JUDSTER'S STORY !

Why am I here?

A long time ago well, it seems like a long time to me. I was born in a Puppy Mill.

My Mom and brothers and sisters lived in a pen. There were lots of other dogs there too, dogs like my Mom, who lived in pens and had puppies. Our owners came to visit every day, to check and make sure we were okay. But they didn't hold us, or pet us, or tell us how cute we were. They didn't love us at all, but were just interested in how much they could sell us for.

When we were old enough, they took us away from Mom and sent us to a pet store. We lived in little cages there too. It was pretty boring, being stuck in a cage all the time. They fed us, gave us water, and let us out once in a while to get some exercise. But no one there loved me either. They just kept me in a cage until someone came in to buy me.

One day, a boy named Timmy and his family came in to visit. Timmy was so excited and begged and pleaded until his family bought me and took me home. A home of my own at last - with a yard and trees, and a boy to play with every day. It was everything a puppy could wish for, and oh what fun we had, running down the street, chasing the ball, fetching sticks.

Then school started and Timmy didn't have time for me anymore. He wanted to play with his friends more than me, and got mad when his mom asked him to take me for a walk. He forgot to feed me, and hit me when I barked or had an accident in the house. I couldn't help it, I was just a puppy and didn't know any better. Timmy didn't really want ME, you see. I was just like a new toy. He played with me a lot at first, then got bored and didn't want to play with me anymore. He tied me to a tree outside in the yard and just left me there. He yelled at me all the time and told me how bad I was. He forgot to bring me food or water. I got sick, but he didn't take me to the vet, just left me tied to a tree.

Finally, I chewed through the rope and went looking for something to eat. The people at the Animal Shelter caught me after a few days, when I started raiding trash cans looking for food, and they put me in a new cage. The Animal Shelter didn't know who I belonged to, since I didn't have dog tags or my name written on my collar. I waited and waited for Timmy to come get me, but he never did. Eventually, the Animal Shelter put me up for adoption - when they look for a new family to take care of a pet that no one claims.

That's how I came to live with Nancy, Alex and their parents. They found me in the shelter and took me home the same day. I didn't know how lucky I was. Nancy and Alex really love me. They gave me a name, took me to obedience classes, and taught me all kinds of things - like how to sit and stay, and tricks to show off. They took me to the vet to get my shots so I stayed healthy, and gave me special baths to get rid of those itchy fleas. They took good care of me and played with me every day. I got to go for walks in the park and I even got to go on family trips too, to discover all kinds of new things. I wish every dog was as lucky as I am.

I found a good home with a family that cares about me, and takes good care of me now. I've had a lot of time to think about what happened to me. I don't think all owners are bad, but some of them just care about money, like the Puppy Mill that I was born in - or don't know how to take care of a dog - like Timmy.

Nancy and Alex taught me what good owners were like, just by how they treated me. Since Alex and Nancy go to school during the day, I have a little free time on my hands. And that's why I'm here. My family let me go to school too, to share what I learned with you - how to provide a safe and happy home for your dog.

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