Monday, February 8, 2010

8 Years ago Today

Eight years ago today, we brought Shiloh home. She was a sickly little thing. She came from a Pet Store in Tucson, Arizona called Animal Kingdom. At the time, I was working at the store, and I had already been trying to help Shiloh with her issues for over two weeks.


When Shiloh arrived at the store, she was terrified of people, loud noises, and she had green stuff coming out of her eyes, nose, and rear. She was a sick puppy. They put her on all kinds of medicine. Because I knew she was a special case, every day when I came into work, I would take her into the puppy room and play with her. She always hid in the furthest corner away from me. She would just tremble like crazy!

I tried very hard to find her a home, but no one wanted her, she was so sick and scared all the time, the company was talking about having her put down. None of the medicines they were giving her were helping, and she wasn't "puppy" like, so she wouldn't sell quickly. When I heard this news, I was devestated.


The decision was made that we would take her home. As soon as the company heard that, they decided she was still worth money. So not only did we have to pay the full price for her, we were now stuck with this sick and terrified puppy.

When we got home, she hid underneath our coffee table for the first few days. We would put her food and water just outside the edges of the table, but she felt safe there, so we didn't presure her too much.



When she saw grass for the first time it was so amazing! I don't think she had ever seen it! She probably lived her whole young life inside of a cage. She was a very strange husky puppy. She was not very hyper, only seldom did she get excited, and because everything scared her, she was easy to train. I think we potty trained her in two weeks because she didn't like to hear the word no.

Shiloh was born in a Puppy Mill in Dixion Missouri. She was taken from her mom around 3 - 4 weeks of age, put on a semi-truck, and shipped to Phoenix, Arizona. From there she was put in a van and dropped off at the store in Tucson. Shortly after we purchased Shiloh, I was fired from that pet store, for telling a woman how sick the puppy was that she had just purchased. It was worth getting fired. Everything you hear about pet stores is true. The puppies are in deplorable conditions, and even though the stores may look clean, so much goes on behind the walls that you don't see.

Shiloh is 8 years old. She has officially lived with us for 8 years. She is the best friend a person could ever ask for. I hope she makes it at least another 8 years, if not more. I love her very very much.

13 comments:

  1. Thank you fur saving her and sharing her -

    One of these days, we need those kind of places shutdown -

    And then we need the 'hoomans' running them to live life like THAT -

    Happy Gotcha Day Shiloh!

    Hugz&Khysses,
    Khyra

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  2. Happy anniversary to both of you! ♥

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  3. You are Shiloh's Angel! Happy 8th "Gotcha" Day, Shiloh! I hope you got lots of yummy treats to celebrate! What a bittersweet story. To know a little pup experienced such terror and fear is heartbreaking. But the ending is perfect! Thank you for sharing. Shiloh, you are one beautiful dog! And the pictures of you as a pup are adorable. Love your ears!

    Suka

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  4. Happy Gotcha Day Shiloh (and may places like those puppy mills and puppy stores all go out of business).

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  5. Happy Gotcha Day! I am so happy you found such a wonderful home! Enjoy your day!

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  6. Wow, what a story. Thank you for sharing it.

    Byron's Mom

    Happy Gotcha day Shiloh!!!!

    Byron

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  7. Good for you Shiloh! You were lucky to find such a great mum. I hope you get a bit of ham or something to celebrate.

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  8. Shiloh's gottcha day? Eight awesome years together. Aaaaah. Shiloh, my furiend, we had a similar real start in life. It doesn't matter you're a gorgeous Sibe and I a not so attractive tiny Chi. Well, we proved, thanks to our families, that inhumans do NOT rule. Yeah!
    Twink!

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  9. Happy gotcha day Shiloh! My mom knows exactly how horrible those stores are and what they produce. Samuel came from one, and look how weird he is! He also has lots of health issues - severe food allergies, hypothyroid, zinc deficiency and a bad hip. We all need to fight to get puppy mills shut down so this horror will end for so many pups out there just like Shiloh. She is one of the lucky ones to have found such a wonderful home!

    Holly

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  10. Happy Gotcha Day, beautiful Shiloh! We're furry furry happy that your mom took woo out of that horrible place and away from certain death. We wish wo many mnay more years of good health & happiness with your furever family!

    a-roos to yous,
    jack a-roo & moo too

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  11. Wooos! What a great story, and Happy Gotcha Day to a beawootiful Shiloh! I was a breeder dump off at a shelter dog, and my Mum rescued me too!I am happy and I hope woo are too!
    -Kira The BeaWootiful

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  12. Happy Gotcha Day Shiloh! What a horrible company, but what a wonderful ending for you! I'm so glad your mom was there to take you home.

    Kat

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  13. aw...Your article made me cry. Wordless....Only a smile on my face

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