Poor chihuahua puppy.

B

Burmilla

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 June 2012
Messages
845
Visit site
And i'm not sure I have spelt that correctly - but you will know the breed I mean.
Just visited another of our Local Authority's "service users": her children are subject to a child protection plan. She cannot keep them safe from either her poor choices in life,her violence or her partner's violence. Before you wonder why the LA has not removed both these very young children (2 years and 6 months old respectively,) we have to "give her a chance to work in partnership with the LA and benefit from targeted support and guidance". We also have to provide a Court with evidence that we have given her the above opportunities and she can't/won't manage to change.
Whilst I was sitting with this young woman, her two year old was kicking a metal cage. I asked what it was - between the end of the sofa and the wall - she said "the puppy cage". Heart sank. Allegedly 8 week old chi, minute. Violent partner gave it to her at the weekend. I pointed out she hadn't got enough money to keep the children, let alone a dog.
She said she ("Dolly") was eating wet puppy food and showed me a small opened tray of Ceser (Caesar?) puppy food and said "it has one of those four times a day". Please can you tell me what the unfortunate creature should be eating? Regime for puppies of that breed and that age?
I've plenty of experience of dogs, but not chi's. I can see all sorts of dangers for the poor thing, in that tiny, squalid house: the hyperactive 2 yr old, the large and clumsy mother,her lack of awareness of her children's needs, let alone those of a vulnerable animal, the violent relationship etc etc. I asked her if she really felt it was the right choice to have the puppy at this moment: " it's an animal - you lot can't stop me. It's my right to have it if I want to".
You will be unsurprised to learn of the very high correlation of child and animal cruelty and neglect in the same households.
Apart from kidnapping it - please can anyone come up with a suitable regime I can insruct her to follow?
 
All I can say is my hat is off to you and your job. I couldn't do it and keep calm and sane. The puppy situation sounds like a disaster course - horrible :( Why do people in an inappropriate situation believe it is there right to own an animal? It is beyond me :mad:
 
Naturediet puppy food - one pack per day over four feeds. This is much better than Ceasar and less than half the cost.

A tiny chi is not suited to being around a boisterous two year old. I wonder where it came from?
 
Last edited:
I run into this a lot as I work for the nhs and do a lot of home visits. I just go straight for RSPCA, I'm afraid.
 
Tell her they get sick/poorly really easily and will cost her lots in vet bills, tell her some scare story about a friend having one, she'd be better off letting you try to help her find a home for it etc etc etc, cause chances are it is going to end up getting dumped anyway when it loses appeal, she can't afford to feed it, the children drive it scatty and it bites them etc.
 
Echo what the others have said, Burmilla - hats off to you for doing a tough job !

We had some neighbours who appeared to be a very 'chaotic' family. They acquired a chi puppy too. They had no back gate and on more than one occasion it ran out of the back garden into the busy road. I saw it out there myself one day - couldn't catch it so I planned to call the dog warden about it. Before I had the chance to call, we saw one of the kids carrying it down the road by one of its front legs. :eek: My hubby told told them how to carry it correctly.

We called the dog warden immediately and he visited them. He called us to let us know that they surrendered the puppy (sadly dog warden told us it wasn't the first puppy they'd had. :( ) and they moved away shortly afterwards.

So I would say it might be worth a call to your dog warden.
 
Violent partner bought puppy for her at weekend. To make up for older children being removed by their father. VP a person whose ancestors walked the "pike" - i.e., travelled the roads, looking for gainful employment. Comes from a large group of a similar ancestry, who live in temporary accommodation in an adjacent neighbourhood. Difficult relationship with authority. So, unsure of where puppy was "bought" from. Assured that the tray of puppy food was "wot it gets, cos the woman who had it, said so".
Re RSPCA: won't touch it, or even visit. Puppy has safe space - cage, food and water. Garden enclosed. Child supervised. Bedding clean. They cld advise/assist/befriend but she wld tell them to "go *******yourself - you aint got nuffink on me" like she does with me - and I have got plenty "on" her, and on VP!
Will advise the Naturediet, but not sure where she would get it from. The big feed store near local large town have it. Will google stockist in local area. No good advising puppy classes either - "I don't do groups, full of ********** half wit fifteen year olds.". And that's so she can show willing to get some idea how to keep the remaining children with her. If I buy puppy the Naturediet out of my money I will feel I am colluding with her having her. She (mother) will say "you care more abaht a ********** dog than you do abaht the kids". She will, in part, be right. I have the law to protect children from their feckless violent parents. The dog has to be visibly harmed/neglected over time before the RSPCA can act decisively to remove.
My huge caseload of equally/ worse families only allow a visit to this household every ten working days: (statutory guidelines decides this, not me, btw!) the health visitor is on side and visits monthly. Not enough to keep a close enough eye on children at the moment, let alone tiny vulnerable puppy. Surely eight weeks is too young to be away from mother and litter mates - it is the size of a tiny black glove! :(
 
I think the food issue is a bit of a red herring to be honest. It's not ideal but there must be several thousand dogs in the UK raised and fed on things like trays of Cesar, Pedigree et al. by owners who think they are doing the best by their animals. And eight weeks is fairly usual for pups to go to their new homes.

RSPCA won't act if it has food, water and shelter. So ditto CC, go for the cost angle, weave her a few stories of huge vet bills and horrible fatal diseases (quite possible, it could have come from anywhere, lots of puppy farmed dogs perish from things like parvo).
 
As already said, if the pup is fed and housed then the RSPCA won't act, so I think CC's idea is best, hopefully you will be able to convince the owner it is going to cost her a fortune in vets bills. Although 8 weeks is normal for most pups to go to new home, toy breeds usually stay with their breeder until at least 10 weeks old, perhaps you could point this out to her and say it increases the risk of the pup becoming ill.
I hope you are able to help the children, poor little souls, don't envy you your job.
 
I agree with Blackcob, the food isnt ideal but at least she is feeding it, I think with someone like this lady her life will be filled with negatives and you criticising the food is more of the same. Im not criticising you, god you have a thankless task most of the time, but I think if you take a different stance and praise as much as possible you may see a different result. The pup is in a crate which is a good thing, not ideal but perhaps a few suggestions will go a long way coupled with your praise, perhaps she may even take pride in the pup.
 
Thanks, folks. I'll see what I can muster in way of praise and encouragement. Suggesting pet insurance, perhaps, given it will probably need some vet help. Also advising taking her to PDSA free clinic up the road.
This is the worst part of my job - and there are plenty to choose from atm, I can tell you - massive caseloads, no time/money/staff to do a proper safe job - but I feel so helpless when "they" get animals - and they mostly do - because "the burden of proof" required to get definative positive action to protect them is so much higher, and it really isn't my job, so can only act by stealth - word hear, word there. Oh well. Keep going. Keeps the horse, the dog n the cat - and me - just!
 
Poor little thing.

Chi pups shouldnt leave the breeder until at least 12 weeks of age. The British Chihuahua club actually have that as a stipulation that all members have to adhere to. Obviously, it is unlikely that this pup was bred by someone who would bother joining the chihuahua club though....

Would never, ever sell a chihuahua with young children. IMO they are entirely unsuitable as childrens pets 1) because they are incredibly fragile and can be very easily broken with rough handling and, 2) they are much less tolerant of being manhandled than, for example, a labrador. (not saying a labrador should be manhandled before anyone jumps on me!! Just saying that, generally, they have a very high tolerance level).

Doubt theres much you can do to get it removed as others have said. I've always had 8 week old pups on Royal Canin mini - thats what i feed all my chi's on, and cooked chicken, rice, tinned sardines, cooked fish...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top