3 years ago Susie-Belle’s first big day out was Pup Aid – 2 weeks today we’re returning

Soon after we brought Susie-Belle home to us 3 years ago, we took her out to a show that seemed made for her, the annual puppy farming awareness Fun Dog Show Pup Aid.

At that time it was held near Brighton, but since then it has been held in London, Primrose Hill and gone from strength to strength. This year’s event has special significance as the parliamentary debate on puppy farming that Pup Aid’s founder, Marc Abraham has spearheaded will be held a couple of days before. So, 6 September could see a day of celebrating enough MPs doing the decent thing and agreeing to ban third party sales of puppies in outlets such as pet shops and garden centres, or a day of mustering support and galvanising for a prolonged and difficult next stage of the campaign to end puppy farming.

However the debate goes, at Pup Aid, we intend celebrating the life of every puppy farm dog wherever they are, whether living in freedom like Susie-Belle and Twinkle, or still trapped by the inhumane humans who see them as breeding cash machines.  Every single dog deserves each ounce of love and recognition for being themselves, not a commodity, that the supporters of Pup Aid will show by being present on the day.

Here are extracts from Chapter 8 of our book which give a flavour of our first experience at Pup Aid, 3 years ago when Susie-Belle had been free of the puppy farm for 6 months and with us just a few weeks…

“Once I’d wrestled with my own anxiety about Susie-Belle being amongst so many people and had taken a few deep breaths, I relaxed, looked around and realised what a fantastic event we were at. The atmosphere was lively but not frenetic and there were plenty of dogs of all shapes and sizes milling happily around……men on stilts wandered around, amusing children and startling the adults”. 

“Amongst the frivolity and fun, the purpose of the event was ever present with several stalls promoting awareness of puppy farming, small independent charities and organisations displaying pictures of breeding dogs….it was sobering to see these images on a sunny day of joyful activity and remind ourselves why were there”. 

“After lunch, we headed home but not before we had seen the emotionally moving parade of ex-breeding bitches, all rescued from terrible conditions in puppy farms and now living the kind of lives that all dogs should enjoy – free from pain, suffering and neglect, surrounded by an abundance of love and compassion…..seeing these damaged dogs was sad but powerfully reinforced the message of the day: buying puppies indiscriminately, ignorantly or just plain naively fuels the demand and continues the abuse of thousands of parent dogs. That night, I gave Susie-Belle an extra special supper and a gentle cuddle”

In the three years since that weekend, Susie-Belle has transformed herself. At this year’s event, she will take part in the Parade, along with Twinkle. I couldn’t have imagined that 3 years ago.

We will be there all day sharing our stall with the Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre to help them to raise funds and enjoy the day with friends of DBARC. We’ll be selling, signing and pawtographing copies of the book and donating all profits from sales made on the day to DBARC.

So, do come along, spread the word, get friends and family to come and be sure to pop over and say hello.