Here is a photo of little Piper in happier days. She was taken by Police & Animal Control from SD Pets. She is now fighting for her life. NEVER, EVER buy from a pet store & support these vile businesses. Below is the REAL cost...

The REAL cost of buying from San Diego Pets:

Puppy sold by San Diego Pets- $250

But your costs go up from there due to their negligent and inhumane practices. Here is the breakdown of costs associated with veterinary bills from a recent litter of puppies confiscated by Animal Control from San Diego Pets.

Coccidia treatments - $50 per puppy (will need at least 2 treatments)
Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract of animals. The disease spreads from one animal to another by contact with infected feces or ingestion of infected tissue. Diarrhea, which may become bloody in severe cases, is the primary symptom. Young animals may suffer severe symptoms, including death.

Roundworm treatments - $60 per puppy for antibiotics + $4000 for surgery if needed (will need at least two rounds of treatment)
Roundworm infection is a common cause of diarrhea and can cause vomiting as well. Sometimes the worms themselves are vomited up which can be alarming as they can be quite large, females reaching lengths of up to seven inches. Very heavy infections can lead to and, if there are enough worms, the intestine can actually become obstructed. Causing surgery which cost thousands of dollars. It should also be noted that human infection by this parasite is especially serious.

Giardia treatments -$60 per puppy (the litter of puppies had to go through 5-6 treatments each)
In the cases in which disease occurs, younger animals are usually affected, and the usual sign is diarrhea. Usually the infected animals will not lose their appetite, but they may lose weight. The feces are often abnormal, being pale, having a bad odor, and appearing greasy. In the intestine, Giardia prevents proper absorption of nutrients, damages the delicate intestinal lining, and interferes with digestion. It would be wise to consider infected animals capable of transmitting Giardia to humans.

E Coli treatments - $40-$75 per puppy (for antibiotics) + upwards of $3000 to treat kidney disease
E. coli can cause diarrhea in dogs. Some strains can cause severe disease, such as the infamous E. coli O157:H7 which can cause kidney disease

Bladder infection treatments – Up to $750 per puppy (for antibiotics + removal of bladder stones)
A dog with a bladder infection is a dog at risk for bladder stones. In some bladder infections, minerals in the urine crystallize and form bladder stones, which can be as small as grains of sand or larger than marbles or small rocks. Bladder stones can also create areas where bacteria can hide from antibiotics, leading to long-term infections that are difficult to treat.

Staph infection treatments – Up to $500 per puppy (for antibiotics, vet visits, biopsies)
Symptoms depend on severity. Mild skin infections may appear as crusty skin lesions. More advanced cases will manifest draining areas and cause severe itching. Bacterial infections are often secondary to another problem, so the possibility of parasitic infections, allergies, and hormonal abnormalities should be checked. The skin is usually biopsied and/or cultured to confirm the diagnosis. Oral antibiotics are selected based on test results, and may need to be given for several months if the infection is very deep.

Behavior issues – Up to $5,000 for dog training, vet visits, and legal fees
Many mill survivors have spent their entire life in the mill with only a elevated wire cage to call home. Puppies who grow up in a mill miss out on many crucial socialization periods with humans and they never learn to trust, to love, or to play. They have had very minimum physical contact with people and have virtually no concept of what to expect (or what is expected of them) when they are placed in a family situation. In the mill, they were probably fed and watered using automatic dispensers, and their feces and urine was only cleaned after it fell through the wire that they lived on. Most of the dogs have had their spirit broken many years before and aggression and fear is normal.

Heartbreak of losing a beloved pet due to illness caused by poor breeding and negligence - PRICELESS!!

The rest – Vaccinations, Micro-chips, Spay/Neuters - $500 and up

Total REAL Cost of purchasing a dog form San Diego Pets – over $4,000

Cost to adopt from a rescue or shelter $80-$500 and your puppies come complete with vaccinations, micro-chipped, spayed/neutered, and behavior testing.

BOYCOTT San Diego Pets!!!

Happy the mutt

When I was a little girl, my weekends were spent with my mother. Being a hard working super mom, this was our special bonding time. She would take me to the zoo where we would visit the petting zoo and then share a sprinkled waffle cone. We would visit museums, where I would stand and watch all the trains go by on the tracks at the transportation museum. And every once in a while, she would take me to the Humane Society to visit all the cats, dogs, and horses.

I loved going to the shelter. For an hour or two, I got to pet and spend time with all of the animals. Growing up I was never allowed to have pets with fur (stupid finches). So I loved being able to spend time interacting with them, even though every visit left me teary eyed and begging for a puppy.

On one visit when I was about 8 I met the most wonderful dog in the world. His name was Happy, he was a mutt and from what I can recall he was black & tan and about 50 lbs. I sat the entire time petting him through the bars of the kennel and when my mom tried to take me away to see the other animals (she could see I was getting very attached), I refused to go. I felt this connection, this bond, and I pleaded with my mother to let me adopt him. I will walk him, feed him, do all my chores, get good grades - pretty please!Of course she said no and she practically had to pry my white knuckles from the metal bars of Happy's kennel. Later that week at a family gathering my mom loved telling the story about how I fell in love with Happy. How he was not the cutest or cleanest and he was in fact the ugliest and stinkiest dog in the whole shelter. I guess she felt a sense of pride that her daughter had depth.

But what she did not know and I did not know either was that Happy was my first rescue dog. I was not able to take him home to be my pet but he unlocked this piece of my heart that would develop over time. Rescue dogs choose you as much as you choose them. There's an instant connection when you meet your rescue dog. It goes further than pretty fur or a sparkling mug. It is an instant bond, and you know... when you know.

Why start a blog?

I never thought I would ever start a blog. For one, I don't really have a lot of free time to put my thoughts on paper. And second, I would be the first to tell you that my thoughts are probably not that interesting to other people.

Most of you reading this get enough of my thoughts on Facebook, email forwards, and lengthy discussions over one too many glasses of wine. You get it - I love animals. Dogs in particular. And there are puppy mills, dogs left out in the cold, overpopulation in shelters, etc...etc...etc...

So why this blog? Why now? Logical next step maybe? Overzealous attempt to educate the whole world about animal welfare and end the homeless populations of animals? I am not that naive. NO I started this blog because I for some time now, I have had the great pleasure of meeting many canines and I always said that one day I was going to write a book and share their stories with you all. Why? Well for one, I think they matter. And they are good stories. Stories that bring a smile to your face and maybe a tear to your eye. And years down the road I want to remember them. All of them.

It may sound silly but my experience with dogs has made me a better person. A less selfish person, a kinder person, and more patient. They have taught me lessons and have been supportive of me. Any one who has a family pet can relate to this I am sure.

And so today as I was walking a few of them down at the kennels where we board the dogs in our rescue I decided - I am going to start a blog. Not for me but for them. I know this blog may not be groundbreaking, but maybe someone can learn something new about rescue dogs. Maybe one will get adopted by someone reading this blog. Or maybe I will just have a journal that I can read when I am old and grey, over a glass of wine with a warm puppy at my foot.