All you need is a little Moxie

I know this isn't the typical inspirational story. However, if a kitten can achieve this much, imagine how much we can achieve!

A man stormed into the animal shelter, cradling something wrapped in filthy rags. Tears were rolling down his face. He set the rags on the counter and unwrapped a filthy, emaciated kitten. The kitten gave a feeble "Mew" and then huddled back down into the rags. It was matted and greasy, and only a few weeks old. Maggots writhed in a wound on it's paw.

The man explained that he had found the kitten with it's leg caught in the chain on his tow truck. He wasn't sure how long it had been there, but he knew he couldn't let it die.

We examined the kitten. Her ears were scabbed up and shredded. Her tail was broken. She wouldn't put weight on a front leg. After X-rays, it was discovered that the kitten had fractured the leg in multiple spots. Our options were amputation or euthanasia. As we studied the X-rays, the kitten snuggled up to each of us and began purring. Her body was broken, but her spirit was not. We made the decision to amputate.

A vet donated his time and services and performed the amputation surgery. Vet techs volunteered right alongside him to monitor the kitten during and after the surgery. It was a textbook surgery, with a textbook recovery. Moxie, as we named her, bounced back immediately. She began causing all sorts of trouble and getting into everything, just as a healthy kitten should. Despite her adorable antics, she couldn't find her forever home. She sat at the shelter for a few weeks. No one seemed to want the little crippled kitten. Time after time, she'd be played with and passed over in favor of a healthy, able-bodied kitten.

One day, a couple walked in. They saw Moxie and fell in love. You see, they had adopted an abused pit bull some time back and had taken great joy in caring for their dog. They had even had the dog certified as a therapy dog and visited area hospitals on a weekly basis. They took Moxie home that day and helped her to figure out how to navigate a house. They were smitten with her immediately, snuggling her at night, playing during the day. As Moxie matured, she began to show a sweet, calm side. Her family realized she'd be perfect for visiting hospital patients alongside their dog.

Little Moxie has come so far. She was a tiny, cold kitten, covered in maggots, with multiple breaks in her leg. Many people would have said she didn't stand a chance. Today, she brings joy to hundreds of people, showing them that even when most would say there's no hope, you can get by with just a little moxie!