Heartwarming Story about a Pony Named Molly

I got this email today about a pony named Molly. I thought I would share it here.

She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her
owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana.
She spent weeks on her own before finally being
rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals
were stockpiled.

While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and
almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became
infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was
overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You
know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed
his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down
on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and
how she allowed people to handle her.

She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted
her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was
a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and
a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out
of the clinic and her story really begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore
insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million
patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was
willing to cope with pain.

She made it obvious she understood that she was in
trouble. The other important factor, according to
Moore, is having a truly committed and compliant
owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care
required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in Post
Katrina Louisiana. The little pony gained weight,
and her mane finally felt a comb.

A human prosthesis designer built her a leg. The
prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life,
Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.

And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out
and come to you and let you know that she wants
you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take
it off too. And sometimes Molly gets away from
Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch
a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the
rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters,
hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers.
Anywhere she thought that people needed hope.
Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck.
She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play
in life', Moore said. 'She survived the hurricane, she
survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope
to others.' Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal,
but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a
symbol for New Orleans itself.'