Breaking the Chain: Kansas City woman dedicated to rescuing neglected dogs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In some of the roughest neighborhoods in Kansas City, Kate Quigley is helping out another homeless dog looking for food and water.

She's helped hundreds since forming " Chain of Hope " a year ago. Kate's group of volunteers spend the day helping distressed dogs all over the urban core, but in many cases, a lot of the dogs have homes.

Chain of Hope comes across so many neglected dogs tied to trees and fences without any shelter, food or water. Kate not only provides basic needs, she also gets animal control involved if needed to get the dog out of the situation.

"Just about every day," she says, "we're taking dogs off [chains]."

Chain of Hope has received numerous calls of dogs abandoned in vacant homes or dogs left in cages outside 24 hours a day without any shelter from the sweltering sun or blistering snow. Kate says one dog rescued had a small chain barely allowing the dog space to move around saying the "dog couldn't reach dog house."

Kate is passionate about her cause, especially after running into a dog she named Molly.

Molly was abandoned in a vacant house, starving, very sick and in desperate need of medical care. During surgery, vets found plastic wrappers in Molly's stomach and lip gloss that punctured her intestines. It's believed Molly ate whatever she could inside the vacant house to survive.

Molly died on the operating table.

Kate says that story will always stay with her and gives her more strength and resolve to continue Chain of Hope. A mission she holds very dear, to break the chain of neglected dogs in Kansas City.

If you want to learn more about Chain of Hope, make a donation or an adoption, visit: www.ChainofHopeKC.org