In what sort of world can this happen?

Eleven years ago I was about to embark on a life changing experience. Adopting my first rescue dog. Susie-Belle came home to us at the end of August 2011, with a lifetime of hurt to recover from. She changed my life. In the intervening years I’ve written five books and a lot of articles full of words I hope might do something, anything, to change the industry which harmed and nearly ended the life of Susie-Belle.

Today is one of those when I wonder, really, what difference do any of us make in a vast and cruel industry?

Today Schnauzerfest, the charity founded in Susie-Belle’s name is paying veterinary bills for a miniature schnauzer whose whole life has been spent breeding. All fourteen years. Fourteen years. What world are we in where spending fourteen years in a breeding shed is allowed? What difference is there between now and eleven years ago when I first had my eyes opened by Susie-Belle?

I thank the kind friend who sent this dog Suzie’s photo to me, knowing she needs all the love in the world. Suzie, of all the names, she’s called Suzie. My heart pinched when I first saw her beautiful face. Her big black eyes staring out, the weariness and suffering all too obvious. It took me straight back to seeing a photo of my own Susie-Belle for the first time.

For fourteen years Suzie was robbed of life. It’s been an existence of no love, no care, nor kindness. Moving around breeders. This is not unusual and it is always horrific for the dogs. They’re just stock to puppy farmers. Carted around, place to place, in one shed after another, away from scrutiny.

Suzie has made people a lot of money over the years when they sold her puppies. We’ll never know for sure how many, but we can know there are a lot of Suzie’s puppies in the world. She wouldn’t still be alive if she couldn’t produce. Simply, cruelly that.

All that changes now. She is safe.

Treatment began as soon as she was safe with her rescue. She has a mouth full of rotten teeth, badly infected ears, and other infections around her frail and worn out body.

With great thanks to Friends of Rescue NI for not turning her away despite being close to sinking under the burden of all they’re facing. The UK is in the middle of an animal welfare crisis.

I am very thankful little Suzie is with them and that Schnauzerfest can give support. The charity will ensure that her treatment costs are covered so she can live the rest of her life as well as she possibly can.

I was told that when she was found, my Susie-Belle was in the back of a shed tied by her neck with rope. Her emaciated body ravaged by multiple infections, her eyesight stolen by cataracts and untreated ‘dry eye’, her joints stiff and painful, her back bowed by the demands of repeated pregnancies. But she recovered from it all and embraced her life when she realised it was hers to enjoy.

I wish I could magic myself over to Northern Ireland right now and meet Suzie, and tell her my dear Susie-Belle learnt that life is worth living and so will she. However long or short hers turns out, it will be lived in freedom. It IS worth living. And worth every penny it will take to make it so.

If you would like to support the charity in paying vet bills for dogs like Suzie, donations are very welcome indeed – and needed – and can be made here.

I know every penny today matters more than ever for everybody, and every single dog like Suzie who are so innocent, and so hurt by humans. Thank you for caring.