I've asked my friend Kathy if I could her story here. She IS a member of this site and I hope she will post. We've been friends for quite a few years now and I still remember her bringing her yorkie Pepper home. Pepper is a sick little Puppy Mill/Pet Store Puppy.
Pepper is
not going to have a long life like most of our yorkies.
Pepper is the sweetest most happy yorkie EVER ... They were told due to his illness that he would never see his 1st Birthday
With his moms love - he just turned 2 in Feb.
Knowing Pepper is one of the biggest reasons I speak out so much about Pet Stores..... and I really would love people to give him just ONE MINUTE and read his story.....
Then tell ALL YOUR Friends to never buy from the Pet Store so we can STOP THIS CYCLE. THESE ARE HER WORDS....(love you Kathy) I still get teary reading about Sir Pepper ...my little HERO.
My name is Kathy and Sir Pepper is my yorkie. ....Pepper has a serious neurological illness called "cerebellar Abiotrophy" and
there is no cure.
I bought him from a petstore (which has been put out of business!!! Thank God) then found out he came from a puppymill via the WORST puppy broker in the country...won't name names just because I am poor and can't afford to be sued just yet...waiting for the lottery to come in!
Anyway, Peppers illness is progressing, but he is a fighter and doesn't allow it to beat him down. The experts believe now that this is a genetic illness, both parents carry the gene, and that one of them has an active case of it. He looks like he is drunk when he has an episode (4 or 5 times a day now) so I call it "dingy".
My angel can't walk straight, sit, eat or drink without falling over. It used to be that when it happened he was aware and mentally all there, lately however, he has what I call "blank-outs" you can tell that he doesn't know what is happening or why or even who he is...I just hold him through it. They don't last long but they frighten him...and me.
I get very, very angry at the people whose greed caused him to go through this! But as I said he is a fighter...and before long he is back to playing like a puppy! He is such a sweetie and loves everyone! LOL sometimes a little too much. Though I have to admit that when he is hopping down the street on his hind legs to say hello to someone, I can't help laughing! And the smiles he causes where ever he goes! Guess you can tell I'm in love with my boy!
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ME AGAIN.......I hope just one person reads this and learns how awful Puppy Mills & Pet Shops are. This is one of MANY Stories out there - it just happens to be a good good friends story and my heart breaks for her.