[Gpdd] Re: Announcement:...Lilac, a little girl that no one knew...

[Off1Knight at aol.com]

I am writing this evening about a very sad thing that probably happens every 
day in every pet store or shelter that most of us never even think about yet 
is so terribly sad. It cannot help but break your heart. I am speaking of those 
little guys that are waiting for homes and are sick. I know many here have an 
aversion to pet shops that sell guinea pigs and that is all well and good, 
but regardless of your feelings about the establishment as you read on. For the 
record, the pet store I speak of is NJ Pets and I am comfortable mentioning 
the name since they afforded the little girl I am about to speak of the very 
best of care. Last week, my girlfriend Gail and I were in NJ Pets and saw the 
cutest little fur ball of a guinea pig God could place on this earth. She was 
tiny and had long lilac hair. Gail asked to hold her and in a few moments "Lilac" 
was in her hands. She was too cute for words and after a few minutes Gail put 
her back in her display case with two other little guys. We noticed that when 
she tried to move, she dragged her back legs. So we notified the manager who 
said he would look into it. Several days later we went to visit Lilac and she 
looked even worse. We spoke to an employee who told us the little girl was 
being treated for an upper respiratory infection. We had brought some fresh 
parsley for her but management thought it best she didn't have it at that time. I 
asked the employee to please give her some extra attention since she was so 
sick. We returned in a couple of days and learned Lilac was in the rear of the 
store under quarantine. On Tuesday night of this week, Gail and I once again 
stooped by to check on the little girl. This time she was in a cage in the front 
of the store still under quarantine and obviously her condition having 
deteriorated. Now she was sitting in her food bowl, her breathing labored and shaking 
slightly every 3 or 4 seconds. Need I say this broke out hearts to see her so 
sick and suffering like she was BUT the manager who knew us quite well by 
now, said she is still receiving her medication and that might be causing the 
shaking. I told her, if there was ANYTHING we could do for this little Lilac, 
PLEASE just let us know and it will be done. We offered to buy some Alfalfa hay 
for her since she was still a baby but we were told she has all of that right 
there. I knew that night when we left, she would be making that trip across the 
bridge, but we prayed for her nonetheless. I will admit though, I asked God 
to please take her and stop her suffering, she was fighting so hard to live and 
clinging to life one breath with no promise of another. Well, tonight at 
about 6:30 PM, Gail and I went to see how she was doing. I immediately went to her 
cage and she was not there. We saw one of the employees who knew us well and 
Gail asked him about Lilac. He said the manager would have to speak to us 
about her. The manager told us that she had made the trip over the bridge 
Wednesday night. Although I thanked God for taking her little soul and not letting her 
suffer another day, I still had a tear in my eye to put is mildly. I think 
what really made me feel worse was I had NOT told the manager the last time we 
saw Lilac in the cage that if anything happened to her, to please call us and 
we would take her and give her a comfortable resting place. The manager said 
she held her and showed her what ever she could of human love and caring but it 
still just wasn't enough. I couldn't bring myself to ask her what they did 
with Lilac for fear I would KNOW for certain how disrespectfully and 
unceremoniously she had been discarded. It was no way for such a brave fighter to be laid 
to rest, no way at all. So I write here to ask all who read it to know once 
there was a little tuff girl named Lilac and though she never had a home she 
still found some hearts where she will forever be remembered. I know she never 
could contribute to the Poo trail and I don't KNOW protocol when it comes to 
being recognized. I do know Ron handles it and would ask him if he could please 
give this little girl named "LILAC" some special dispensation and place her 
name on the list with a rainbow following it. You see, I failed her once and I 
could never allow myself to do it again. If you read this and it has touched 
your heart, take a minute now and give your little guy a kiss and let them know 
THEY do have a home and someone who loves them every day in every way, and then 
thank God for another day with them. 

Sincerely,

Joseph C Petrillo, George the guinea pigs father