End animal suffering in KCMO urban core

It has been a brutally cold winter here in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Temperatures have been below zero, with wind chills even colder. People and animals are trying to survive through the cold and the snow.

Chain of Hope is out six days a week, helping animals in the urban core of Kansas City. We provide service to many animals in the homeless community. Everything from spay/neuter, medical care, shelter, food, blankets, treats, toys, etc. We also give out sleeping bags, blankets, water jugs and other items to the homeless people that we come across. 

Some of the homeless will surrender their animal to us, wanting a better life for their friend. That is selfless love. It’s at times like these that we are so happy to bring that animal in from the cold and know that it is going to be alright! Some of the people are out there because of choices they've made along the way, but the animals are innocent and get caught up in unstable and sometimes frightening and life-threatening situations. That is where Chain of Hope comes in! We try and work with the pet owner for a better resolution to things. Sometimes, we are successful and sometimes we are not, but we always try to improve the life for that animal.

We understand life on the streets and the challenges that come with that. We also understand the need for companionship and unconditional love. It's a complex issue. Chain of Hope has been out here for 14 yrs, making a difference and saving animals' lives on the streets of Kansas City, Mo. Thank you for helping us accomplish our mission of alleviating the suffering of animals in the inner city. It's a difficult life for so many, but we are out there helping, thanks to you!

The calls we respond to are very difficult, often involving sick or injured animals. Many of them would not have made it if Chain of Hope had not responded so quickly. When an animal gets the help they so desperately need, they often look almost like a different animal! Many of them have long recovery periods from their abuse and neglect. It can be physical or mental issues that they must overcome. Often it’s both.

It’s great to be able to show you a few of the animals that we have rescued with their before and after pictures. We are featuring three of our rescued dogs this time that came to us in terrible shape.

The first one is Brownie. Brownie is a senior dog who lived his entire life on a chain. He lived in trash, with bugs and rodents all around. He received little to no attention from the owner. It was a very sad existence and we tried to get him for the longest time. Finally, the owner agreed to surrender Brownie to us when Brownie's health began failing. We were so happy to gain Brownie’s freedom!

Brownie got his first bath ever! We treated his parasites, fed him well and he settled in. He has a lot of health problems and is a hospice case. He had never been to the vet in his life and he is about 12 years old. Now Brownie is finally living the life he always deserved-clean with a full belly, surrounded by love for the rest of his days.

Our next dog is Eloise. We discovered her chained to a tree with 10 puppies! Her ears were bleeding terribly from the flies, she was very skinny and the temperature was near 100 degrees. She was in a lot of distress. The owner gave the puppies away and several weeks later, we were able to secure the release of the momma dog, who we named Eloise.

Eloise is a delight! She had heartworms and needed to go through the difficult treatment. She also has a torn ligament in her leg and needs surgery for that. She was outside in the brutal heat with an injured leg, heartworms, bleeding ears and ten puppies! She has been through a lot! We got her into the vet right away and then we got her settled in at Chain of Hope, where she has blossomed!

Eloise has finished her heartworm treatment and is doing great! She has gained a lot of weight and is getting lots of love as she awaits her upcoming leg surgery. We are so happy she’s finally with us and we are taking great care of her!

Our last dog’s story that we are sharing is Elliott! Elliott was shut in a wire kennel for the majority of the day, sick with a severe yeast infection. He didn’t even have a blanket to lay on. He had not received veterinary care and the infection had spread all over, causing hair loss and severe itching. Elliott was miserable. The owners realized that he could not live like this and surrendered him to us. We got him right into the vet, where he was diagnosed with a yeast infection. He settled in at Chain of Hope for his medication, medicated baths and lots of love! He began healing and his wonderful personality came out now that he was finally feeling better. He could finally start enjoying life!

Elliott was recently adopted into the best home! They love him dearly and he loves them right back! It was the perfect match! Have a great life, Elliott!

We come across animals such as Brownie, Eloise and Elliott all the time and they need our help. Literally, by your support we can give these animals their lives back! Thank you for supporting Chain of Hope!