IN MEMORY:
Hot Shot
8-8-1996 to 1-15-2009
Almost Home Foundation is mourning the death of Hot Shot.
The senior Shorthair Dachshund succumbed to pneumonia
and crossed over
Born in 1996, this little dog was destined for a life of
misery... there were no toys and treats for her, nor did she get a warm
dog bed. She grew up in a
crate and lived in it for almost her whole life.
Hot Shot was a puppy mill dog, used by unscrupulous people as a
breeding machine. Her life consisted of a never-ending cycle of being
pregnant and raising puppies that were then sold in pet shops around
the country. Year after year, this little dog stood on wires, in her own
filth, never received any medical care and was fed only cheap, inadequate
food. But worst of all, she never got to experience the love and human
attention every dog craves…
After 12 years of physical and mental abuse by her so-called
breeder, she was too old to have any more puppies and deemed worthless.
The owner dropped her off at a kill shelter, not caring about the
possibility of her getting euthanized. That’s when Almost Home
Foundation jumped in: One look at her face, white with age, and into her
eyes that seemed dull from lack of hope, and we knew we had to rescue her.
We realized her chances of getting adopted were slim, but felt she
deserved a chance to know the love and care of humans.
She was named Hot Shot and placed in a wonderful foster home. For
the first time in her life she got to experience the simple things that
most dogs take for granted: the joy of walking on soft grass, warming up
her fur in the sun, sniffing the ground and feeling the touch of loving
hands.
As a senior dog she did not cause any trouble and, along with her
also rescued sister Poco, she spent most of her days snoozing, snuggled up
in a comfy bed.
When she fell sick, AHF tried to help her, but her body was too
worn out from a lifetime of physical neglect and abuse. Hot Shot could not
fight off the disease that took hold of her and on January 15 the poor
little Dachshund crossed the legendary
We will always remember her.
Hot
Shot is an example of the numerous dogs that suffer from the neglect and
abuse of a puppy mill breeder. There is plenty of information on puppy
mills on the Internet; most of it is not for the weak-hearted and rather
graphic.
The
adorable puppy you see in the pet shop window came most likely from a
puppy mill. His mom and dad are still there, living a horrible life void
of any pleasures. By buying a pet store puppy you support the puppy mill
industry with their cruel treatment of animals.
No
matter what the employees tell you: Most pet store puppies are puppy mill
puppies! As long as people buy these puppies, as long as there is a demand
for them, puppy mill owners will breed them and continue to abuse innocent
animals like Hot Shot. The term AKC
Certified Breeder only means that they are members of the American
Kennel Club and that their dogs have AKC papers. It does not guarantee
clean kennels, proper care or healthy dogs.
Only
about one fifth of AKC breeders are reputable. They want to meet their
puppies’ new owners, screen possible adopters and show the facilities
where you can see the puppies’ mom and sometimes dad. Responsible
breeders offer a health guarantee for your new puppy and promise to take
the dog back if you ever need to give him up. They breed for quality not
quantity and are proud of their puppies. Breeders who care would never
sell their pups to a pet store to live in a small cage for weeks and
sometimes months, without the proper socialization and training every
puppy needs. Good breeders hold on to their puppies until they go to their
new homes.
Don’t
buy puppy mill dogs. Adopt
instead and rescue one of the 30,000 pets that are put to sleep every day
in the
