When a dog walks into a room, the whole room lights up. The same happens when Chi Chi enters a room – only, she does it on her four prosthetics.
Chi Chi’s story starts in South Korea: she was born into the dog meat trade, raised from a puppy to someday be sold for food. Before turning 3 years old, she was abused so badly that her legs became infected and she was considered unfit to sell. She was found in a dumpster, beaten, bruised and with a severe infection, by a rescue group who immediately took her to the vet to be cared for. Unfortunately, her legs were so far gone that they couldn’t be saved. To spare Chi Chi’s life, they had to amputate all four.
After her ordeal a family in Arizona saw a video of her online wagging her tail and smiling the day after her surgery, even after everything she had endured, and decided to give her a home. The Howell family had her flown from South Korea to the U.S., where her forever home was waiting for her. She was fitted with four prosthetics, and gets around great!
Chi Chi, who started life as livestock, is now a therapy dog in the Phoenix area. She brightens the day of veterans and school children, and gives hope to people who see her living her life as happily as any other dog.
Chi Chi may have lost her legs, but her sweet demeanor and smile survived. It took time for her to learn to trust again, but when she did, she became more than just a happy dog, she’s become a sign of hope for so many people! Her fans have pulled together to help her GoFundMe page for better prosthetics surpass it’s goal!
Her steadfast, upbeat spirit has been an inspiration to her Facebook followers and others who have suffered hardship and are determined to come out of just as happy, if not happier than they were before – just like Chi Chi!
H/T: People.com
Featured Photo: @chichirescuedog/Facebook
