
Cerise is around 8 or 9, we adopted her in December 2015, a few weeks after losing Susie-Belle. She spent years in a puppy farm as a breeding dog and still suffers many psychological problems, deep seated anxiety is a broad term, she has a lot of worries on her mind does our Cerise. But, she makes a little progress every week, sometimes it lasts, other times she slips backwards.
Albert Claude was born in a Northern Irish puppy farm which was exposed for its terrible practices and living conditions for the dogs in a BBC Panorama documentary in 2016 - Britain's Puppy Dealers Exposed. It clearly didn't harm business, he is still trading, legally, licensed for vast numbers of dogs (his licensing authority refused to confirm how many even under a Freedom of Information request, but last known figures were in excess of 120 adult dogs, which means a lot more on site with all the puppies being produced).
Albert Claude had a lucky escape, he was sold to a dealer, transported to England, and sat unsold in a pet shop for 2 months before being bought for £650. He was then, the very next day taken to a rescue centre as the elderly resident bulldog and the young puppy didn't get along - or get a chance to after 24 hours.
Albert's life could have been very different indeed if he had been kept as a stud by that puppy farmer. Instead of which, he now spends his days having fun in France, without a care in the world. As it should always be for dogs.
I'm under no illusions that he may develop problems in life due to his bad background, but then again, he may not. We live day by day, enjoying the time we all have together.
Here they both are out on the hill near the house with their sister Renae.
