REMEMBER ME

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. -- Anonymous

The following story was confirmed by 2 people in contact with the breeder. I'm telling this story because I believe it deserves to be told. Some who read it, contacted Cindy (breeder) and she was kind enough to forward her reply to me, so I thought I would share it with you. As I said before, believe who/what you want, but know that I was never contacted when Renee needed help with Phoenix, nor are the circumstances/accusations (about Renee) leading to his death correct in Cindy's email. Also know that Mojo's adoption fee was waived even though we spent a good bit of money on his care while he was here. And NONE of our rescues adopted out were ever guinea pigs! To read Cindy's reply (her side of the story...I thought it was only fair to post), click here.

No one should cross over the Rainbow Bridge without a name :-( I searched long and hard to give this little boy a name he can call his own. Normally, we've always tried to name our doggies based on personality, location rescued from, etc., but this little boy wasn't alive long enough to develop a personality. And although he wasn't mine to name, I believe he deserved that much. I thought about L.B. (Lethal Boy), but that sounded a little cold, so I decided to name him after a wonderful Lethal we adopted out years ago...Albi. My research also discovered that the name Albi is derived from the Latin word alba...meaning white. I thought that was quite appropriate!

Please remember me! I was born on 2/2/06, the second in a litter of 10 ...and I was the only one who was white. My life ended on 2/6/06...here is my story...or at least what little is known. I deserved a chance...I had people who wanted to help me...but couldn't! There is no picture of me, but conversations describe me as Blue Merle Mini Australian Shepherd, mostly white with a minimal of merling...pretty typical for a Lethal White pup. I have no idea if I would have been deaf or blind...or both. Neither my eyes or my ears were given a chance to open.

Sometime in December of 2005, AussieLads was informed that an accidental Merle-to-Merle breeding occurred. The breeder, Cynthia Hale of TinyTrax, upset and panicked, thought that if she immediately rebred Sedora, her Blue Merle, the sperm from the solid (tri/bi) would override the erroneous breeding. On February 2, 2007 she was about to discover that tactic did not work.

Already having 13 pups on the ground from 2 other breeding bitches (7 from 1; 6 from the other), 10 more entered this world. As luck would have it, only 1 out of 10 was a Lethal, highly unlikely odds (average is 1 in 4) and he weighed in at nearly 9 ozs. He had no problem feeding off Mom as soon as he got the chance. Prepared for this possible birth, we had arranged a potential adopter several months ago. Renee (potential adopter) kept in touch with Cindy (breeder) about the pending birth.

Renee happened to call Cindy (not the other way around as posted earlier) when the pups were being born. Although Sedora was supposedly hemorrhaging during the delivery, Cindy continued to talk with Renee. When the Lethal was born (2nd pup to be delivered), Cindy asked Renee about her wanting the pup, stating that she should just place him in a ziplock bag! Of course Renee reacted with an astounding NO!

During the past few months, Renee has been through many personal changes and could not commit to adopting the Lethal, but agreed to foster him until the right home was found, regardless of his disabilities (we had agreed to help Renee in every way possible). Upon hearing the threat of this little boy being placed in a ziplock bag, she immediately called me. I tried to call Cindy, but got no answer. When I called the 2nd time, Cindy's live-in boyfriend, responsible for the accidental breeding began screaming at me, saying that Cindy was so stressed and I had no right to call and upset her (she's always been quite the Drama Queen). I tried to explain that I simply wanted to make sure the pup would NOT be put in a bag...that we would help find him a forever home. He assured me the pup would not die and that Cindy would call me back later or tomorrow. As a breeder, Cindy could have kept the accidental breeding to herself and culled the pup (or pups) when born, as many breeders do when they intentionally breed Merle-to-Merle. But, she chose to involve many others in her ongoing drama...and we agreed to help, now making us a part of his birth...and death.

When Cindy called the next day, she called with an attitude, telling me I had no right calling her all night when she was so busy and exhausted. I explained I only called (twice total...once no answer) to say that we would take care of the new little boy. She proceeded to be arrogant and tell me that she did not believe in what we did...saving Lethals! I knew at that moment that this pup had no chance...if she didn't believe in what we did, how could she believe that his life was worth saving? At that point, all professionalism went out the window and I told her that I thought she was nothing more than a backyard breeder ... and a puppy mill...something I truly believe. She has 23 pups on the ground...and at $1,000 a pup...that's a pretty good profit (she's also had several litters last year). In conversations with other people (although considered "hearsay"), she was concerned that no one would PAY for a Lethal...gee what's our real concern here? Why spend the money docking tails and dew claws if there's no return on the investment? Why stress Mom with one more mouth to feed if a profit can't be made?

She told me that what she did in her own house was none of my business...and she is right ...it isn't! But saving Lethals, educating and providing good loving homes for Lethals IS my business...sometimes it's meshes in other peoples business, especially when the situation is made public. I meant no harm...just tried to do what I've been doing for a long time...saving Lethals! I could not stop his death any more than I could prevent his birth, but I can tell his story! I will lose friendships, make enemies and shed tears, but I cannot simply look the other way. So cost me what it may, I know that no price is higher to pay than what this little boy did...he paid with his life, forfeiting his chance at finding a family who loved him for who he was, regardless of his impairments.

Cindy will tell you that he was put down because he had respiratory problems or some other physical ailment that her Vet (unfamiliar with Lethals) could immediately detect days after his birth even though his weight and eating was normal. Believe who/what you want, the fact remains that the only pup euthanized (out of 23 total) was a little Lethal boy born through not fault of his own.

As for me, well, I've told his story, though it's one I wish I didn't have a need to tell. Aussielads.com will remain a constant to tell all stories, good (Mouse) and bad...in an effort to educate! I have 5 wonderful Aussies who need some one-on-one attention, both loving and medical, so that's what I will concentrate on. For friendships I have lost because of this story...I'm sorry, but all things have a price. For those of you who will buy any of Cindy's remaining 22 Mini Aussie pups...please be sure to give them a loving home :-)

Please remember me! I'm Albi, the little Lethal boy who wasn't given a chance (or a name)! Sometimes we're here for only a short time...and still make a tremendous difference in someone's life. I hope my story has made a difference in yours!

Please note: email was copied and pasted exactly as received except for name of person (s) sent to.

Unfortunately you were completely misinformed regarding MY situation with MY PUPPY by someone who has written a mellow dramatic story based on complete hear say as I tried only once to have a conversation with this highly irrational and vulgar woman, Cindy Cunico the morning after this puppy was born and that did not work to well - all she can do is scream and cuss. This woman's assistance from the very BEGINNING dec. 2005 was NEVER called upon nor needed as I DO NOT HAVE ANY RESCUE DOGS FOR HER TO MAKE A GUINNEA PIG OUT OF OR A $250+ ADOPTION FEE OFF OF (since she brought up the $$ part) and use my puppy with a heart defect to BREAK A GOOD FAMILIES HEART should they need support or cannot afford to fix it!!! I too have done rescue off and on for 18 years for several organizations, love dearly every single dog and puppy in my home and sadly this puppy was not only born a lethal due to an accidental breeding ( I and my dogs are only human and not above owning up to it) but at 5 days old my vet examined him and he had a large heart murmur leading to poor circulation causing him to remain a dull blue color instead of the bright pink that healthy puppies have for several days after they are born. My vet and I discussed his possible out come and the decision was kindly made to humanely euthanize him and in my opinion I DO NOT BELIEVE this woman or this Aussie lads rescue group has the knowledge, financial stability, or the adequate group of people to have saw this baby through to a healthy life. She and I have a friend in common but other than that I have never, over the years had the need nor the desire to know her or her rescue group from all that I'd heard about her.

Through another friend Alice, the lady Renee who contacted me regarding this accidental breeding on her OWN, NOT having anything to do with Aussie lads that I ever knew of , is a very unstable person who wanted a lethal white puppy to replace the 3 year old lethal male (gotten from Aussie lads) that was tragicly killed by a car on Halloween due to her extreme intoxication and failure to take her anti depression medication properly and called 911 on herself and while she was tied to the gurny the police accidently let her dog out when he should have been kenneled in the first place since she knew she new she was having a break down. And to add to this she contacted several people she'd met through this rescue group and pleaded for two months prior to this asking them for their help because she was in trouble and she knew it. It is obvious that Aussie Lads has a real problem supporting the families that adopt their lethals. This was told to me by Renee herself just a week prior to my puppy being born so please understand that I was not only dealing with a very stressful whelping situation but also did not have much trust or faith in Renee at that point and really lost trust when her and her friend Cindy started calling continuously to the point I could not even get a phone call made to my vet because they had both my home and cell #'s tied up with their threats and demands with this pup only having been born 5 minutes earlier. Also during a 3-wayed phone call between my friend Alice and Cindy Conico the day after this puppy was born- Cindy told my friend Alice that Renee is in NO position to have a dog let alone a puppy because she's so unstable and in bad shape she can hardly take care of herself. So with all of this information, and the very vulgar way that Cindy spoke to my husband, myself, and my friends husband during the numerous phone calls being made by her while the puppies were being born and their mother WAS hemmoraging- I realized very quickly that both of these people have serious issues and in NO WAY SHOULD EVER HAVE ONE OF MY PUPPIES- HEALTHY OR NOT and these are NOT the type of people with any class or operate their program with any kind of integrity!!! Since all of this I have contacted AMAZING AUSSIES and had my puppy been otherwise healthy - that is where he'd have gone at 8-10 weeks old as this group seems educated, stable, and equipped to effectively handle these handicapped animals and the proper care, training and support that thier families may need down the road.