(Update: Read the SF Chronicle story about her here.) This is Pup-pouri Briana Wine, a champion shih tzu who was born and raised in Oklahoma and traveled all across the country to compete in dog shows. Here she was in her glory days:
How did she go from that glamorous life to being abandoned on the streets of Oakland, horribly matted and neglected? When she was brought to Oakland Animal Services yesterday, we lifted her tail and saw that she had a large piece of chicken wire embedded in the mats on her stomach. The matted fur on her ears also had the clear imprint of chicken wire.
We quickly realized that she must have been kept in a tiny cage made of chicken wire where she was unable to move and her fur grew around the wire. Someone then must have cut around the chicken wire to free her and she ended up as as a stray in Oakland.
She had a microchip that we traced back to her original owner in Oklahoma who told us her amazing history. This dog was the puppy of a four-time “best in show” shih tzu and then she became a champion show dog, Pup-Pouri Briana Wine. The breeder then sold Pup-Pouri Briana Wine and all of the dogs in that litter to another breeder and then they sold them all to a woman in California about eight years ago. The original owner was shocked to see Pup-Pouri Briana Wine in such horrible condition and stated that over the years she has gotten calls about three of the other littermates who were found as strays in California in terrible shape. Friends of Oakland Animal Services is offering a $1000 reward for information that leads to the identification and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for her neglect. Please call 510-535-5602 with any leads to solve this mystery.
Pup-pouri is now recovering comfortably at Oakland Animal Services and will be available for adoption soon.