This year’s “American Dog Hero” title was awarded on Sunday to a four-year-old Golden Retriever that was left for dead in a garbage bag and nearly lost all four of her legs as a result, but refused to give up hope in humanity.
“Chi Chi” bested 265 other brave canines to be named as this year’s most heroic dog at the 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Awards- a well-deserved title considering the adversity she had to overcome.
The courageous canine was found in South Korea, stuffed into a garbage bag, her legs bound, worn to the bone and necrotized, according to American Humane.
The only way to save her life was to amputate portions of all four of her legs.
In cases such as this, when a pet or wild animal suffers severe physical trauma and devastating injuries, such as the amputation of limbs, often veterinarians and owners agree on euthanasia as the most humane and cost-effective solution.
However, modern advances in technology, rehabilitation methods and pain management mean many of these animal's lives are now being spared through pet prosthetics, NBC News noted.
Chi Chi received her own set of custom prosthetics and has since flourished as a pet and certified therapy dog, according to American Humane.
For these reasons, she was awarded the American Humane Hero Dog Awards’ “Therapy Dog” category at a glitzy award ceremony hosted at the Beverly Hilton Hotel by television and film star James Denton and model and animal advocate Beth Stern, who were accompanied by an array of celebrity stars and presenters.
“The American Humane Hero Dog Awards were created to honor some of the most extraordinary heroes the world has ever known, the very best of our best friends,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “All seven category winners tonight exemplify what it means to be a hero, and we hope that their stories – and Chi Chi's – will inspire people to value our animal friends and to recognize and honor how much they do for us every day.”
The awards show will be shown on the Hallmark Channel on Oct. 30.
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