Beagle Breeding and Thieving Poochies

I've been such an ignoramus. Until last week, I literally had no idea that dogs were bred in the UK for testing. Have I been living under a rock?! I was sick to my stomach and a sobbing wreck when I read about it all on the BUAV website.

Now, I value no life above another, so it might seem surprising that I'm more shocked at this than I am at say, the fact that people breed mice for tests. The reason this makes me more sad and despairing at the world, is because if England, supposedly a nation of dog lovers, can allow this to happen, then what chance do the rest of the animals have? We're even further behind in this war on animal cruelty than I ever thought.

I'm going to this anti-vivisection march at the end of the month in London. Can't wait.

In other news, my naughtiest pair of fuzzy ones, AKA Lord Wallace and his devilish accomplice, Cecil, were up to their usual cheekiness last night.
I was starving in the evening and the only vegan food we had in was a fruit salad (mango, pineapple, melon and kiwi fruit - yum!) I left it on the dining table for 1 minute, literally 1 minute. Popped upstairs, came back down to see the guiltiest looking Lord Wall I've ever seen trying his best to act nonchalant, and as if he'd played no part in the robbery, while Cecil didn't bat an eyelid and continued feasting on my last piece of pineapple right in front of me! They'd scoffed the lot the little swines!!

I went to bed hungry thinking that perhaps I need to regain some control of my pesky pals and rule the roost once more.

''No chance lady. I'm the boss around these parts''

Cecil Goes Swimming

My smallest furry friend, Cecil, has some problems with his teeny little knees and hips. His poor little bones don't fit together properly. In large part, due to over breeding, yet another reason to boycott dog breeders - as if we needed another one.

Anyway, its not a bother for him now that he's just a spring chicken (apart from that when he runs he is the subject of much mockery because of how his little twiglet legs shuffle along in the silliest, cutest way you've ever seen) but as he gets older it could cause him lots of painful trouble.

So when the vet offered a surgery free option to building his muscle strength (which would in turn reduce stress on his joints) I was delighted. Even more so when she told me it included going to our local canine swimming centre. Wait - what? A swimming club for dogs?? You're giving me a license to soggy my doggy and have him engage in people games and all in the name of his good health?! As a person who can frequently be seen confiscating my pups' doggy dignities by doing shameful things like putting bows in their hair this was right up my street!

Plus, we got to see him wearing a teeny tiny little life vest! Adorable...

The triple whammy of joy was completed when he dried off to reveal the fluffiest dog I've ever seen.

Mostly I was happy that he wasn't too nervous of his adventure...he's not the most confident little guy so I was overjoyed when he put on his brave pants and shot straight to the top of the swimming class. Proud :-) 

My Pedigree Shame

You'll notice that I'm the proud pooch mummy to a matching pair of squish faces. You'd be right if you guessed that I bought them from breeders. At the time we got Lord Wallace (the bigger chap) I was a meat eater (blergh!) and he was to be my first canine companion. I hadn't given any consideration to adopting a rescue dog that really needed us, or to the fact that by contributing to the world of breeding I was practically ensuring that some pooch, somewhere, was going to be euthanized because he had no chance of a loving home.

I really am mortified at myself for being so ignorant. The part I most kick myself for, is buying Cecil, the most miniature of my squish faces, from a breeder about 9 months ago. When I was vegetarian and I did 'care' about animal welfare.

I had literally never came across anything that had pointed out the perils of choosing a bred buddy over a shelter one. Obviously that's my own fault, it's my job to make myself aware. But my point is that it's no wonder shelters are full to bursting and the amount of wonderful creatures being euthanized is increasing each year, if even people like me, who are besotted with animals, are ignorant to these facts.

Luckily though, I just so happened to purchase the most wonderful doggies on the planet (what? Biased? Never!) who, I can safely say inspired me to become vegetarian and now to become vegan. Without this pair of monkeys I wouldn't have been convinced that non humans are magnificent, intelligent, loving, awe inspiring scamps who need to be given a voice.

I also take some solace in the fact that Cecil was intended to be a show dog or a stud. At least by him living with me I've put an end to that nonsense. I can't say the same for Lord Wallace, he was from the reject bin of show doggies - too chubby and ' imperfect' to be entered, too mischievous to be trusted with performing. They were wrong by the way. He's the biggest show off, a  natural performer and he's cute as a button. Perfect.