Amy

I occasionally look after Linda’s mum’s dog (Liccy) and just wanted to say I loved the first pet club last week. The little boy at the end deserved an oscar!

I see you are going to run an article about purchasing a dog and just wanted to say thank you for warning people about finding the right breeder or getting a rescue dog.

You probably won’t remember my dog (Presley) who is a yellow lab but you met him when he first started fitting aged 3. He is now 9 but has had numerous medical problems over the years. As well as epilepsy he has developed B12 malabsoroption, two mast cell tumours, allergic dermatitis, partial laryngeal parlaysis,and apparently is also missing the spiny process of his sacrum.

I can’t say if the above problems are related to poor breeding but I brought him after reading an ad in the local paper and even though the breeder seemed to know what they were talking about I would strongly urge people only to purchase pedigree dogs from breeders recommended by their vets.

I would also urge people to take out insurance when they purchase their dog as without this I could never have afforded to keep him.

That said he does have a great temperment and seems to like nearly every dog he meets, which is reflected in the fact he has had over 40 dogs stay with him for their holidays!

However, his two best friends (apart from Liccy!) are rescue greyhounds and I am sure if Presley could speak, like you, he would champion the cause of the rescue dog.

Thank you for making the public think about responsible pet ownership. Good luck with the show tomorrow.

Helen