Thank you to everyone who has sent condolences for the loss of the tiniest member of our family, Murphy. I have helped countless families say goodbye to their pets, and until today never completely understood the heaviness of having to make that decision. The sadness is slowly being replaced with anger toward the situation this tiny life was put in. Murphy was brought into my life 6 days ago by a woman who wanted to argue about paying $12.00 for my dad, a veterinarian, to examine a month old pit bull puppy. She described him as weak. When he arrived at the clinic he was ice cold, unresponsive, dehydrated and the size of a newborn puppy. His eyes and ears were barely open, he had no teeth. His littermates were chunky, could run, play, and eat on their own, meaning she watched them grow for an entire month, and ignored the fact that one puppy was not growing at all. She was told to forget the bill and leave me the pup. He enjoyed 6 days of warmth, food, and unconditional love. For 6 days I religiously fed and medicated him every 3 hours, night or day. While his comfort was improved, his condition had not. He wasnt growing, and lab work showed irreversible liver damage and anemia. Murphy was 5 weeks old when he was euthanized today, snuggled close to his owners-Larry and myself. He weighed less than 10 ounces and could fit in the palm of your hand. I cant help but ask why I do this to myself, but as my dad said, if we dont, whos going to? This should make you angry. If you have a pet, it should make you boil. This woman was not an identified animal abuser that will be raked over the coals of the media. Shes someones coworker, neighbor, a random woman on the street that allowed this tiny puppy to suffer. Myself and anyone in this industry can tell you some of the cruelest ignorance of care towards animals is brought on by their owners. Her household is an example of the epidemic of irresponsible breeding. The parents of this puppy have never seen a vet, the mother is close to a pup herself. Despite falling into a zip code that the ARL provides free spays and neuters to, they are not fixed. They will sell the other puppies for a decent profit, and the new owners will likely continue the cycle with the female pups. Puppy machines. This cycle is especially common with pit bulls, the most misunderstood, unfairly demonized breed out there. Murphys plight wouldve been avoided if his mother was spayed. Millions of healthy animals are euthanized every year, and until youve been present to watch life slip from an otherwise healthy animal, you cannot fully understand that number. This heartbreaking reality should be felt by more than just fellow members of the veterinary community; everyone shares in the responsibility of fixing this problem. If you have a dog or cat that is not spayed or neutered, that means you. If you needs more reasons, I have those too. If you cannot afford it, message me and I will help make it happen. Rest easy sweet Murphy 💞
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 04:15:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015