I was looking for another Chihuahua to add to my Chihuahua family. We saw Abby at our local Domestic Animal Services. I had gone there to adopt a long haired Chihuahua so when the people at the shelter brought Abby out instead, I was shocked. She was underweight, her toes were crooked and she had very few teeth, making her eyes look huge.

She was a former puppy mill breeder where she spent 6-9 years of her life breeding litter after litter. She was petrified of everything. I slept with her in my arms the first night as I thought she would die. It took a long, long time but eventually she came out of her shell to a certain extent. I have had her six years and she will never be a "normal" dog and now she has congestive heart failure. She has nothing but lots of love, good food and good medical care since she came home with us. I know her end is near but at least I know she has had a good life these last six years.

Please, please don't purchase a dog from a pet store. When I think about what Abby went through those first years of her life, I could just cry. For every adorable puppy you see in a pet store, their parents are languishing in misery in a cage 24/7.