A poor pup from South Korea was has proven extremely resilient in the face of unthinkable hardship — and has been rewarded with a Hero Dog award this year.
In 2016, Chi Chi was abandoned and left for dead in a trash bag inside a dumpster, her four little paws bound together. After her rescue, she had to have all four paws amputated, and in 2017, doctors discovered she had cancer.
Still, the cheery canine has kept her spirits up, and even cheers up others who are suffering by working as a therapy dog. So this weekend she received a prestigious honor for her efforts.
Good doggie! Chi Chi, a four-year-old Golden Retriever won American Humane’s 2018 Hero Dog award in the Therapy Dog category
Some pup! She was honored on stage on Friday, and the ceremony will air on October 24 on the Hallmark Channel
Poor little pooch: Chi Chi has had all four of her paws amputated and wears prosthetics
She sees the doggy bowl as half-full! Still, she remains in high spirits and is a happy companion
On Friday, American Human hosted the Hero Dog Awards, where dogs doing great things were honored on stage. The ceremony was filmed and will air on the Hallmark Channel on October 24.
Chi Chi, a four-year-old Golden Retriever, took home the top honor in the Therapy Dog category, and earned a special purple harness for the win.
She certainly earned it. Two years ago, Chi Chi nearly died when someone tossed her into a dumpster inside a garbage bag in South Korea.
By the time she was found, her legs were worn to the bone and had necrotized, so the only way to save her was to amputate parts of all four of her legs.
Soon after, she was rescued by the Howell family in Phoenix, Arizona.
Human friends: She is now a certified therapy dog, and has visits with people who are disabled, just like her
Buds: She has a bond with ten-year-old Owen Mahan. Ninety-eight per cent of Owen’s body was burned by boiling water in an accident when he was two, and he lost both of his legs
A bit of fun! Chi Chi also visits with the elderly and cheers them up
‘When she first arrived at our home, she was afraid of people,’ the family told American Humane. ‘But with time and lots of love and grace, she realized that she is safe and no one will ever hurt her again. She forgave and decided to trust people again.’
They got her a pair of custom prosthetics, which are purple and allow her to easily pad around the house.
As she began to do better, Chi Chi became a certified Therapy Dog. Her owners now take her to visit the sick, the elderly, and the disabled, and have even introduced her to children with amputated limbs.
One of those children is ten-year-old Owen Mahan from Indiana, who flew to Phoenix to visit Chi Chi after falling in love with her on social media and feeling a connection to her. Ninety-eight per cent of Owen’s body was burned by boiling water in an accident when he was two, and he lost both of his legs.
‘They both had to endure such horrible things and they both still have such a positive outlook on life,’ Owen’s mom Susan told People. ‘To see them together was amazing. There’s a lot of mean in the world and these two bring out the good.’
Chi Chi has plenty of fans, especially now that she is an award-winner.
Tragic: In 2016, Chi Chi was left for dead by owners in South Korea, who bound his legs and tossed him into a dumpster inside a trash bag (pictured shortly after his rescue)
Cared for: Doctors had to amputate his paws, but he was soon adopted by a family in Phoenix, Arizona
Struggles: The dog still has health issues, including Lupus and now cancer
Pictured: Molds for Chi Chi’s prosthetics, which his adoptive family had custom made
‘When people meet Chi Chi, they are inspired by her courage, perseverance, ability to overcome adversity and her never give up attitude,’ says the family.
‘She exemplifies resilience and forgiveness and openly shares her love and compassion in abundance.’
Unfortunately, the struggles aren’t over for Chi Chi, who has continued to have health problems. According to the family’s GoFundMe page, she also has Lupus, for which she take medication and has laser therapy.
What’s more, in 2017 doctors found that Chi Chi had two mast cell Skin Cancer tumors.
They successfully removed them, but she has continued to develop more cancer, and has come down with nasal and thyroid cancer as well.
‘It’s been really difficult,’ owner Elizabeth Howell told People. ‘She’s been through so much, and survived so much, and she’s a fighter, and to have her have to go through all of this too – it isn’t fair. She has so much more love and joy to give and share with the world.
He’s a brave little guy! Chi Chi is a happy dog, though he also suffers from Lupus and is on a lot of medication
Fetch! In December, he had his first tumors removed, but he continued to fight cancer with chemoterpay
Said her family: ‘When people hear Chi Chi’s story and experience her attitude of joy, they are often inspired to face their challenges with renewed courage and a fresh perspective’
As she continued to battle cancer and other serious health problems, she also hasn’t stopped bringing joy to her family and her 42,000 Instagram followers.
‘Her sweet-tempered and gentle spirit opens people’s hearts and her perceptive spirit senses where her love is needed,’ the family said.
‘When people hear Chi Chi’s story and experience her attitude of joy, they are often inspired to face their challenges with renewed courage and a fresh perspective.
‘Chi Chi brings joy everywhere she goes and her optimism and smile spreads quickly to others. She positively impacts thousands of people all over the world via her online Therapy work through her social media account.