Why You Should Never Adopt from a Backyard Breeder

"If we can't adopt from a backyard breeder, what will happen to all those puppies they have? They deserve to have love as well as a shelter dog." My family thought this exact thought. Help that poor little backyard bred dogs; they need love as well. My mom even found this random couple on Craigslist who had these purebred golden retriever puppies for only five hundred dollars; puppies who this couple claimed that they only had because their dog had "an accidental litter".

Their house and yard had been a complete and total mess, which at the time we didn't see as that big of a big problem (considering we lived in Florida and did just have a huge storm the very night we drove out to pick out the perfect puppy). Now that I look back on it, of course it was a red flag. The outside could've been a huge flag, but the inside of their house was trashed; they had all ten of their puppies crammed into a small bedroom where they mostly hid under their bed. We eventually did pick our puppy and made our way home, to where my dad would be surprised to see the new dog enter our household (a common occurrence that happened in our household all throughout my life).

We named the puppy Mickey, after Mickey Mantle. What can I say? My dad was a huge Yankees' fan. Mickey was forever loved. He adapted well to our other dogs and became immediate best friends with them. Mickey was the second Golden Retriever I've had in my life, after Molly, but was the first purebred Golden I've had. He always held a deep hold in my heart, partly due to the huge soft spot I've had for Goldens in general (thanks to my previous golden, Molly).

Flash forward to not even a year later. Mickey wasn't even a year old yet when he started displaying signs of pain that you just couldn't push aside. My parents immediately rushed him to the Veterinarian, who told them that the puppy needed surgery and blood transfusions. Of course, we accepted. Mickey was our family. We had to try everything we could to help him out. Obviously, we had to do something. He wasn't even a year old yet. He had so much life left to live. Not even a year old yet, and already Mickey had gone through a whole surgery and two blood transfusions. Why two, you may ask? The first transfusion didn't do well so the Veterinarian wanted to do another to try and help him out.

All it took was one week. Just one single week of watching this young golden retriever puppy, who at one time used to be so full of life and full of some much energy to give out, sulk and mope around the house did my parents finally realize just how the surgeries and transfusions were really affecting him. I still remember the pain I felt having to hear the words:

"Mickey's time is up. Sometimes being put to sleep is the best way to help stop a dog from the pain and suffering they're going through."

Oh, that killed me. He had surgeries. He had transfusions. The Veterinarian himself even suggested the surgeries for this young puppy. The surgeries were supposed to help him get better. They were supposed to help him get his energy back. He wasn't even a year old yet. He had so much life left to give. He had so much love left to give out.

In Mickey's very final moments, I never wanted him to be left alone. I let him stay in my bedroom with me and my Yellow Labrador, Sparky, so that he wouldn't suffer all by himself. I let him rest up on my pink Snuggie (as seen in the picture above) because it was always his favorite. And when it came time for him to go down to the Veterinarian for the last time, I remembered to wrap him up in that pink Snuggie as I gave him one final kiss on the head.

"I love you so much, Mickey. I promise to never forget about you." -My last words to him, still forever stuck on my mind.

The next time I saw Mickey he had been wrapped up in that pink Snuggie, tucked inside a box that we buried in our backyard. I even made him a small little tombstone to place over the burial spot. Looking back on it, I do kind of wish my parents cremated him because we no longer live in that house, but they did give every last cent to try and make Mickey feel better so it's understandable.

To this day, I cannot imagine adopting from another backyard breeder. It's almost as if Mickey was the lesson I needed to learn, although I was just a kid when he was in my life. So, if you are thinking of adopting a puppy from someone, just remember to do your research on the person first. Having a puppy who have been health tested will save you in the long run. Trust me. Nobody deserves to have to watch their young puppy suffer, while the same breeders who profited off of his birth continue to breed more puppies in the future.