I rarely let you know about any of the dogs we do our best to save that do not make it.   I am so upset about sweet Rachel that I decided to share her story.  She is in Heaven now and has her Angel Wings but her story needs to be told.  We were contacted over the week-end about a beautiful dog that was brought to CVRC in distress.  We were asked if she was a candidate for us to step up and save and if so we had to do it now.  Rachel was pregnant and had delivered two puppies three days prior to the horrible owners bringing her to the ER.  She was 5 years old and had been with this family her entire life.  She should have been considered part of their family by then but she wasn't.  This is a backyard breeder that had two healthy puppies Rachel had delivered without a problem and could have cared less about her.  They let her suffer for three days with a prolapsed uterus.   She had one puppy partially exposed and another one that was floating in her abdominal cavity when her uterus burst.  As I type this,  I still cannot stop the tears from falling and the anger from rising.  What kind of person allows this to happen?  Pure EVIL.  How can you sit around and not get help for this beautiful Mother?  I took one second to decide to do whatever was necessary to save her.  Rachel was in surgery for close to two hours.  The surgeons were as determined as I was to save this sweet girl.  The doctors at Charleston Veterinary Referral cared as much about her as I did.  We were committed to her and wanted her to know she was loved and her nightmare would end soon.  We got her comfortable the minute she arrived and showered her with love.  As complicated as the surgery was, Rachel did great and was stable the entire time.  She came out of surgery and we all cheered.  Her vitals were good and she was warm and comfortable.  She had someone with her the entire time to make sure she did not have any complications.  Suddenly, out of the blue, she crashed and her heart stopped.  CPR was done immediately and everyone jumped into action to save her.  I was contacted and said to do whatever you had to do to save her.  She was not a dollar sign.  She was a dog that mattered even though we had only known her for two hours.  We got her back several times and then we couldn't get her back any longer and she was on life-support.  I HATED, HATED, HATED to say the words to let her go.  She was held and loved and probably knew more love in the two hours we had her than her entire life.  This is one of many dogs we do our best to save that do not make it.   We never talk about them and I never ask for funds to pay for their surgeries.  I pay for them.  Rachel's bill for two hours of intense Emergency Care and Surgery at CVRC were right under $6000.  Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC) took care of half the bill and I paid the balance.  They partnered with us on saving her life.  She mattered to them and to us.  We cared when she needed HELP the most.  The point of this long note is not about money or what we did.  It is about Horrible Back-yard breeders.  DO NOT support this practice.  They care nothing about the animal or their quality of life.  DO NOT support any organization or individual that sells these puppies.  We cannot bring sweet RACHEL back but we can put her face as the face of the torture and suffering that happens every day with these backyard breeders and puppy mills.   Puppies are more than a Christmas Present for your kids.  They are a lifetime commitment.  They require constant love, compassion, training and medial bills.  DO NOT bring any animal into your home if your are not prepared to do all of the above.  Every animal requires this.  The cuteness wears off and you end up with another CHILD that is totally dependent on YOU.  Think of Rachel and then go to your local shelter and ADOPT a puppy, dog or cat but only if you can supply unconditional LOVE, TRAINING & MEDICAL CARE.  If you can't do that and really want an animal for yourself or your family, be a FOSTER Family or volunteer at your local shelter to walk and be a friend to a sweet animal that was abandoned and has no hope.  Think of Sweet RACHEL every time you walk into a shelter and how she suffered and shower the next homeless animal you see with all the love you can give them.  Rachel has her Wings and is now free to soar pain free with her two puppies.  Go love a Shelter Animal in Honor of Rachel and spread her love around.