Pets
Hero Dog With Amputated Legs Forgives, Loves, Wins Your Heart
Twice rescued — once from a Dumpster in South Korea and then by a family in Arizona — 4-year-old golden retriever is 2018 "hero" dog.
PHOENIX, AZ — You might marvel that Chi Chi ever decided to trust humans again. The 4-year-old golden retriever just named the top winner in the 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Awards, was left for dead in South Korea, where she was found in a garbage bag, her legs bound together so she couldn’t escape.
The finalists all had compelling stories — including a dog in Las Vegas that was rescued from the dog meat trade — but Chi Chi’s ability to forgive gave her the title over 265 other dogs.
Chi Chi nearly died. The ties on her legs had cut to the bone, and the only way to save Chi Chi was to amputate her legs. Rescued twice, first from the Dumpster and then by a family in Phoenix, she was skittish and afraid.
“But with time and lots of love and grace, she realized that she is safe and no one will ever hurt her again,” Chi Chi’s profile reads. “She forgave and decided to trust people again.”
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Animal Rescue, Media and Education’s Facebook video that told her story caught the attention of Elizabeth Howell, who lives in Phoenix. The dog’s legs had been amputated just above her paws, but she wagged her tail and leapt straight into Howell’s heart.
“She stole my heart,” Howell told NBC’s “Today” show last year after she and her husband adopted Chi Chi, who had been fitted with a pair of custom prosthetics.
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Her husband, Richard Howell, said Chi Chi’s story is “about resilience and overcoming life’s worst, and just never giving up.”
"That’s what she embodies for us and for everybody who meets her,” Howell told “Today.”
Today, she is a happy dog, with a valuable job. Chi Chi works as a therapy dog, impressing those who meet her with her courage, perseverance and never-give-up attitude.
Chi Chi also provides therapy online via social media.
View this post on InstagramNever Give Up - This is the motto for me and my family (this is a picture of me with my sister, Megan, last fall). While Mommy is still crying some, she quickly transitioned into fighting mode and is committed to doing everything possible to help me fight cancer while also maintaining my quality of life. Some good news - I had an abdominal ultrasound this morning and the cancer has not spread to the organs in my abdomen. I am scheduled for Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) to help slow the growth of the tumor. I am thankful to live in a city where this treatment is available. SRS is very expensive ($10-13k) and we don’t know if it will work, but my family is going to do everything possible to help me. Mommy and Daddy are also getting input on other integrative treatment options to boost my immune system and potentially help slow the growth of the tumor. If you are able to donate to help with the costs of my treatment, you may send money to my Daddy’s PayPal (http://paypal.me/rhowell30) or donate using my GoFund Me Account (https://www.gofundme.com/chi-chi-fights-cancer-fund). The link is in my profile. Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, comments, and messages. Please continue your prayers and positive thoughts - I’m not feeling well and haven’t been myself for the last few days. Please also continue to vote for me everyday for the Hero Dog Awards. While this contest is unimportant in the bigger picture, I am a fighter and plan on being here to walk the Red Carpet with my family if I get enough votes. To vote, go to the following website: http://herodogawards.org/dog/chi-chi/ #cancersucks #fightcancer
A post shared by Chi Chi Rescue Dog (@chichirescuedog) on Mar 8, 2018 at 10:03am PST
Photo Credit: Invision for American Humane/AP Images
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