Some rescues run to you. Frannie couldn’t get up. When Annika first met her, it took four people just to lift the golden retriever into the car.
The Dog With No Spark Left
Frannie was severely overweight, and it had taken everything from her. No energy. No personality. Just a sad, heavy dog who had given up.
Annika got blisters on her hands from carrying her outside to go to the bathroom.
“She’d been so sad and miserable this whole time,” Annika remembered. It was hard to imagine there was a happy dog somewhere underneath.
Four People And A Car
Getting Frannie home was its own ordeal. It genuinely took four sets of hands to move her.
Annika admits she didn’t fully know what she was signing up for.
But she’d seen a dog like this before — and that history was about to matter more than she expected.
The Tennis Ball That Changed It
One day, someone tossed a tennis ball across the room. Frannie’s ears shot up.
After weeks of a dog with no interest in anything, it stopped everyone cold. They rolled it toward her — and she went nuts for it.
“We need something to keep this dog going,” Annika thought. They’d just found it.
Learning To Stand Again
Recovery didn’t come fast. Annika still remembers the first moment Frannie stood up entirely on her own.
From there, it took months. They started small — out the front door, down the driveway, and back.
Every few feet of pavement was a victory that most dogs never have to earn.
The Golden Who Sent Her
Here’s the part that gives Frannie’s story its ache. A while before, Annika had another obese golden retriever named Georgia — and she’d lost her.
She was hesitant to go through it all again. Then something shifted. “Georgia sent this dog to me,” she felt. “I’ve got to fight for her.”
So she did.
Why This Matters For Every Dog
Frannie’s story is dramatic, but canine obesity is quietly common — and it steals years, mobility, and joy from dogs long before anyone calls it an emergency.
The fix is rarely a crash diet. It’s what Annika did: slow, steady movement, portion control, and a reason to want to move again. Always with a vet setting the plan, since a heavy dog’s joints and heart need care.
Fifty-Nine Pounds
Bit by bit, the weight came off. Frannie reached her goal — dipping just below 60 pounds — and has held it.
But the number was never the point. The point was the dog who came back with it.
How Is This The Same Dog?
Today, Frannie does infinite zoomies. She chases that tennis ball. She went to the dog beach for the first time this summer, and takes the long walks that were once impossible.
“How is this the same dog?” Annika asks. “Not even physically — but mentally and emotionally.” Frannie, she says, gave her back everything she gave her.
She came in too heavy to stand, with nothing left in her eyes.
One tennis ball reminded her she was still in there.
The rest, she did herself.
Watch Frannie’s glow-up (video by The Dodo — 2.1 million views):
Story and footage: The Dodo — follow Frannie and Annika on Instagram.
Is Your Dog Carrying Extra Weight?
Frannie is an extreme case, but a surprising number of dogs are quietly overweight — and Goldens are especially prone to it. If your dog could stand to slim down:
- Do the rib check. You should feel ribs easily under a thin layer, and see a waist from above. Can’t? It’s worth a conversation with your vet.
- Go slow, like Annika did. Crash diets and sudden hard exercise hurt heavy dogs. Small portion cuts and short, building walks win — see our health & care guides.
- Find their tennis ball. Motivation matters. A toy, a sniff-walk, a dog-beach trip — a reason to move is half the battle. More on canine drive in our behavior guides.
DevotedToDOG’s guides are reviewed by our panel of trainers and veterinary professionals. We’re dog people, not a veterinary clinic — always have your vet set a weight-loss plan for your dog.
