I've been working with a kind elderly woman who wanted a cavalier, and obtained an adult dog being rehomed through one of the small ads -- I'd told her I'd work with her if the dog needed some help. Today I met this little girl. The women had been told she was a family dog, housetrained, with a small skin rash. Oh, and she'd had one litter of puppies. Once the kind lady saw her, she could not possibly leave her with the man who brought her to a carpark. I'd have felt the same. Imagine trying to sell a dog that looks like this.
She's a classic overbred, uncared for puppy farm breeding girl. Her poor abdomen hangs down like a curtain, she has suckled so many litters in her 4 years. She may have mange or some other skin problem but my vet thinks she had lost her hair from going though so many pregnancies, probably back to back. Her hair may never grow back. We will know more when she gets spayed as we can also get some skin biopsies then (she would have to be put under for the biopsies so we will do both).
She is not housetrained, and lived out in a barn. She had no name, which tells you exactly what value she had to the owners. Nonetheless she is the sweetest thing you could imagine -- just an adorable personality.
She will be looking for a home soon, and more immediately, needs a foster place from Friday. She is a little uneasy around other dogs -- intrigued but fearful and a little growly, which would likely go very quickly if she had a companion dog in her forever home. If she is around other dogs she would need a little management until she gets to know them, but would be very easy as a solo dog.
Sadly this is likely what the mother of many cavaliers in this country and every country look like. If you did not see the parents of your cavalier in person and could be sure they were definitely indoor, well loved dogs, this is the reality. It is the life led by the real dogs behind those small ad pictures and the happy cavaliers on website pictures when you order your cavalier to be shipped to you or only talk to the breeder on the phone and have no way of verifying their bona fides as breeders. These are the dogs bred to supply pet shops and the mothers of those 'Irish champion stock' puppies from the nice lady who told you her aunt/uncle/brother/father/niece breeds them and sends them to her in New York to sell (no, those dogs come from puppy farmers, who keep their dogs like this). This is why we need our proposed Irish puppy farm legislation and if you live in Ireland, you need to call or write your TDs and ministers and tell them you expect them to vote in support of this bill.
I will post her into the rescue section as well but here are some photos of this little girl and her 'small skin rash' :
She's a classic overbred, uncared for puppy farm breeding girl. Her poor abdomen hangs down like a curtain, she has suckled so many litters in her 4 years. She may have mange or some other skin problem but my vet thinks she had lost her hair from going though so many pregnancies, probably back to back. Her hair may never grow back. We will know more when she gets spayed as we can also get some skin biopsies then (she would have to be put under for the biopsies so we will do both).
She is not housetrained, and lived out in a barn. She had no name, which tells you exactly what value she had to the owners. Nonetheless she is the sweetest thing you could imagine -- just an adorable personality.
She will be looking for a home soon, and more immediately, needs a foster place from Friday. She is a little uneasy around other dogs -- intrigued but fearful and a little growly, which would likely go very quickly if she had a companion dog in her forever home. If she is around other dogs she would need a little management until she gets to know them, but would be very easy as a solo dog.
Sadly this is likely what the mother of many cavaliers in this country and every country look like. If you did not see the parents of your cavalier in person and could be sure they were definitely indoor, well loved dogs, this is the reality. It is the life led by the real dogs behind those small ad pictures and the happy cavaliers on website pictures when you order your cavalier to be shipped to you or only talk to the breeder on the phone and have no way of verifying their bona fides as breeders. These are the dogs bred to supply pet shops and the mothers of those 'Irish champion stock' puppies from the nice lady who told you her aunt/uncle/brother/father/niece breeds them and sends them to her in New York to sell (no, those dogs come from puppy farmers, who keep their dogs like this). This is why we need our proposed Irish puppy farm legislation and if you live in Ireland, you need to call or write your TDs and ministers and tell them you expect them to vote in support of this bill.
I will post her into the rescue section as well but here are some photos of this little girl and her 'small skin rash' :