Bella Mia was supposed to ease Pat Manzella's grief, not cause
more.
Bella Mia, a sweet Yorkshire terrier, was a gift from an
especially caring boss who wanted to help relieve Manzella's
grief over the loss of her two older dogs the previous year.
When the two women visited a suburban Chicago pet shop to find
the perfect pooch, they discovered several adorable candidates.
But it was Bella Mia who marched right up to Manzella and
nestled into her arms. This unmistakable gesture of connection,
not to mention comfort, cemented their instant bond. And home
went Bella Mia, just a few months after her birth in February
2001.
The Yorkie was indeed a lucky dog. Bella Mia was about to
start living the quintessential dog's life: She had a loving
and devoted caregiver, a nice home and yard, and all the toys
and tidbits a dog could ever want. All of this would have been
hers for many years if not for one thing: Bella Mia was yet
another victim of bad breeding at a puppy mill that had been
repeatedly cited for various Animal Welfare Act violations.
Bella Mia was born with an unseen and serious condition
called a portosystemic shunt, a condition in which the blood
flows abnormally around the liver instead of through it. The
condition would impair Bella Mia's health, and ultimately,
contribute to her death at the age of six months. A
portosystemic shunt is common in Yorkshire terriers, and
experts say it is usually an inherited condition in such small
dogs.
Blood Unsimple
During her first veterinarian visit, Bella Mia was diagnosed
with kennel cough and put on an antibiotic. When additional
veterinarian visits and stronger antibiotics were still unable
to cure the cough, x-rays and blood samples were taken to
determine if there were some other cause for her loss of
appetite and overall worsening condition. When Bella Mia became
even more lethargic, Manzella took her to the veterinary
hospital, where the owner first learned that her new companion
might have a portosystemic shunt. Surgery was scheduled.
Although the surgery might have otherwise been successful,
Bella Mia died immediately afterward because of the stress on
her severely weakened system. Since Bella Mia's blood bypassed
her liver, it remained full of the toxins usually filtered out
by that organ.
The pet store was less than sympathetic about Bella Mia's
death—and uncooperative about furnishing the dog's registration
papers, which had been promised weeks before her death. While
it ultimately refunded nearly the full purchase price of the
puppy, the pet store would not reimburse Manzella for any of
the roughly $2,000 she had spent in veterinary bills in under
three months.
The pet store's sales contract states that only visits to
veterinarians on its "approved list" would be covered. Manzella
had taken Bella Mia to her own veterinarian, but only after
visiting an "approved" veterinarian, who was unable to clear up
the kennel cough and seemed unaware of the basic vaccinations
needed.
Detective Work
With help from The HSUS, Manzella was able to obtain
information about Bella Mia's registration and breeder. She
filed a consumer complaint with the Illinois state attorney
general, contacted the local Better Business Bureau, and
followed through with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which
enforces the Animal Welfare Act) to ensure that the breeder's
facility in Missouri was inspected.
The Missouri puppy mill, in fact, was known to the USDA,
which, after three years and at least six failed inspections,
finally took action. That action, sadly, amounted only to
limiting the number of animals that the breeders could have at
their kennel and fining them $8,000.
"It's not about the money," Manzella emphatically states,
"It's about the whole chain of events and the people who don't
care. It's about the fact that this isn't the first time
something like this has happened. Others have had the same
experience, but people rarely know about one another's
experiences, so these tragedies keep happening."
A review of records from previous inspections of the
breeders' facility reveals conditions that seem to warrant
closing it, not issuing essentially empty warnings. The record
includes disturbing statements such as "[certain dogs] must
have the chains cut off their necks and the necks must be
treated where the skin has been broken" and "The small
Dachshund with the broken back must be treated or
euthanized."
In one report, the USDA noted a terrier with "hair loss,
weight loss, and possible prolapse," yet the next inspection
did not take place until ten months later, by which time the
untreated dog had died. Another report stated that, "The animal
care program and the exercise program were not made available
for inspection." It is unlawful to prevent inspectors from
reviewing these required programs; denying access to them
implies that there were serious problems or, perhaps worse, the
programs were nonexistent.
By spreading the word about puppy mills and about the risk
people take in buying a pet store pooch, Manzella is doing her
best to make sure that Bella Mia's short life was not in vain.
Though deeply saddened by Bella Mia's suffering and her loss,
Manzella says, "I have no regrets; I'm just angry at all of the
people who were responsible for what happened and didn't
care."
Manzella has turned her anger into a mission. The woman who
wanted to heal her broken heart (only to have it torn in two
again) has now found her own blood boiling: Simply put, she
wants to help end the irresponsible and callous practices that
led to Bella Mia's suffering. And her own.
What You Can Do
The HSUS has been battling puppy mills for decades, and the
fight continues. If you want to help make sure that
good-hearted owners like Pat Manzella never have to suffer
through another unnecessary grief, we can lend a hand. Our Stop Puppy Mills web
site is devoted to shutting down this cruel industry. The
site offers not only in-depth information on puppy mills, but
also many different ways you can contribute to the cause of
closing these mass-breeding facilities forever.
