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November 20, 2011 (Santee) -- Parker, the puppy whose former owner paid $1,000 for her at a pet store only to abandon her a few weeks later when she broke her leg, was adopted into a new home on November 18. The energetic Beagle/Boston Terrier mix pup, marketed by a pet store as a “Boggle,” is recovering from specialized surgery for a broken leg.
Her new owners, a Santee couple, took her home and will provide lots of love and any ongoing care she needs.
The public expressed concern for Parker after the media carried her story a few weeks ago. Since then, dozens of people have applied to adopt her.
Parker, the product of a suspected out-of-state puppy mill, was shipped to a Los Angeles pet store that sold her for $1,000. Purchased by a young San Diego man, the dog broke her leg within a few weeks and her owner could not afford the expensive orthopedic surgery she needed. He abandoned her at a friend’s house, and the friend’s family member brought the dog to the Department of Animal Services.
Fortunately, Animal Services’ all-donation “Spirit Fund” paid for her surgery. The fund is used to treat otherwise adoptable animals who need specialized veterinary care, dozens of animals at the County’s shelters benefit from the fund each year.
Parker highlights some troubling practices. The County is seeing an influx of owners giving up their pets because they cannot afford their veterinary care; people are paying top dollar for mixed-breed and purebred dogs at pet stores while plenty of similar animals await adoption at local shelters.
Parker is going to a new loving home for the holidays, but the County’s three shelters are full of equally deserving and adorable pets still looking for their forever homes, County officials note.
For more information, contact theDepartment of Animal Services, 5480 Gaines Street, San Diego, 619.236.4250, Dan DeSousa 619.823.4959 or Sarah Gordon, Communications Specialist,County Communications Office, 619-595-4513.
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