Chi Chi, found in a trash bag in a dumpster, is the 2018 Hero Dog of the Year! The competition included more than 260 brave dogs nominated for the award. Over a million votes were cast in favor of this brave canine hero who has overcome so much in her young life and still has such a great attitude!
A couple of months ago I highlighted the seven finalists for the American Humane Association’s 2018 Hero Dog Award. “Roxy the PTSD Service Dog” was nominated in the Service Dog Category; “K-9 Flash” represented the Law Enforcement/Arson category; “Chi Chi” is a Therapy Dog; “Sgt. Fieldy” is a Military Dog; “Frances” is a Guide Dog; the Search and Rescue Dog is “Ruby”; and "Willow" represented the Emerging Hero Dog category.
This week the Hallmark Channel broadcast the star-studded awards ceremony to announce the winner of the Hero Dog Award for 2018. And the winner is – “Chi Chi”, the Therapy Dog!
You may remember Chi Chi - a Golden Retriever with an amazing and inspiring story. In 2016 she was discovered in South Korea in a garbage bag, with her legs bound so tightly that the only way to save her life was to amputate parts of her legs.
Thanks to her rescuers and the family who adopted her, Chi Chinot only survived, she blossomed. Fitted with custom prosthetics on all four legs, she learned to walk and run and trust and love. In fact, she has such an easy-going temperament, she is a certified therapy dog.
And now this once-discarded dog is the Hero Dog of the Year! Her inspiring story and her joyful attitude encourage the people she meets at hospitals and rehab facilities. You can learn more about her on her Facebook page, “Chi Chi Rescue Dog”.
Your dog may not be a hero to anyone except you, but this is the time of year when you can be a hero for your pet, by taking care to protect it onHalloween. Keep candy and other treats away from your furry buddy, especially if they contain xylitol (an artificial sweetener) or chocolate, both of which are poisonous to dogs.
Also, keep your pet safely indoorsor on a tight leash - it may become spooked by all the strange comings and goings.
This Halloween, you can be a hero to your furry friend by keeping it safe, so you can both enjoy all the seasons together, when you’re speaking of pets.
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