SEOUL — Born in Seoul, South Korea, 2-year-old golden retriever mix Chi Chi was slated to be killed in the underground dog meat trade. Every day, she was hung upside down, her legs bound by ropes and wires, as she was beaten by handlers, under the belief that a dog’s meat is more tender, when tortured.
At some point, her keepers realized the bindings had cut through her flesh, leading her four legs to become grossly infected. They decided her meat would be too rancid for human consumption, and disposed of her in a dumpster behind the meat market, still alive. Scared and alone, the dog was found by some good samaritans who contacted an animal rescue group,
Who gathered her up and rushed her to an emergency veterinary clinic. There, doctors diagnosed that her four legs had indeed rotted to the bone, the infection spreading to the rest of her body. If she was to have any chance at survival, Chi Chi’s would have to undergo a quadruple amputation procedure, cutting off the infection, but leaving her with stubs for paws. While the surgery was successful, it was anyone’s guess how Chi Chi might adapt to physically, and emotionally, after all her trauma.
The Los Angeles-based animal welfare group who saved her, ARME, reports that the day after her surgery, she was wagging her tail and already attempting to walk. Days later, she managed to get around on her stumps. Proving to be a good candidate for prosthetics, Chi Chi was fitted with four new legs, and spent the following two months getting used to her new footing.
Through social media, her inspiring story caught the attention of the world, in particular a family in Arizona. The Howells, who have three dogs already, reached out to ARME to complete her journey and offer her a loving home. When she was deemed ready, Chi Chi was flown 6000 miles from Seoul all the way to LA,
Where her new family picked her up, and brought her to her new home in Phoenix this past week. Though the Howells admit she still has a long road to recovery ahead, they hope her story of smiling in the face of adversity will act as a lesson to the world on how to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
