Suzie’s life mattered
Last Friday, a dog was taken into a vet’s practice in Northern Ireland. She’d been there a couple of days before, and few days before that, and again, days before that. Since July, Suzie, for that was her name, had been in and out of the clinic, receiving treatment which was putting right, or attempting to, years of neglect. Not only neglect, but years, 12-14 years of repeated breeding.
On Friday, there was concern that Suzie was retaining fluid in her abdomen. A scan showed a liver mass. Suzie couldn’t take any more interventions. The kindest, hardest decision was taken. Her life ended peacefully, with people around who cared about and loved her, if only for a few short weeks.
Suffering, neglect and courage to survive defined Suzie’s life. It should never have been like this. Fate dealt Suzie a bad hand. A life of a breeding dog, moved from one breeder, aka puppy farmer, to another, with nobody caring about anything but the puppies she produced. Puppies that meant easy cash for Suzie’s breeders as puppy buyers who wilfully, or naively, sustain the breeding industry which allows a dog to suffer for their entire, long life.
Suzie’s strength and will to survive and her body which remained fertile until the end was the worst possible thing for her. For if her fertility had failed, her value to the breeder would have collapsed. She may just have been released in time to enjoy a life beyond suffering.
But it was not to be. Suzie did die peacefully and that is a small comfort in the sadness of Suzie’s long life. May this innocent soul rest in peace.
And may every puppy buyer please wake up to the reality which lies behind many of the puppies bought today. Please, one day this cruelty must end.
