The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
Victoria, a furry, friendly, 91-pound German Shepherd, spent the better part of a decade giving birth to litter upon litter at a Lancaster County puppy mill without proper veterinary care.
On Tuesday, she led a procession of fire trucks through Norristown to an adoring
throng of children at Hancock Elementary School, who held up signs in her honor and cheered as she rode by.
Victoria was rescued in October by Grace Kelly Herbert, Co-founder and President of Finding Shelter Animal Rescue, but unfortunately, she suffers from a number of maladies due to neglect and probably has less than a year to live.
Herbert and her husband Steve adopted Victoria and were determined to see that her last year of life was much happier than earlier ones.
The V for Victoria campaign and Victoria’s bucket list tour are also ways to bring awareness to the deplorable conditions of puppy mills and highlight the importance of animal adoption as families consider adding a pet over the holidays.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills across the country, with over 167,000 dogs whose sole purpose is to breed.
HSUS also reports that each year 2 million puppies are born to be sold through pet shops and other retail outlets, while an estimated 1.2 million dogs are euthanized due to overcrowded shelters.
“We’ve saved a lot of puppy mill dogs over the years — about 200,” said Herbert. “And Victoria is the only one we’ve gotten that has such a short time left. And we thought, ‘What about all of those things that she missed in those 10 years just breeding and just existing on that farm?’
“There’s so many things that a dog does in 10 years. What can we do to enhance her life now for the time she has left to share her message, but also to show people what she missed out on that she could have had. So it was important for us to get that message out.”
After hearing Victoria’s story, Norristown Fire Chief Thomas O’Donnell summoned his firefighters and gathered personnel from other area fire departments including the Goodwill, Harmonville, Conshohocken, Swedesburg and Gladwyne fire companies to help make Victoria’s bucket list wish a reality.
Norristown’s own arson dog Kindle and Rowdy, a dalmatian from the Gladwyne fire Company, also tagged along to provide support for their furry friend.
Victoria’s bucket list is not done yet. Although she has already been a guest DJ on a local radio show and paraded through Norristown with a fire brigade escort, she still has dreams of being a taste-tester at a doggie bakery and may even squeeze in a TV appearance or two.
“We knew that people would respond to her story and would be excited and support her,” said Herbert. “We had no idea that the response would be this huge.”