Mijoy Yorkies and Mijoy Biewers

Louise writes.........

What can I do?

My neighbor has five Yorkies, they obviously breed, as I have noticed the one is definitely pregnant. We have had terrible weather cold, wet and miserable, and these dogs are outside night and day.  I have watched on their return home, the dogs are not fussed with, and most of the time run away, they are never allowed in the house, the door closed in their faces. They are scolded and shouted at. I have approached the Owner, who to start off with was very nice, but when the conversation turned to the dogs, she became quite outraged, and we sort of got into it. Her one comment – “they are only dogs”.

One weekend they went away and those Yorkies sat at that gate waiting for someone to return. The maid had also been given off, so no one was at home. I fed those dogs, as best I could, in between the bars on the gate.  They were starving.

I went to the local Animal welfare and they in turn made a visit.  They came back to me, saying the dogs had lovely kennels, and they were even heated. They had loads of food available and the outside room where they lived was in spotless condition. The dogs also obviously frequent a parlor as they had ribbons in their hair. 

I really feel like I have hit a brick wall.  I cannot do anything for these dogs, the authorities hands are bound as well, they cannot do anything if the dogs are well cared for, housed, and fed. What would you suggest? My heart aches for these little dogs. On one hand they have everything, but on the other, they have nothing, because they are missing the bond with a family and a family life. Obviously, they are there to breed with and that is that.  What can be done?

Desperate - Louise.

Hi Louise

Sorry to hear about this.  This world has all types in it, and I am sure you do not need me to tell you this.  Look how some children are treated?  Abused, and then you get other children, that are given R500-00 to go and entertain themselves, as long as they do not get in the parents way. 

There are breeders and breeders, and the reason I insist on my dogs being sold as pets and pets only. If breeders were more concerned, with who they sold their dogs to and if they ensured their pups were sold as pets only, this sort of thing would be minimised. However, so many folk out there become breeders overnight. As your neighbours are doing, they feed, groom, shelter the dogs they own, and that is that.  As you so rightly say they have it all but on the other hand they have NOTHING, no love, no affection, no caring owner.  In cases like this the authorities hands are tied. There is no physical abuse going on, no obvious neglect, but mental and emotional abuse, absolutely.  It only takes yorkie owners, to know how much a yorkie craves human companionship. How they live for their owners. How their life revolves around there owners.

There, sadly is nothing you can do.  All you can do is hope and pray that they eventually come to the realization that what they are doing, is not fair - that their Yorkies have feelings and need the interaction between owner and dog.

If you look at it another way, some breeders kennel their dogs. There is nothing wrong with this, but you can liken it to the above situation. These dogs are caged, given food, water and shelter. How much human companionship do they actually get??? This is often the reason, that the pups coming from kennels that operate like this, are scared, unstable, and neurotic to a certain degree. I am not saying ALL kennels operate like this, but if you consider some breeders and the amount of breeding dogs they have, it is impossible, to give each dog, quality time with their owner.  So although you are looking at these dogs, and thinking this is bad news, a lot of breeding dogs sit in exactly the same situation, only difference being they are caged and cannot run and look out the gate, hoping to see their owner coming home.

It is really not for you or I to judge others.  We are all different, different what we consider is the right thing to do, different in how we care for our animals, different in how we care for our children…..

We also cannot save all the badly treated animals in the world…. We think we can, but it too is impossible, Thank you for caring………..