May 11th 2010 6:48 am
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Dear Lady on the Farm where I was born,

Behind the closed barn doors, shut away from the eyes of humane reason, you created me. I was born, weened and offered for sale in the newspaper. You set me out on the front lawn, with my brothers and sister, in a playpen in the sunshine to make a picture of perfection.

Then came along a nice lady and her boy and girl. They called you looking for a special girl and they wanted me. You didn't tell them how I came to be or my background. You didn't tell them that from the moment I was weened you knew I was not well. You didn't tell them of the diarrhea that could not be stopped. You told them I was $750. They took me home.

It has been exactly 5 years since I left your farm. My family and I have fallen head-over-heals in love with eachother and can not stand to spend even one moment apart. But, we have been forced to. Your complete disregard to your breeding practices and the health problems your dogs were passing down has almost cost me my life, my precious, loving, happy life, on many occasions.

I have had constant GI problems since I left you, and they still persist to this day. I am haunted by diarrhea and vomiting and acid reflux. I have to watch everything I eat to make sure it does not upset my delicate system that is troubled by pancreatitis, gastritis and colitis. Recently, after living in sickness for many years, it was discovered that I have a liver shunt that is slowly posioning me. I have had cataract surgery, a detached retina and, finally, eye removal to ease the constant pain of glaucoma in a blind eye. I have been on and off of antibiotics to ease UTIs caused by constant crystals in my urine. My vet says my kidneys are full of sludge. I am tormented at times with allergies that cause me to chew my skin raw to find relief from the itching. I gasp for breath each night as I fight my collapsing trechea. I limp and yelp each time my patella luxates. I fight!

I fight each day with the the problems you have bred into me so that I can enjoy life. So that I can return the love that my family gives to me. So that I can be a dog.

Mommy says that I am the most gentle and loving dog she could have ever hoped for.......I wish I was well enough to give more.

Please stop breeding dogs.....you are only breaking hearts.

To anyone who wants to "buy" a dog....please, please, please do your research and make sure your breeder is reputable.....or better yet, adopt a pup from a shelter so that it may have a chance at life.....like me.

Princess Penelope Poopalatte, HRH