B&W Sunday: A New Main Model

Happyhappy girl!

 While Skipper seems like the focus of my dog-life, considering this blog is named after him and features him as it's primary inspiration, my day-to-day life is actually very much focused on our other two canine house-mates as well. Our almost-senior Pug, Victoria is today's Top Model. Victoria will be six in January and came to me as an rehome rescue. She's never lived an underprivileged life, but her previous owner requested that Victoria be life in my care as she was no longer a good fit for their lifestyle. She has BYB origins and is smaller than most Pugs at between 12-14lbs (it varies on how well I'm watching her diet, haha). She has some health issues that aren't big now but have made her into a Senior dog before her time and will almost definitely shorten her lifespan. It breaks my heart because if any Pug deserved the best chance at life it's Victoria--happy all the time, loving everyone and ready for any adventure you throw her way. But she was badly bred and it has affected her lifestyle. I'm taking this post today to make the statement: Backyard breeding without health testing, a complimentary pairing by a stud/bitch proven to be good at whatever they should (by breed) excel at, and extensive experience and knowledge by the breeder should be a crime. If Victoria's parents had been health tested they probably wouldn't have been paired up and while that means Victoria would have never happened (and in full disclosure something in me does scream that a world without Victoria would be horrible and empty) it would have been the right thing. I'll save the horrors of puppy mills for another post, but be aware: Petstore puppies are just as bad, if not worse, than puppies bred by Backyard Breeders.

Depressing rant over with, here are a couple more photos to lighten the mood!

The obligatory Skipper photo

And dear Quenya mustn't be neglected!