There's pictures at the link at the bottom of the story. It's a great story, to see some save a poor puppy mill abused and what a wonderful surprise that it turned into a Yorkie. She looks great now too. Nothing like some love, some care, and some help from vets!
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IT MAY sound like a shaggy dog story, but this is the tale of how a precious pet transformed from one breed to another.
Four months ago, the Evening News told the sad tale of Lilly the Chinese Crested lapdog, who had been dumped after being used as a production line for puppies.
But now, following treatment for a number of ailments including cancerous tumours, jaw and gum problems — paid for by donations from across the world — she has become Precious, a happy, lively Yorkshire Terrier.
Her new owners, Maureen and Arthur Clarke, of Hellesdon, thought she was different to their other three Chinese Crested — Spooky, Scary and Mae-Ling — because of the shape of her head, but their suspicions were only fully confirmed when all her hair grew back.
Despite her unexpected change, the Clarkes are delighted to have Precious as part of the family. Mrs Clarke said: "She is the sweetest. She's the most lovely-natured little dog we've ever known."
Precious was being cared for by staff at Meadowgreen Dog Rescue Centre at Hales, near Loddon, when she appeared in the Evening News in May.
As soon as Mr and Mrs Clarke saw the story they called the centre to beg for her. Mrs Clarke said: "We both cried when we looked at her. How could anyone do that to her? Our vet Tim seemed to think it must have taken two years for her to get into that condition."
She only weighed two kilos and her ailments were obvious to the Clarkes. "Her little mammaries were almost as long as my little finger, so they had to be removed," said Mrs Clarke.
"They had to take 14 teeth out due to her gums and jaw being infected with osteo-myalitis. When she kissed me, I had to stop breathing because it was like putting your head in a sewer.
"I had to bathe her every day. Her skin was sticky, as if someone had dipped her in a tin of treacle and it smelled like wet, old leather."
Vet Tim Roe, of the Willow Veterinary Clinic in Drayton High Road, and an Evening News columnist, has carried out numerous other procedures on Precious, including removing her dew claws, her uterus, several tumours and a nasty cyst on her shoulder.
He offered to give Precious some vaccinations for free and the Clarkes have received help from around the world in paying for the vet's bills.
Through the internet they are in contact with Chinese Crested groups in America, and once they heard about Precious, a woman called Julie, who lives in Florida, set up a website for her, complete with a donation scheme.
Mrs Clarke said they had received more than £700 thanks to the kindness of other dog lovers.
"Donations have come from all over the world, from France, Spain, America, Alaska, England, Ireland and Scotland," she said.
"The webpage for Precious has had a lot of responses and we have even had e-mails from a Yorkshire Terrier rescue group in Australia who are planning to write about her."
If you would like to see more pictures of Precious and read about her, visit
http://www.geocities.com/arthurclarke2000