End animal suffering in KCMO urban core

The Chain of Hope outreach teams set out each day with an agenda, a list of houses to visit, food deliveries, and to keep an eye on those animals that are living a fine line of survival. And sometimes there is no address, just a field, a junkyard, or the woods. Such was the case when Tanner and Kate went looking for the mamma of two puppies they had rescued weeks earlier. It was in an area in the city near a very busy street, where strays are often seen roaming and scavenging. They spotted her and she took off, as they do when humans have never given them kindness, or for that matter, anything at all. Soon into the pursuit of mamma, a black male dog was spotted, and soon thereafter another female. The male bolted, but the female stayed around, close enough they could see it looked like she may have just recently had pups, and likely not running because they were close by. They set the trap up and caught her! No doubt so easily lured to the food as she was starving trying to care for her litter.  She was terrified as any good mamma would be needing to protect her babies. Now the search was on for the pups. You have to think like a mamma and look for a good hiding place which could be about anywhere in the woods with the ground covered in leaves. Tanner spotted an old tree stump at the bottom of a steep hill and sure enough there they were. Not one, not 5, but 11 puppies, just days old, no bigger than the leaves they were covered in!  Kate was headed down with a bucket to collect them, but Tanner could hear mamma crying. He took off his hoodie and scooped up all those babies and ran them up to mom as quickly as he could. Soon they were all in the van headed back to Chain of Hope where they got settled in, on a warm dry bed with blankets, with food, water, and humans to show them kindness. 

Imagine without that tenacity what would have happened to this family. What if mamma had been hit by a car on that busy street? What was to happen to those pups if they survived? How many would have been destined to the same fate as their mamma, having litters of their own.  Your support ensures they will not.  Your generositu makes it possible to change their fate, to change the fate of one dog at a time….or sometimes 12. 

We are truly grateful for your compassion and support. We thank you !!

Disclaimer:  this report contains a graphic photograph that may be difficult to view.. 

Chain of Hope recieved a call just after the 4th of July.  In an unimaginable act of cruelty, someone had thrown M-80 firecrackers at a dog, whom we later named Helen.  We never determined who did this unspeakable act, but concerned neighbors did their best to keep track of her.  She took off and hid...of course.  She was a spotted week or so later and was caught, lured by food.  She was starving, having been out scavenging with severe injuries.  We could not imagine the pain she was in.   We sought medical attention immediately.  One of Helen's paws was severly damaged, and felt likely would have to be amputated.  It also apparent she had lost most if not all her hearing and vision, and an eye was badly damaged

We are contiually amazed at the resilience of these animals who go through hell and back, only to be able to give and recieve affection by another human after one had so horribly mistreated them. 

But resilient she was!  Helen transferred to a foster home where over weeks she started to heal.  She lost one eye, but regained vision in her other.  Her hearing returned, and the paw that we thought she would lose, healed remarkably well.