11/11/2023
This isn’t the most glamourous photo of Rosie; yet, it's a photo that says so much. She's enjoying her new favorite things – a fresh breeze skimming her skin, the smell and feel of soft grass, the sunshine warming her body – all things that she had never experienced before she was rescued. She was finally happy, comfortable, and loved…so very loved.
Today is the anniversary of the saddest day of my life. I miss her as much today as I did then and that will not change. The profound feeling of loneliness, sorrow and utter despair has subsided but not completely, and I doubt that it will ever leave.
The two tiny lives in my care now are like Rosie. Abby Roo and Bebe have issues from unethical breeding. Abby Roo’s deformed legs are a common issue in unethically bred Chihuahuas. Bebe’s hydrocephaly and liver shunt conditions are also an issue when breeders do it for the money. Both girls live their lives to the fullest and, like Rosie, don’t have any idea they are different. With them, Rosie’s legacy of education and advocacy will continue. Education that is truly needed.
With so many people at home due to COVID, the purchase of puppies over the internet is seeing an upsurge. Ethical breeders test their dogs for genetic defects and do not breed dogs who carry those genes. Ethical breeders put time and money into their puppies and do not sell them over the internet or in parking lots.
It’s impossible for us to monitor and shut down every backyard/unethical breeder but if there is no demand for these puppies, the breeding will stop.
Hoarding is a more complicated issue because many hoarders suffer from mental illness. The best way we can assist when we see a situation like the one Rosie was in is to be compassionate, calm, and kind. Get the animals to safety and then contact the hoarder’s family members or your local social services.
Rosie’s story inspired many of you to volunteer at your local shelter, to adopt a special needs dog, to educate your friends, colleagues, and family on the issues of unethical breeding and hoarding. I’m asking all of you to please continue Rosie’s mission and continue to speak up for the animals who suffer in silence, the ones who don’t get rescued.
As always, I ask that in remembrance of our precious Rosie, be kind to every living being – including yourself.
xo, Cinnamon