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Yana little ex puppy mill dog
Having spent the first 4 years of her life as a puppy mill dog, Yarna's days comprised of being holed up in a filthy prison forced to give birth over and over again.
When Yarna was finally released from her hell to a rescue, she was finally giventhe love and medical attention she needed to get over her early life. They treated her dirty, matted coat and her rotten teeth whilst discovering a potentially fatal womb infection, yet it wasthe emotional trauma that Yarna suffered that required the most attention. When Yarna was adopted by Julie Magee in December 2008, she moved to Burnley in Lancashire and learnthow to play, run, in essence, how to be a dog. Byearly 2010, a broken and terrified Yarna hademerged into a confident, socialised and happy dog.
By spring 2010, Yarna had begun to experience stiffness and lameness in both her back legs. A trip to the vets revealed that Yarna was suffering from arthritis from luxating patellas, roughly translated as dislocating kneecaps. Julie was told that Yarna wasn't a viable candidate for surgery andthat the only course of action was long term medication and treatments such as hydrotherapy in order to reduce discomfort. When Yarna took a further turn for the worse, x-rays revealed joint damage and Julie was given the devastating news; Yarna would lose her ability to walk.
Never one to give up, Julie had Yarnareferred to Noel Fitzpatrick, the BBC's 'Bionic Vet'. Athis pioneering clinic 'Fitzpatrick Referrals' in Surrey, Noel Fitzpatrick confirmed Yarna's diagnosis, but his long term prognosis was better;he couldoffer Yarnaknee replacement surgery and if successful, Yarna would be likely to live a normal life. The replacement joints would last on average for 15 years, so surgery would only ever be needed once in Yarna’s lifetime, but the cost for this surgery would be £10,000. For self – employed cleaner Julie there was only one option.
Yarna and Julie began a large scale fundraising effort, with Yarna playing her part despite her deteriorating condition. There have been collection days, dog photo competitions (with celebrity judges from the charity Nowzad) and donations from far and wide. 100% of the money raised will go towards Yarna's surgery, with administration and website costs covered by Julie herself. Julie has even taken on a second job working weekends and evenings in order to raise as much as possible and Yana little ex puppy mill dog the total now stands at over £7000. This commitment has been enough for Noel Fitzpatrick to order the knee replacements and allow Julie to repay any outstanding bill after the operations, the first of which scheduled for August 22nd. Hopefully, after a long recovery, Yarna will once again be able to live the life she deserves.
Whilst Julie is for now focusing her attention on Yarna, she is still adamant that there is a larger issue at stake in Yarna's story. ‘This is more than just my plight... it could also be anyone’s who has bought one of Yarna’s puppies or grand puppies. For certain, a few of Yarna’s daughters would have remained on the puppy farm to become breeding machines just like she was and there is a high risk that they too carry the same genetic defects in their knees as Yarna has. Their pups, just like Yarna's, will have been soldonto pet shops and on the internet through home based dealers… how many people havepurchased their offspring that also carry these defects?‘ Whilst people may be paying money in good faith for a dog with unseen health complications, it is animals like Yarna who continue to pay the real price of the puppy farm legacy.
But what of the little ex puppy mill dog in the centre of all the fundraising who appears to have touched so many hearts? Perhaps it is to Julie’s credit that despite the fear and misery of her early life, Yarna has reacted to her illness with bravery and cheerfulness. Her illness often reduces her to a pushchair, watching from the sidelines as the other dogs play, yet Yarna has never been anything but her usual self. Perhaps her past has shown her that whilst she could again be unfairly robbed of so many things like her freedom and her health, as long as she has the unconditional love from Julie, she will never go back to being the dog she once was, and that makes her truly worthy.
To help Julie and Yarna, visit www.helpyarna.co.uk
