In an outdoor run at Chicago Animal Care and Control, James McLarty-Lopes cradles a pit- bull-terrier puppy in his lap. Tears stream down his eyes as the dog, named Shadow, wriggles in his arms and licks his face.

To see the ravaged forehead of the gentle female Pit Bull was an emotional moment for Tammy Schmitt, DVM. A section of skin three to four inches wide — the diameter of a grapefruit — was simply gone, exposing the hard bone of her skull. When Schmitt looked closely, she saw that the edges of the skin were smooth, not torn. A person with a cutting blade — not another animal — was responsible for the dog’s injuries.

Woman leaves corporate world to advocate for abused dogs in Chicago Former human resources worker retrains and resocializes animals in job with Safe Humane Chicago