Georgia's story

by Andi Godfrey



It is with reluctance that I write this story.  Firstly I have no wish to turn this site into a personal blog and secondly to tell the tale opens old and barely healed wounds; however, in view of the Dogs’ Trust recent campaign to expose the horrors of puppy farming, it is not only relevant but also my duty to relate Georgia’s story. 

I was working in a veterinary surgery when I first met Georgia, a German shepherd, who was lying anaesthetised on the operating table in the process of having her grossly misshapen ear flap removed.  She had suffered a haematoma (a blood filled swelling as a result of severe bruising) where she had continually worried and scratched at the infected ear.  It had been neglected to such an extent that drastic surgery was the only option.  This was only the start of her operation, it was then necessary for the surgeon to perform a complete ablation (removal) of the external ear canal due to the advanced state of her ear disease.  Her general condition was very poor.  It was obvious that she had recently had a litter, she was drastically underweight (about 15 kilos below what she should have weighed), and it was evident that she had a congenital allergic skin problem.   I commented on the gentle face this dog had to the nurse who was assisting.   She agreed and told me she had a sweet temperament to match despite being in excruciating pain, but she was concerned about the dog’s history.  She knew for a fact that Georgia was a breeding bitch and her age was around 5 or 6 years but much of what she said at the time was mere speculation.  There was no concrete evidence of poor breeding practice at the kennel nonetheless my nursing friend was very unhappy about Georgia returning there. 

The following morning I came into the surgery and there was a lot of barking coming from the Practice kennels.  I was almost afraid to ask after Georgia.  The vet had been very concerned about her state of health the previous day. My nursing friend appeared from the back smiling broadly and said, “Hear that racket?  It is our friend, Georgia.”  I was so relieved. 

I had already expressed the wish that I wanted to home Georgia and although my nurse friend felt the kennel owner might be relieved to be rid of her, I was given strict instructions by the vet, for the sake of my own welfare, to wait until he had given her the ‘all clear’.  At that stage there was no guarantee I would be able to take her anyway!
 A couple of days later the kennel owner came to collect her. I casually mentioned what a nice dog I thought Georgia was and how glad I was that she was making a good recovery.

“You can take her!” was the short reply.

I waited three weeks before it was confirmed that Georgia had made a full recovery and I could take her home.  I made an appointment to pick her up that afternoon and drove over to the kennel with my husband, our male German shepherd and female greyhound.  The owner was out, having forgotten we were due.  The kennel maid let Georgia out from behind a high gate where the kennels were situated.  It was clear that I was not going to get a chance to view that area! 

We needed to establish that Georgia would ‘get on’ with our dogs, but even if there had been an enormous fight, I would have brought her home anyway!  Within a few minutes I recognised that Georgia was showing all the signs of coming into season.  She was frequently marking her territory and our male GSD was showing rather more interest than I would have expected under normal circumstances.  The kennel maid shrugged.  She did not know or care.  The kennel owner arrived and happily let me put Georgia straight into the car.  I was promised vaccination certificates at sometime in the future but these were never to materialise.  As we drove home, the smell emanating from our new companion was putrid.  My husband had to put the car freshener right under his nose in order to cope with it.
  
Georgia was a submissive dog with a very gentle nature, but it was obvious that she had had little socialisation and freedom, and it took several weeks for her to settle.  Strangely she was always relaxed with me.  It was as if we had a natural bond.  Georgia had other problems to deal with too.  The operation had left her partially deaf and it appeared to affect her spacial awareness in the first few months. Often she bumped into obstacles while out on a walk. Her teeth were like chalk and would crumble if she was given a bone.  I noticed that her back legs were weak and put this down to her being kept in a kennel with little opportunity to exercise.  Later on I was to discover that along with her skin problem, that we were managing to keep under control, she had another congenital disease known as ‘degenerative myelopathy’ (DM) a kind of doggie MS that causes a gradual paralysis but no pain.
 
How many puppies had inherited Georgia’s skin condition and DM? There was growing evidence that she had been used for puppy farming and we calculated that she could have had up to 8 litters.  I met other vets, a manager of a rescue centre and a reputable breeder of GSDs who told me stories of puppies known to have come from this kennel that had congenital heart disease or died within the first few weeks from a heavy worm infestation.  I have no evidence, but was told it was common practice to have puppies imported from other parts of the country at the age of four weeks and put in with bitches that already had large litters of their own to feed.  Soon after I had homed Georgia the kennel started breeding Westies.  Several litters died of parvovirus.  One vet to whom I spoke told me he had been trying for some time to get these kennels prosecuted and shut down but his efforts had always been thwarted.

 

Georgia became a delightful companion.  Our male GSD died a year after Georgia joined the pack and she formed a strong relationship with our greyhound.  We moved back to London from the country but Georgia soon grew accustomed to the busy streets and loved her walks in Kensington Gardens.  I wish I had a pound for every time a stranger told me she had lost an ear.  I was always tempted to say, “Oh no! Where?” and frantically scan the ground for it! But Georgia was loved by everyone who got to know her, both here and in France where she joined us on our holidays.

Over the years Georgia’s back legs grew weaker and I resorted to trying her out with a mobile cart.  Sadly the disease was affecting her front legs too and she didn’t have the strength to cope.  We managed to walk her with the aid of a scarf supporting her middle but eventually one day she could no longer stand.  It was time to make that awful decision that so many dog owners have to face.  She was sensitively helped to her death by our vet while lying in the back of our car where she had always felt happiest and most secure.  She was fed a feast of pig’s ears right up to the end and surrounded by people that loved her, including our greyhound. 


 
I was devastated after Georgia died.  It was a very special relationship and one I will always hold in my heart.  I am thankful that she had four and a half years of living her life to the full but, most of all, I am thankful that finally the kennel was closed down.

For more information on this subject click THE DOGS TRUST WARN PUBLIC AGAINST THE PURCHASE OF 'BATTERY FARMED' PUPPIES.