Over six years ago, Kai the half-golden retriever and half-Siberian husky, was 10 years old. He was happy and playful. But there was one problem: He weighed 173 pounds and urgently needed a foster home.

That’s when Pam Heggie, a 57-year-old nurse and animal fosterer, was contacted by her close friend Brittany, one of the founders of the Misfits of Alberta Animal Rescue, who briefed her on Kai’s situation.

Kai weighed more than many humans, and his obesity had