Blossom's Birthday (Belated) Wish

woof, I am Blossom, I am a Maltese dog and Mommy said she will type this out for me. It is my birthday wish. My 7th birthday was August 20 but mommy has been real sick, so I forgive her for being so late. I just want her to get better, she walks me more then and plays more with me.

I came to mommy last December. I grew up in a tiny cage just big enough to have a litter of puppies in and turn around in. I never went outside and when I first saw grass I grew very afraid. The people who kept me in the cage were mean to me, their hands always hurt me, grabbing me and sqeezing me by the scruff of my neck and jabbing sharp needles into me. They took my puppies away from me, I did not get to see them grow up. they gave me shots all the time and made me breed with strange male dogs and I had about 3 litters a year. Dogs are only supposed to have one litter a year, the shots mommy tells me were human hormones to make me come in season more than nature meant for me to. I never got enough to eat and it was bad food, I was always hungry and very skinny. The cage was wire, snd it hurt my feet to always stand on it, and my toes permenantly splayed outwards from trying to get purchase on the wire cage bottom to walk, my toes would keep falling though the cage bottom. It hurt. I never got a real bath, or a hair cut, the humans would turn a hose on and spray me and my puppies off with a blast of cold water every once in a while. We had no where to go to the bathroom away from our food bowl and bed. It was very dirty and I was very dirty and my fur was matted to my body and stank bad but I did not know this until I was rescued. One day, I got sick. I did not get better. The humans did not believe in spending any money on us dogs if we got sick, they would just get rid of us. The humans took me out of the cage I was so scared! and gave me to another lady. I did not know it then but she was nice. I was terrified, I had never been out of my cage before and when we got to her hosue she shaved all my matted fur off! I had skin and she gave me a bath and I did not stink any more. I thought she was going to kill me but it turned out all right. The clippers made a horrible buzzing noise but did not cut me just my hair. (I am a Maltese and we have hair not fur!) The bath water was warm! I saw things at her house I had never dreamed existed. I hid a lot at first. The other dogs showed me the way to get round. The nice lady (Deborah) had other dogs she had rescued. We ran in a pack in the house free and I learned to walk around a large space in the house but it scared me so I would spin just like I was in the cage still. I still spin when I get nervous. But it happens less and less. I lived with Deborah for 8 months then she took me in long car ride (wow, cars!) and left me with mommy. I was terrifed of mommy but she has turned out to be the nicest lady. She feeds me real good and I have a big bowl full of different food ALL THE TIME and can eat whenever I want and it is all mine and i have enough and plenty of fresh water too. She gives me baths me and has me groomed so my fur is always nice and clean. The most amazing thing is the bed! This HUGE, soft cushion we lie on all day and night if we want, no holes in the bottom for my toes to fall through and it is so comfy. I can't believe this human, she even puts dresses on me because she figured out the air conditioning made me cold since my hair is short now. Dresses! Me! I am so special. I like my dresses, they are real cute and warm. They belong only to me. Mommy lets me walk and run anywhere in the apartment that I want to. She did not grab me all the time and let me get used to this new place and to her and i slowly allowed her to touch me and pet me. I did not know what petting was and it really scared me at first, I would quake from head to toe when her hands touched me at first. I don't shake now and I like being petted, it feels so good! Her hands do not hurt me, she never grabs me or squeezes me, and she is very gentle with me and never yells at me or blasts me with cold water or jabs me with a needle. Sometimes we go some place in a car and I do get jabbed but it is quick and the humans are nice and mommy tells me it is so I will not get sick. I cannot believe my good luck. I thought humans were horrible creatures and my life was so miserable, Now I am a little queen, mommy tells me and I can do whatever I want. I am a good dog and never bother anything. I sleep a lot because I am still tired from having all those puppies. I am so sorry for them, for I know maybe they are lving in a cage like I did for 5 years. I am so glad I do not have puppies any more, I still do not like my tummy touched much but I will let mommy stroke it once in a while when I am in a good mood. She never hurts me.

Mommy says this place I come from is called a puppymill. It is factory for making dogs have more puppies just to make money for the humans that run it. Everything is about money there, we are objects not creatures with feelings and needs. We are property there. Not like now, mommy is my family. Those humans do not believe in spending moeny on us dogs if we get sick. They feel we are then worthless because we are not making them money and they let us die there or get rid of us like they did with me. I got lucky, and now I live in a palace. But mommy says there are many puppymills still out there and thousands of poor dogs suffering like i did. They sell their puppies to Pet Shops. A reputable breeder would NEVER sell their puppies to a pet shop because their puppies are part of their family and they care about them, they send them to good homes where the people are checked out and made sure they can take good care of them for their whole lives. My birthday wish is for all the puppymills to be closed down. This will only happen if people make them stop and they can be made to stop by refusing to buy puppies from back yard breeders and pet shops. If a puppy comes from a good home there will be an interview and the adopters may even have a home visit by the breeder to make sure they have a nice home to bring the puppy to. Please spread the word about puppymills and get people to stop buying puppies from them.

I live a good life now and want all dogs to be so lucky. All's well that ends well. I am very happy now and I get to style in my new dwesses! How do you like my dwess in the pic? I even have matching bows but don't tell mommy I hate them, they pull my hair and I take them out as soon as I can. I get to meet new humans who are real nice to me, so that is nice. Mommy has a friend who comes over all the time and she is real nice to me. I get to go on walks around the apartment complex and that is really fun. I like eating and get to eat whenever I like. I really love stretching out on the bed and even have a pillow to put my head on and my own blankie. Mommy and i play catchmeifyoucan but I always win, I am so fast! Sometimes I let her think she has won though. LOL I have an important job, I am the guard dog here and I am very good at it. What is really neat is all the space I have to roam around in here and I love running through the apartment very fast just because I can.

Thank you for reading my letter and thanks to mommy for writing it for me, the big words are hard for me. Now it is time for a nap!

Update

I am holding my own and haven't been to the ER in way over a week now so am feeling stronger. Thanks for your encouraging words! soon I will post a review of some stellar mineral eye shadow I have just received and a long awaited article on puppymills from my dog, Blossom's, viewpoint, I promise it will end on a very good note! Blossom gives it a 2 paw salute!

Blossom 4th of July bow

Here is my lovely dog, Blossom, a Maltese, with me now over 7 months, she is a puppymill rescue. Her fav thing to do? Recline in spoiled luxury on the soft plump queen-sized jacquard covered bed, so very different than the wire she was forced to live on 24/7 for 5 years. She deserves it and more! What an expression on her face! She is chastising me because of the camera, once put away, she was back to racing around and playing.

Edited photo courtesy of Rosemary. thank you so much Rosemary. You are an artiste.

Blossom Week One

Blossom is a 6 year old purebred Maltese, who has just come from living 8 months at a blessed rescuers home with 13 other dogs. Deborah entrusted me with Blossom (thank you Deborah!) and I am honored. After one week of bouncing back and forth between my home and my mother's Blossom is doing as well as she could be expected. She misses the wee wee pads most of the time, ate her feces or tried to once, sleeps like an angel on my bed with me never making a mess, raced throughout the house nonstop for 3days then she toned it down to a trot and walk and now relaxes in the living room with me watching tv when we are not on my bed. she does not know what treats are. She does not know what going outside means. she is a lovely dog and deserves the chance at living a happy bonded life (hopefully) with a kind human (me). Her only purpose in life for 5 years was living in a tiny cage 24/7 and having puppies. Human touch hurt. she was not fed enough. I figure she made her captors at least $6000 in puppies. Then was discarded when she got an anal sac infection or got too old to breed (puppymillers do not spend money on their dogs). PLEASE buy your puppies ONLY from reputable breeders check them out! Don't buy from Petland! Are their puppies raised in a loving home environment with good health care and kind treatment? If you have TONS of patience, are kind, and have TIME consider adopting a puppymill dog from a reputable rescuer. Undo the harm that has been done in humanity's name. give a good dog a loving safe home but realize this dog may never be a huggable lap dog, they have issues, you would too if you were kept in a tiny cage for years. I love Blossom and I know in time, she will love me back the best way she can.

My Yule Present to share with you

For the holidays I received 2 of the most wonderful gifts ever: my mom's tumor is benign, yippee, and I received my puppymill resue Maltese, Blossom last Thursday. I will be posting weekly about Blossom. I encourage those who have the TIME and Patience to adopt a puppymill rescue, they have received only the worst treatment humans can offer, give them the chance to be all they can be and to see that not all humans are horrible. It is our sacred duty to caretake our animal companions (and indeed all animals). Blessed Yuletide Season to everyone!

Paws of Wood

I found a delightful little crafting site called Paws of Wood, they handcraft wooden signage and wreathes, and brooms and other woody things with silhouettes of your favorite breed of cat, horse, or dog. What a lovely idea! I want one! Good work, great craftmanship and originality Pat!

Introducing our 3D Maltese Dog Vanity soap

Divine shea butter glycerin soap 3.5 ounce 3 D Maltese dog. The details are awesome, delicately handpainted with skin safe soap paints. This soap is unvarnished in case you do want to use it, if you want you can spray it with shellac or varnish to preserve it longer if you want to use it for just display. girl dog with pink bows and boy dog with blue bows. $6.50 each and shipping of only $3.99. Order here.

Modest Needs foundation

On July 22 my beloved Maltese rescue, Primo, passed away from liver failure due to heartworms. although he tested negative last year for them he certainly was infected with them and we Had no warning that anything was wrong with him until 3 days before he died. I have been decimated with grief and guilt. I already had one huge vet bill from last year when Primo fell ill and we discovered pus coming from every one of his teeth. His previous owners had never even brushed his teeth.

I applied for a grant from Modest Needs, a charity organization for emergency bills for those who are needy. I was granted this donation today and I am so grateful! Please check out Modest Needs and give your support, even $10 will go along way to help those in great need. If you know somweone who ahs an emergency bill and needs help have them check out Modest Needs, they may be able to help.

I have never used heartworm preventative but you can be sure I will faithfully in the future. I miss Primo terribly.