When Biscuit was found by his rescue, he was, according to them, as near to death from starvation as a pup could be. I have pictures of him from when they took him in --- someday, I'll get a scanner and post those pics on threads like this.
He was not only quite near to death from starvation, but the victim of chronic malnourishment. His teeth were a mess --- it was apparent he'd never had a bit of decent kibble or a chewy in his life.
He was also unneutered and likely, according to the rescue, the stud for a BYBer or mill.
Lady, the German Shepherd girl I took in, is a perfect German Shepherd "specimen" in terms of conformation with a brilliant temperament --- well, except for her hatred of trucks --- and smart as a whip.
I got her from a woman who dumped her in her backyard and threw out occasional loaves of bread for her to eat. She was on her way to the pound when I took her in --- she was just so --- inconvenient, and the lady only wanted to have her cute little white fluffball doggies at her new home.
Many people on this board have living with them now bassets who have been the victim of even worse.
Let's not even get into the breeders who "ignore" or know nothing about the dangers of inherited disorders in bassets, horribly painful genetic disorders like glaucoma, and the deadly ones, like the bleeding disorders.
Cuteness can't make up for the pain of glaucoma. It really, really hurts the poor pups, and yes, there are some committed and loving people like Beverly Anne Cawley who see their beloved bassets through the inevitable blindness and ensure their dogs have happy lives.
How many are thrown out to the shelters, though, or euthanized because they're no longer perfect and have become --- mmm --- troublesome?
The incidence of glaucoma in bassets has skyrocketed in recent years, too, thanks to BYBers and people who just have to breed their basset because he's so - cute!
Betsy's and Aruuuu's posts were anything but venomous, given the realities for too, too many of these pups.
These realities are also why I only take in rescue and shelter and pound pups. Unfortunately, there are how many thousands? or is it hundreds of thousands? more.