We have a lot to prove to this little girl.

The question is --- how do we do it?

How do we prove to her that we're worthy of her trust? Her forgiveness? Her love?

How do we prove to her that we would never hurt her?

Yesterday, in the midst of such high emotions over 5 different beagles we hold so dear to our hearts that were all undergoing medical procedures this week one after another, we received a message from our friends at Toronto Animal Services.

It stopped us in our tracks. It was as though we forgot how to breathe for a moment.

They wanted to know if we would consider a little beagle girl that had been brought into the shelter by police after witnesses reported her being thrown from a car. When police arrived at the scene, the perpetrators were long gone.

All that remained was this dear little soul, shaken just as much as her rescuers.

The shelter's veterinary team swung into action immediately upon her arrival. Thank the heavens above, she didn't suffer any major injuries from the fall - only minor cuts and scrapes. No surprise though that there are also signs of neglect --- possible stress-licking stains on all four paws, ear infection, bad teeth, pronounced mammary glands indicative of over-breeding.

At an estimated age of 7 years old, had she outlived her purpose as a breeding machine?

But that's just the checklist of what's on the surface, isn't it? We could not begin to fathom what it might take to heal her heart and soul.

I met the reason we exist yesterday while the rain poured relentlessly down. A dog that ought to be the lead story on every news channel. We can't help but fantasize about a nationwide manhunt for the monsters that would do such a thing to this little one who has absolutely no reason to ever trust a human being again. Unfortunately, there's not enough to go on.

But that's when she did something that changed my focus and filled my heart with what we've all but nearly lost over the last 17 months.

She filled it with hope. Hope for her and hope for us.

The little one who has already stolen everyone's heart at the shelter, bounced her way over to me and promptly, without any hesitation at all, rolled happily onto her back in eager anticipation of what she's come to expect from all the nice humans that now surround her.

Belly Rubs!

That's it! That's all it seems she needs from us to fix her heart…just a daily dose of pure, uncomplicated belly rubs.

And that's about when her name came to me as I whispered in her ear…

Hello Mary Lou, Goodbye Heart.