Nikko now belongs to Afghan Hound Rescue of California adoption coordinator, Susan Nejman. He's a "pawfect" example of what Afghan Hound rescue work is all about.
Nikko and several littermates were relinquished to Afghan Hound Rescue of Southern California-Northern Division, by their owner who had 2 litters back to back October and November 2004. The breeder/known animal hoarder found herself overwhelmed and called AHR to help her find homes. Rescue took them in, had them spayed and neutered and placed them in breed knowledgeable homes.
Some of Nikko’s littermates were not so lucky and ended up in the shelter system and some were sold to pet stores where they had been purchased and returned because the people who bought the Afghan Hounds did not do their home work AND it is not the policy of Pet Stores to screen their customers. In many cases the new owners did not understand the needs of an Afghan Hound.
If the Pet Store owners had taken the time to screen their customers, Nikko's littermates would not have been returned to the pet store to be resold to yet another uneducated buyer. At least one puppy from Nikko's litter was returned to a pet store at 6 months of age because the owner, who lived in an apartment, did not have permission from her landlord to ave a dog on the premises.
Now 6 mos old, he was returned to the pet store AND no longer a “cute little puppy”, he was forced to languish in a small cage while waiting for the first customer willing to pay $1700.00. Luckily one of our volunteers intervened, educated the pet shop owner about the needs of an Afghan Hound and persuaded the owner to let rescue place the dog in a proper home.
Nikko is the perfect example of what can happen when a person (breeder) lets their breeding get out of control. None of the breeders dogs were spayed or neutered, they all lived together in a horse barn {http://www.poodles.tv/ah} and were free to roam the barn and mate with whoever, whenever, often times breeding brother to sister.
Nikko has been diagnosed with ALD (Angular Limb Deformity), a genetic condition that can occur when the growth plates close prematurely.
Had the breeder been a RESPONSIBLE Afghan Hound breeder and had her dogs genetically tested prior to breeding, this could have been avoided. Also, if the breeder had been a responsible breeder, she would have been concerned about Nikko’s condition, would have stopped breeding his line and returned my phone calls to discuss the situation. This is a CLEAR case of a breeder who is breeding for profit and NOT for the betterment of the breed.
Nikko has seen many specialists who have suggested that surgery MIGHT correct the problem. However chances of a surgery correcting the problem are slim and there is a strong possibility that surgery could compromise his health in another capacity, so at this time, I have chosen to treat him holistically and to let him enjoy his life without further compromising his health while I continue my research more about treatments for ALD.
It is because of Nikko and others like him that I continue my efforts to rescue Afghan Hounds AND to do everything in my power to ensure that his breeder and others like her who profit from neglecting & abusing animals, are prosecuted for their crimes. To see how you can help us in our efforts, please follow the above link.
Sincerely,
Susan & Nikko
To see more pictures of Nikko please click here.
Pictures this page, and many others on this site courtesy Mark Rogers Photography.
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