Friday, May 23, 2008

the sixth and most recent child


This is Beka (formerly known as Annie). She's a 18 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback - an African breed. They were originally bred as an all around "farm" dog - to protect the herd from predators and sometimes hunt. More recently they have been used to hunt predators like African lions and cougars - they do not kill the cat but corner it for the hunter to shoot it.

Beka, unfortunately, has a sad story. She was removed from a home that had 1 male and multiple females - basically a backyard puppy mill (see below for definition of puppy mill). She was kept in a back yard - they were free fed and had to fight for food. She had never been in a home (as far as we can tell). She was never walked on a leash. She was never socialized with people and was therefore convinced she would be eaten by people. As you can see from my pics she is improving. But as you can see by the look on her face she's still not sure I won't eat her. Beka was lucky though - she was removed from the home and placed in a Ridgeback Rescue of the US foster home. She stayed there for about 2 months were she learned the basics of being a pet dog (like house training, walking on a leash, food does arrive on a regular basis etc.) She came home with me earlier this month. She has settled in pretty well - Wiggles finds her fascinating - Beka finds Wiggles terrifying......... We are working on that!


Puppy mill: The National Companion Animal Coalition defines puppy mills as a high-volume, sub-standard dog breeding operation, which sells purebred or mixed-breed dogs, to unsuspecting buyers. Characteristics common to puppy mills include: sub-standard health and/or environment issues; sub-standard animal care, treatment and/or socialization; sub-standard breeding practices which lead to genetic defects or hereditary disorders; and erroneous or falsified certificates of registration, pedigree, and/or genetic background. Note: These conditions may also exist in small volume or single-breed establishments.

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