Gracie's Story
by Deborah Wilson
(Canada)
A golden cocker spaniel - previous victim of a puppy farm breeder!
While standing in line at the County Animal Control, a volunteer noticed an elderly man turning in a dog that he said he "no longer had use for."
Luckily, the volunteer overheard the conversation and took the adorable cocker spaniel into her home. Her name was Gracie and while she looked nervous, it was obvious that she was a purebred. The volunteer contacted several other rescues to see if any foster homes were available as she believed that the little one only needed grooming to relieve her of the mats that were so painful.
When the foster family went to pick her up she felt particularly heavy for such a small dog. The foster didn't think she should wait until the weekend for a groom, so she called the groomer to her home.
Within 10 minutes the groomer called the foster in and said that "In over 9 years of grooming, she had only seen this once before."
This dog had been the victim of a puppy mill breeder. Her toenails were so long they had curled into the pads of her feet. Faeces impacted the toes causing infection. Her backside was so matted, it had created a complete impaction, and the faeces was completely caked together with the fur.
Stunned, the groomer explained the reason she looked "okay" from the outside was because the so called breeders will reach into the cage and shave the tops of the bodies of dogs. That way, if they are ever inspected or potential clients ask to see the mothers, they essentially "look okay."
Upon closer inspection, we could see that her ears were severely matted and infected. As the fur was trimmed away, sores could be seen under each mat.
After shaving her down, two large tumors (one the size of a small baseball) were found on her side. When offered food, she acted ravenous, but didn't eat. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that her gums were bleeding, swollen and red with teeth so infected that she couldn't eat. She had been fed table scraps her entire life.
After four hours of grooming, the groomer discovered that Gracie had had her nipples nearly chewed off from having so many litters of puppies. She had clearly made someone a great deal of money and had lived in a crate the entirety of her life.
Gracie has only known a life of neglect - until now.
Gracie has a very sweet disposition and a strong will to live.
She has a strong passion for life and loves to go in the car. She is frightened of being left behind, with good reason.
She simply wants to be loved at this stage of her life -that's all - it's not a lot to ask for, is it?
