The heart is the strongest and hardest working muscle in a body. Its constant beating gives us life. It endures years of 24/7 labor and fluctuates with our activity.

It is also, metaphorically, the most fragile part of all of us, sensitive to slights and so easily broken by betrayal.

It never ceases to amaze any of us involved in rescue work just resilient the laboratory survivors are. Both biologically and metaphorically “the heart” it takes for a sweet little beagle, like Yoyo, to endure nine years of caged confinement, painful experiments on her little body, and loneliness is astounding.

As one of the Beijing Beagles, rescued from a Chinese laboratory and rehomed in the U.S., Yoyo epitomizes what it means to be resilient and a survivor. After spending nine years enduring experiments, being repeatedly bred, and then watching her babies taken away, Yoyo emerged from this living nightmare with a slightly broken body, but an unstoppable heart.

Her heart is what brought her to us, literally. Those of us that live a “rescue lifestyle” are often accused of having hearts that are too big. We feel the pain these animals suffered through deeply and personally. Yoyo too has a heart that is too big, but biologically so. Whether it was intentionally bred into her or a byproduct of her laboratory life, she is suffering from cardiac hypertrophy, an enlarged heart that sadly slows her down. This condition made her a candidate for special treatment in the U.S. and we could not be happier to give her every opportunity for health and happiness.

Yoyo is also blind, but never the less upon her rescue she eagerly stuck her nose into any friendly person she could find. Hungry for affection she quickly became know as “Sweat Pea” to her new foster family as she is incredibly sweet and absolutely loving.

Since this first day of freedom her little tail has always been wagging. Yoyo loves her other canine companions and sniffs after them for directions and guidance in this new fabulous life. She is finally being spoiled and pampered like she deserves.

Her physical impairments are not impediments to leading a full life. Her amazing foster mom pulls her in a wagon on fun outings to farmer’s markets and around the neighborhood. Soaking up the sunshine, attention, and all the love her giant heart can absorb.

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