End animal suffering in KCMO urban core

Chain of Hope first spotted Molly when she was living in junkyard.  Soon it was obvious she was pregnant.  It was November and getting colder.  The outreach teams went often to check on her and make sure she had food and water, but they couldn't get close.  They knew  the pups would come any day, and when they did Molly was even harder to find as she was protecting those babies.  The teams went daily to make sure she had enough nourishment to care for them.  Perhaps Molly started to trust or perhaps she was just getting so tired of trying to survive and keep her pups alive that the team was able to catch her.  The pups were gathered up in a bucket and all were taken to Chain of Hope to start their new lives.  The puppies found homes fast, as puppies do, but Molly waited...and waited...and waited.  Although she had made a best canine friend at Chain of Hope and was adored by volunteers, she needed a home.  Then 19 months after she left that junkyard, Molly found her perfect family.  Molly's patience paid off and our supporters made it possible. 

We thank you for keeping us out there, day in and day out, searching for Mollys who need us. 

Neighbors called Chain of Hope when they heard crying.  Gracie had been left in an abandonded house and it took days to discover the cries were hers. She was trapped in the crawl space.  When COH arrived, Gracie was literally trying to chew her way out.  It was bitter cold.  She settled in, ate, slept, then slept some more like they all do when they become a Chain of Hope dog.  They know they are safe, can let their guard down and just be loved and taken care of.  Gracie soon went to foster and soon therafter to her forever home where she now lives with two canine pals.  She is Pinky now, and adores her big brother Porky. 

In 2013, COH had 2,790 encounters with dogs, up 250 from 2012.  Nearly 300 new households with animals needing support were identified, in addition to the 1,540 encounters with households that receive routine monitoring and assistance; more than 300 return encounters than 2012.  More than 2100 encounters were for food, up 500 from 2012.  And like Gracie, 68 animals were rescued and placed in their forever home.

Your support makes it all possible.  Thank you for hearing their cries and being their voice !!

"Gotti" was a routine stop for the Chain of Hope outreach team for nearly two years.  So much so that he lit up as soon as he saw the van pull up.  He knew fresh food and water, treats, toys, and a lot of love and affection were coming.  Chain of Hope also provided Gotti a dog house, hay to cover mud in summer and keep him warm in the winter.  Gotti had a canine brother that lived in his owner's house, pampered and loved, but Gotti remained outside, all day, every day, even now at the age of 13.  But they refused to give him up.  

A dangerous cold blast was expected hit Kansas City.  The outreach teams were out and stopped to warn the owner of impending temperatures and how dangerous this would be for Gotti - life threatening.   The blast hit and the teams went out.  On this horribly cold day, Gotti was a priority stop with wind chills expected to be 18 below zero.  And there he was, on the side of the house where no sun could even touch him. Despite the warning, despite the conditions, they would not consider letting this boy in the house.  

Education only goes so far, and sometimes must be replaced by insistence that a person do the right thing.  And finally on this day, they did.   Gottie was free from his chain, his isolation, his neglect....and "Reggie" started his new life.  That van that brought him the only goodness he knew, was now taking him to freedom.

Reggie had a cheesburger on the way to Chain of Hope where he got a warm bath, more food and fresh water, a fresh blanket on a clean cot where he settled in for a long warm cozy nap.  And it wasn't long before his distinguished good looks and charisma landed him a girl.  He and Abby are the best of friends.  

We don't know how long Reggie will be with us, but we do know he will spend the rest of his days loved and in comfort.

In honor of Pit Bull Awareness month, this is a story about.... well, a Pit Bull. 

Chain of Hope monitors hundreds of households through outreach.  But there is rarely a day on outreach that a new one isn't identified.  Volunteers were out setting up a run for a dog we had been monitoring.  Cuddles lived with a woman in hospice care, who did the best she could for her beloved dog.  As with so many families, COH was there routinely to help.  On this one particular day, volunteers were out setting up a donated run for Cuddles for her yard had no fence. They heard a dog barking and could see in the way back of the neighbors yard a chained dog lying on the ground...no shelter...no food....no water, and she looked pretty thin.  When she barked, someone from inside the house would scream at her to shut up. Volunteers called in Kate to weigh in on the situation.  After nearly 20 years in outreach, you get a sixth sence about these things, and it was telling Kate it was not safe to approach.  But something had to be done. 

So as to not jeopardize Cuddles's support, a call was placed to Animal Control, followed by another to make sure there was a response.  Kate is persistent that way.   The dog had been impounded and taken into shelter.  From a distance she looked thin, but what a shock to see how emaciated she really was, her spirit broken.  They told her they would be back, and they were, on day 5 when she was eligible for release, praying she would not break with kennel cough due to her weakened state.  Judy had a mocha cappuccino with her and this gal was not too weak to sniff that out, thus, they named her Mocha.  Today Mocha is strong, thriving, and has a classic pitty smile a half a mile wide!

And that's how we do it.  Day by day, one by one, changing a life....and changing ours by being a part of it.  And you are too, whether it's one dollar, ten or a thousand, your support makes it happen and we thank you....

Mocha thanks you!

Pit Bulls are near and dear to our hearts.  We see them every day on outreach, chained, no water, in blistering heat.  We hear missinformation about them and educate people on what a loyal, fantastic breed of dog they are.  We know in shelter the majority will be euthanized.  So instead of going to them, one by one, house by house, we invited them to come to us!  Chain of Hope hosted its first annual Pit Bull Day at a local park offering low cost vaccinations, micro chips to dogs already altered and sign ups for more than 70 Pit Bulls to be spayed or neutered.  A veterinarian and trainers were on hand to answer questions.  Courtesy nail trims were provided along with collars, leashes, water buckets, fly bags and more.  Everything you would need to keep your Pit Bull safe and healthy.  The goal of this event was to bring awareness, education, and resurces to Pit Bull owners to promote responsible care and ownership of this amazing breed.  The event was a huge success and we could not have done it without support of donors like you.  Check out the video of this event !!  We thank you !!

Links:

• Pit Bull Day Video