| BreeGonzo | 10-27-2009 10:48 PM |
Lost my little Gonzo tonight
He was almost four months old and we only had him for a month and a half. He was the puppy I always wanted. I thought I was doing the right thing by waiting until I was an established self-sufficient adult. I did a lot of research, found what I thought was a reputable breeder, got pet insurance and bought him the most nutritious food. I suspected a liver shunt within the first two weeks, but at every vet vaccine visit I was told he was fine.
For the last few days he began acting extremely lethargic on and off, so we made him another appointment and took him in right away. He was at the vets for three hours this afternoon gobbling up tasty food and getting some blood work done. Within an hour of taking him home from the vet he went into a coma and died in my arms. My heart is broken and I just want him back. I feel so sad.
Now that he's gone, I've found numerous others who have suffered the same fate. Unfortunately, I went for the "Tiny" or "Teacup" variety of dog thinking it was perfectly normal to just have a small healthy dog. I was so wrong. They are genetically inferior, and it's unfair to the dog to be breeding such small creatures. Yes, they are adorable and make your heart melt, but it's incredibly cruel for so-called "breeders" to be producing these tiny dogs fully knowing they are so incredibly fragile and vulnerable in a natural environment.
I work for a large and widely read newspaper and I feel it is my responsibility to dispell this misconception about teacup pups. My editor will know about this growing trend of tiny designer dogs, because awareness and appropriate publicity is the best way to get the word out fast and possibly prevent people from purchasing these pups.
I hope that the motivation I feel to tell people the truth will make our puppy's death bring some good.
Rest in Peace my sweet little boy.:animal-pa | 