In Memory of Two Puppies - Emma and Ehat

My aunt let her two Cocker Spaniels have one litter of puppies a few years ago. The experience was so heartbreaking she had them fixed soon afterwards.

As a warning to anyone else who might have a litter of puppies who need homes, beware of individuals who pose as someone looking for a family pet when in reality they are buying up puppies cheap and selling them at pet shops (or worse).

This man called and said he would take the last two puppies who had not yet been spoken for. He and his wife had just had to say good-bye to an old family pet and wanted the two Cocker Spaniel puppies to fill the void in their lives.

My aunt told him they were not ready to go to his home yet, they had not yet had their first set of shots. But he was insistent that he would take care of the shots and wanted to take them home that day.

He said he was in the area and wanted to head home for Las Vegas that afternoon. So she relented and he came over, paid for Emma and Ehat (whikch is Hebrew for “one” because she was the oldest).

We didn’t suspect anything until my aunt realized he had forgotten something and went outside as he was starting up his truck. There in the back of the truck was a crate with a puppy, and on the floor of the cab sat the two little Cocker Spaniel puppies in their crate.

My aunt got suspicious and after doing some research found out he owned a pet store in Las Vegas. The day after he bought the two puppies my aunt called his pet shop to inquire about the puppies but they had already been sold.

After talking with other pet shops in Las Vegas she discovered that he had a bad reputation. My aunt called the Bureau of Better Business and reported him, but of course nothing was ever done and as far as we know he is still in business. We can only hope that they went to good homes where they are being well taken care of. Whoever bought them paid a lot of money.

It’s been almost 6 years since this all happened and it still hurts to think about it. That’s one more reason why no one in my family will ever again have a litter. First, there are already too many dogs. Hundreds of thousands of dogs get euthenized each year in the United States alone.

Second, we need to leave it to the professional kennels who have the dogs that are closest to perfection and the purest blood lines. Third, it hurts to say goodbye, especially if you find out they didn’t go to a wonderful home.