A very LARGE disabled pet...

Well, okay. Maybe not a pet, exactly. But nevertheless, Motola is a disabled animal who belongs to someone, even if it's someone she worked for.

48-year-old Motola just got a new leg!

Ten years ago, Motola was seriously damaged when she stepped on one of the many stray landmines left over from several wars. She survived the blast, but lost her left front leg while working in a logging camp on Thailand's border with Burma. After she recovered, her owners fitted her with a large canvas "shoe" filled with sawdust. And that's how she got around until recently, when she was fitted with an artificial limb.

I'm sure you'll be as happy as I am when you read the rest of the story. There are still sad parts, but the world is definitely progressing when even in relatively poor countries, people find a way to help an elephant like this. Gives me hope. I hope it gives you some, too.

Thanks to Roberta for the heads-up on this tale.