Our daughter Eleanor died on 21st April of this year.

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‘He prides himself it’s not any old puppy farm, no backstreet

Garage operation, with mangy bitches tottering on slack feet

in rusty cages, giving suck to sick pups, but the latest

Tech with light steel kennels, where a stud may find his mate is

Ready to rumble, with medical monitoring for the resultant puppies.

The whole operation excludes anything that would turn off the yuppies

Who come wanting to buy something with a pedigree. He could easily

Forge the papers, but why bother and leave himself open to some weasely

Journalist checking up. No, this is scientific, nothing to do with sentiment

Or animal rights. The bitches are no use after two years spent

In continuous production, and are put down, while the pups, deprived

Of contact with the natural world have poor resistance to disease: strive

As their owners will, they often snuff it young. “I always sympathise

Comparing the germ-laden world with my own hygienic home. Lies

Are unnecessary when the facts are favourable. This is a machine

For turning puppies into pounds,” he says. The business is seen

To observe all legislation, displays certificates of approval

From government and agencies of enterprise. Here you’ve all

The marks of capitalism, except no doubt you couldn’t do this

to human beings, at least not openly, but you’d be foolish

To neglect the ways that human lives are made into profit.

For most of civilisation we sold people on the open market

And may again. My heavenly anger is for animals who suffer

Now, the slavery people may impose on one another.’