I am a breeder.....

My food receipts for a family of 5 and my dog food bills match

My water bill has doubled..

My electric has tripled...

It is I, a breeder, who when my fridge quit, saved the dog meds and

let the food go bad.

My feet find the way to the pets before I have even grabbed a cup

of coffee in the morning and the pets are my last stop before bed.

While my friends are on a cruise to the Bahamas and my family meets

for Christmas     I am home delivering puppies 7 kittens.

I haven't had a real vacation in 5 years, but maybe soon. All plans

are made around heat dates, whelp dates and vet dates.

I shower and 10 minutes later my family say I smell like a dog.

My clothes are all stained with fecal matter, urine, afterbirth or bleach

 

I have to remember to clean my shoes before church..

Most of my friends breed dogs or cats

who else can you call at 3 am for support?

Who else has the experience I sometimes need, the med I sometimes

need, or just an uplifting word I sometimes need ? Who else would

understand how it feels to have invested hours and hours and hours in

a weak puppy to lose it?

Or the joy in investing hours in one that lives?

I have slept on the floor beside a litter until the crucial 2 weeks

have passed. I have bottle fed a litter of 5.....feeding every 2 hours

and it taking 60 minutes to do for weeks at a time.

I have learned to be proficient at micro chipping, vaccinations, sub q fluids,

bottle feeding and tube feeding.

my vet knows me by first name

the vet knows my family

the vet now knows my children,and has watched them grow

my vet has been to my home many, many times. My 

vet is like my 4 th child or second husband

my vet knows it was I who do all i can to help his days go

faster so he may rest so he is in tip top shape to 

help care for my pets at the vet clinic

I am a breeder

It is to me that 63 days takes on new meaning still excited by every

new life. it is I who delivers all my pups, towels and heat lamps on ready,

happiness and sadness sometimes intermingled

Even though it increases my work load, I look forward to the 10 day

stage when eyes open, and puppies begin to emerge from the

helplessness of newborns. Puppy breath, a first bark, and a heart of

exploration.

I am a conscientious lover of animals and I have found my niche.

I am a breeder.

And although I feel no shame there is a part of me that feels the

need to hide from powers that could come to invade my home and take

my dogs ...maybe for finding a mild infraction, a leaf in the water

dish? A kennel not yet cleaned for the day?

A rash I am home treating? I tell my children and family to

hush, do not tell others we are dog breeders, and I wonder when did

breeding puppies go into the same secret place as criminal activity?

I am a breeder and I am not cruel, dumb, uncaring or criminal. I am

not raking in money while sitting on my butt. Every penny I make I

earn through blood, sweat and tears.

My greatest joy is a healthy puppy and a wonderful home.

The cards of thanks and the pictures of

my puppy with its new family is the fringe benefits of my efforts.

I am an animal lover, nurse, midwife, heavy laborer, customer service

representative, and marketer. AND I AM A BREEDER.