Rover’s Retreat, offering to foster Frannie – who, at the time, weighed 125 pounds – about 65 pounds heavier than the average female golden retriever. Bram learned about Frannie’s backstory – and grew even more eager to give her a better life.

“She had just been living outside for the entirety of her eight years,” said Sydney Maleman, the president of the rescue group. Someone sent the rescue organization a post on the neighbourhood networking site Nextdoor detailing Frannie’s plight.

Although Frannie belonged to a family, she stayed in the backyard, Maleman said, and was fed tons of table scraps. That, in addition to untreated hypothyroidism, is probably what led to her obesity. Hypothyroidism is a common condition for canines, and it can cause unexplained weight gain, skin issues and reduced energy levels, among other symptoms.

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“She never had proper vet care,” Maleman said. “She was drinking out of a paint bucket.”

When Maleman went to rescue her, “it took four people to get her into the back of my minivan,” she said. “She’s really been put through the wringer, and I think we got her just in time.”

Still, challenges lay ahead. After being rescued, Frannie was taken to the vet, where she was treated for pneumonia and was “very medically unstable,” said Maleman. “It had progressed so far that she couldn’t even hold her head up on her own.”

She slowly recovered, and when it came time to find a foster home for her, Maleman said, Bram was the obvious choice.

“Annika just kept following up,” said Maleman. “After talking to her, we just knew that she was going to set Frannie up for success; she was willing to do everything and anything for a dog she never met.”

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As soon as Frannie was cleared by a vet in mid-December, Bram drove about three hours from San Diego – where she was staying with her mother for winter break – to Los Angeles to pick her up.

“When I brought her home, she was just completely defeated,” said Bram, who lives in a house with a few other students.

But Bram was committed.

“I knew I was the best person to help this dog, and if anyone was going to do it, I was going to do it,” said Bram. “I wasn’t going to give up that easy.”

Initially, Frannie couldn’t even stand on her own legs, so Bram helped her by placing her atop a container and teaching her how to put weight on her paws.

In less than three months, Frannie has already shed 31 pounds. In addition to taking thyroid medication, Frannie has been on a strict weight-loss diet, and as she has become nimbler, she has also started exercising more. Bram’s goal, she said, is to get Frannie down to around 70 pounds.

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“She’s a completely different dog,” said Bram, adding that Frannie now has a bubbly nature and also a sassy side. “Every day, her personality comes out more. All that personality has been hidden away for so long.”

It took three weeks for Frannie to even stand up on her own. Now, she can run. She’s become a big fan of chasing tennis balls.

“The best thing is just to be able to see her be a normal dog and enjoy her life,” said Bram. “She has a lot more autonomy. She can make her own decisions and be independent.”

Rover’s Retreat – which adopts out between 200 and 300 dogs per year – has been covering the cost of Frannie’s veterinary care and other needs, Bram said, explaining that as a student, she can’t afford to look after a medically fragile dog without financial support.

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“They’ve been absolutely critical in making sure that Frannie has been thriving,” said Bram.

Bram now plans to adopt Frannie.

“She has a forever home with me,” Bram said. “She’s not going anywhere.”

Bram has been chronicling Frannie’s progress on social media. She initially started sharing Frannie’s weight-loss journey to keep friends and family in the loop, but hundreds of thousands of strangers are now invested, too.

“It just completely took off and I was shocked,” said Bram.

Rover’s Retreat isn’t surprised by Frannie’s fame.

“Frannie has become such an inspiration to us and to everyone; not only because of her sheer determination to fight and get this life that she deserves, but because she’s such a representation of medically needy dogs who would otherwise be euthanized in our shelters,” Maleman said. “She is the picture of all these dogs that deserve a chance.”

Bram looks forward to seeing Frannie healthy – and saving other fragile animals when she becomes a vet in two years.

“It’s so rewarding to have a dog that you’ve worked with and given a lot to,” she said. “They give it all back.”

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