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CHERIE  - TEXAS PUPPYMILL REFUGEE

Cherie update 10/7/2001

Cherie continues to improve.  The first picture at the right shows Cherie with all of
her toys.  See what a cute dog she is becomming.   She still is terrified when she
goes anywhere outside the house, but she'll eventually forget her painful past and
become a relaxed, calm little dog.

The second picture was taken Oct 7, 2001 - she was visiting Pippi, Pippi's mom,
Kay, and Pippi's "grandma," a wonderful lady named Joanne, who donated to take care
of Cherie's medical expenses.  Cherie certainly had an angel looking over her.

Cherie with Pippi

January 2001

Little Cherie came to us from a puppymill
in north Texas.  They had over 100 dogs
living in wire chicken coops - Cherie was
tied to the porch with a rope.  When we
got her, she weighed 6.6 pounds.  She  had
severe anemia caused from ehrlichia and
required an emergency blood transfusion
to keep her alive.   At the time we
discovered her anemia, she had a packed
red blood cell volume of 7.  That means
that 7% of her blood was red blood cells.  
The norm is around 35%.  Had she lost
that kind of volume in an accident, she
would have died.

Update:  4/24/2001

Cherie hit 10 pounds this week.  She's playing  with toys
and even got into a "spat" with one of my other dogs.   
She's learning commands - knows that "come" means a
great treat is waiting.  She knows what "outside" is, what
"go to bed" means and is progressing very quickly with
housetraining.  She's averaging 90% in the houstraining
department - a tremendous feat for one of these little ones
used to just going whenever the feeling hits.  She still
WILL NOT walk on a leash - she just plants her feet and
backs up.  Oh well, I'll have to work on that.  On the
negative side, she has ring worm and has lost quite a bit of
her hair.  The veterinarian believes it is caused by her low
tolerance from the anemia and a suppressed immune
system.  So, she'll endure several weeks of dips.

Isn't this the cutest face??  Even
though she was treated so badly, she
is as sweet as they come.

February 2001

Cherie was just skin and bones
when we got her.  She weighed
6.6 pounds.  Her normal
weight should be around 11
pounds.

Update 5/28/2001
It's been three months since her emergency blood transfusion.  
Cherie continues to do well.  She irritates all my other dogs,
including Hattie.  She "collects" all the toys from around the
whole house, including everyone elses' crate, and piles them up on
her blanket.  If anyone tries to take back their toy - - LOOK OUT!!!
Cherie goes in to be spayed next week and to get her final
ringworm dip.  She's starting to grow her hair back.

Can't you just see the
difference in her
attitude??

September, 2001

We received three little puppymill girls from a
busted puppymill in Conroe.  We named them Molly,
Tasha and Abby.  Abby has a severe case of
ringworm and a badly-healed break in one leg.

Take a look of these sweet little girls and the
condition they are in OVER A MONTH after they
were confiscated from the mill.  And, supposedly,
these three were the miller's own personal dogs.

Abby

Molly

Tasha

The picture at the left shows what poor
Molly's tummy looks like.  Her nipples are
bigger than Stacie's thumbs.  This is caused
by having litter after litter with little or no
time between litters for the mom to recover.  
Typically female puppymill dogs "wear out" by
the time they are 5-6 years old.  After having
2-3 litters each year, their uterus is no longer
able to sustain life nor does it have the muscle
tone to push the little babies out.  Many of the
puppymill dogs we get in are around this same
age.

Puppymill Bust - Conroe, TX

PUPPYMILL BUST IN MISSISSIPPI
4/28/2001

These are our three Southern Belles
from Mississippi:  Hattie, Pearl and
Dixie.  All three were found living in
wire cages stacked up in a little
shed.  Notice their toes - how they
are splayed apart like chicken feet -
that's caused from never knowing
the feel of grass under their feet -
they walked around on the wire
floors of their crates all their
lives.  Look at the "vacant" look in
their eyes.  All three are heartworm
positive and are at our vet being
treated for heartworms.  I'll post
periodic updates to this page.

Pearl

Dixie

Hatti
e

Update 5/28/2001
Well, it's been a month and these girls have made
the most remarkable progress.  They are all driving
us crazy because they want to play so much.  I've
never seen dogs of this age (5-8) act like so much
like puppies.  Hattie now has to stay crated all day,
unfortunately, since she's still in heartworm
treatment and we can't risk her getting too hyper.  
She tries to play with all my other dogs each time
she's out of the crate.  I feel so bad that she wants
so much to play and I can't let her.  Well, in a few
more weeks, she'll be ready to play all day.

Update 5/5/2001
The Belles have completed their first heartworm treatment and are doing
very well.  All three have quickly come out of their shells and are wagging
their little tails with big happy faces on.  They will go back in two weeks
from now for the second treatment, then two weeks later for, hopefully, the
third and final treatment.  Hattie has some significant damage to her eyes,
although she's not completely blind.  They all have skin allergies and very
straw-like coats.  But, with a little TLC and a GOOD HOME, they will live
long, happy lives.

Just look at the difference in their attitude.  Heads held high - sweet little
girls.  They did not deserve to be living in nasty cages - they deserve to run
and play in the sunshine

Update 5/14/2001
Look at little Miss Hattie now.  
She's starting to play with toys and
become a real pest around the house -
YEAH!!

Update September 2001. All three of
the Southern Belles have been adopted.  We will post
pictures as we get them from their new families.

Hatti
e

Dixie

Pearl

January 2002

April
2001