Many people have asked about Harley’s siblings and how they are doing. They are all doing well and I will tell you about each one in individual posts. Tonight will be about Cricket.
Cricket was our first puppy mill dog and our introduction into the puppy mill industry. It was because of her that Dan and I became volunteers for National Mill Dog Rescue. That was 7 1/2 years ago and Cricket is now about 13 years old. Cricket came from a horrible puppy mill in Missouri and this was her story: She only had 1 living pup in her last 2 litters and both were born by cesarean … so Cricket was no longer of value to the breeder. Thank God she was relinquished and not killed.
She still had stitches from her last cesarean when NMDR got her. Our veterinarian referred to her scarring as a “kitchen cesarean”. This means anesthesia was NOT used. She suffered. In fact, Cricket suffered so much that she was extremely terrified of humans, but men in particular. It took 3 years before Dan could walk up to Cricket and pet her. For the longest time it was baby-steps for Cricket and we were very patient. She deserved that.
All these years later Cricket’s favorite person is her dad, Dan. She would live in his lap if it were possible. And she is almost ready to give kisses … almost.
Cricket is the kindest, sweetest, most gentle and submissive little Chihuahua you could ever meet. She always mothered Harley. From the moment she first met him, Cricket took care of him.
Cricket is smart, she can sit, stay, roll over and shake paw. She developed a condition called protein losing enteropathy, which is a serious auto-immune disease and it nearly took Cricket’s life, that was 2 years ago. She is doing well now thanks to a great doctor (Dr. Allison Bradley, who was also Harley’s internist). She gets daily meds and a special diet.
So that’s our Crickey …. we love her dearly. We know she’s experienced a lot of loss in her earlier years and it’s sad to know she is missing her brother right now.
