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Hope, Strength and Courage
Chillicothe, Mo.

At eight months, dogs are goofy, playful, mischievous, and a terror. That’s why we love them. But for three English Setters in Chillicothe , Missouri , just getting to eight months of age has been a grueling ordeal.

The Livingston County Humane Society in Chillicothe , Missouri , received numerous phone calls about three very thin dogs that had been dumped in the area. But none of the shelter staff could ever locate them. Finally, in mid November 2006, an area resident was able to lure the three dogs into the shelter staff’s holding cage.

Frightened and sick, they huddled together. Totally dependent, as they always had been, on the will of human beings, they faced their captors with the only emotions they had ever known: fear and resignation.

The shelter staff saw that…and much more. These dogs weren’t just thin. They were horribly emaciated. Their skin was raw from mange and injuries. All had severe eye infections.

But even that wasn’t the worst. One of the dogs had a hind leg missing. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to have been hacked off. Her tail was missing as well. The smallest dog had a severely broken leg that would require extensive surgery to repair.

As you can imagine, animal shelters see all sorts of abuse. But on a cold November day, this scene took their breath away. Here was man’s cruelest inhumanity to God’s creatures huddled together. And this close-knit canine family expected more of the same.

But once Carolyn Hadley, director of the shelter, regained her composure, she had different plans for the three. “This is a family who has stuck together in the face of death, abuse and neglect. Their little souls never gave up and now they need our help,” she said.

She immediately named them Hope, Strength and Courage. The mange was worst for Hope. Her skin was raw. An eye infection consumed one orbital socket. It was just one big open sore. Still, Hope would wag her tail when she saw the shelter staff, grateful for the only love she had experienced in eight months of life.

Strength’s hind leg and tail were missing. The staff could not determine if she had gotten caught in something, or if someone had deliberately mutilated her body. Nevertheless, it was a testament to her tremendous strength of will that she lived. Covered with mange, Strength still managed to wag her nubby tail whenever anyone showed her affection.

Courage had the severely broken hind leg. With a tremendous amount of hair loss, he was also extremely emaciated. He required extensive surgery to walk normally.

But Carolyn is the other champion in this story. Others saw three animals in a desperate situation and said, maybe it would be better if we put these creatures down. Carolyn saw three animals in desperate need and said, They’ve come too far. They’ve lost too much already. We will not give up on them.

And she hasn’t. “These guys have come too far and they deserve a chance…I knew that everyone would come through to donate so we could afford what they need.”

That’s where we came in. The Mosby Foundation generously donated to the recovery of these brave dogs. We celebrate the beginning of their new lives, the lives they were meant to live. And we celebrate the leadership and commitment of Carolyn. She saw through a hopeless situation and imagined lives full, healthy and loving.

She did not give up.

And neither do we.