CAPS vs. Bauck (Video)

This video tells the story of how CAPS, the Companion Animal Protection Society, brought down a large-scale puppy mill in Minnesota. While graphic at times, it tells the story of the all too common practices taking place all over the country. When looking for a pet, please consider adoption from a local animal shelter, animal rescue or Humane Society.

What a little love can do…

What a difference a week makes and what a great job everyone is doing at Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue! When I went in to volunteer today, the puppy mill pups I mentioned a couple of posts back were in the main room with all of the other dogs. They were bathed, groomed and looking absolutely adorable.

I started by cleaning out their run. As I approached the gate and knelt down, the two Bichon Frises stuck their noses through and covered my fingers with kisses. Even the Yorkshire Terrier tried to get in on the action. I opened the gate and stepped inside. The Yorkie moved away from me, but was sniffing curiously and inching closer, his tail wagging. Both of the Bichons were wagging their tails furiously and greeting me with quick licks and sniffs. All three were friendly and excited to have a visitor. As I pulled up their soiled papers and collected their beds and toys for cleaning, they continued to follow me, moving in a funny little dance of playful curiosity. When I mopped the floor, all three sat patiently on a raised dog bed and waited for me to finish. I placed new beds and blankets in the run and brought them some clean toys. I tossed them into the run and the dogs excitedly scrambled after them. Toys – a new luxury for them – and they were enjoying them to the fullest.

It was so fun to see these puppy mill pups coming out of their shells and displaying the beginnings of their social little selves. Very soon, these cute little guys will make someone very happy.

I’ll post some pictures of them soon so you can see how adorable they are!

A Whole New World

To me, there’s nothing quite as heartbreaking as a dog rescued from a puppy mill. Some are paralyzed by fear, others are eager to socialize but completely unaware of how to go about it. Many are sickly, undernourished, dirty and scared. Their exposure to humans is so limited that their first few days after rescue find them frozen with fear, reclusive and running at the sight of a human being.

Right now at the rescue, there is a Yorkshire Terrier and two Bichon Frise pups that were given up by a commercial breeding facility. When I went into their room, they immediately fled to the corner and eyed me up. The Yorkie seemed fearful and the Bichons were curious but unsure. I turned my back to them and waited. Slowly, the two Bichons came forward and sniffed at me. They even licked my hands. As soon as I moved or made eye contact, they ran. They barked, but not fearfully, and bounced playfully, but they wouldn’t approach unless I had my back turned. I could tell that they were friendly and eager to interact, they were just uncertain.

The little Yorkie kept his distance, circling me and sniffing the air. With each circle he came a little closer, but never close enough to touch me. He seemed a little more fearful than the others, but not aggressive in any way.

They had come from a stark, loveless environment and were now in a place where they will experience human interaction, a kind touch, good food and clean place to eat and sleep. They are in a new world and their rehabilitation will be a challenge. The rewards, however, will be extraordinary. Their caretakers at the rescue and their future forever family will need plenty of patience and understanding in helping these amazing animals transition to a life that, at first, can be very overwhelming.

In the beginning, reassurance is necessary. Things like using the outdoors to go to the bathroom, walking on a leash, meeting new people, as well as experiencing a world outside of a cage, filled with new sights, smells and sounds, can be terrifying to a dog who spent its formative years in a puppy mill. It will take time and it will be critical to go at the dog’s pace in order to build its confidence so that it can begin to overcome its fear.

Meeting these dogs for the first time brought a rush of feeling about my dog, Toby. He, too, was rescued from a puppy mill. Fortunately, he was rescued very early on and was adopted by us at about 12 weeks of age. While he was standoffish in the beginning, he quickly grew to trust us and easily accepted the love we had to give.  I can’t imagine him having to live in a mill environment, petrified, dirty and unloved.

I hope I can participate in the rehabilitation of the cute little pups at the rescue. They deserve a second chance at a new life where they can experience all the love that a forever family has to offer.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a great article on their website about adopting a puppy mill dog. Click here to check it out.

A Lesson in Forgiveness

They come from some of the most reprehensible and unbelievable circumstances – neglected and used up in puppy mills, dirty and anxious in the homes of hoarders, hungry and wandering the streets as strays, given up on and denied by individuals with unrealistic expectations. Young and old alike, they have been mistreated, victimized and unloved. Would any human being survive?

I am consistently amazed at the resilience of the rescued dogs I meet at the shelter, on the street, at the dog park and in the homes of my friends. Some of their stories are shocking, some are just sad. But all have a happy ending. They have found forever homes. And mostly, they have forgiven – forgiven the species that caused them pain and gone on to show them unconditional love and loyalty. Their hearts are clear and their motivations are innocent.

These rescued pets have gone on to rescue their new human companions. They have brightened and enriched lives and brought smiles to countless faces. These dogs have healed their own hearts and opened them to us – eagerly. They are the personification of forgiveness. They have a lesson to teach us if we are willing to learn.

Why I Chose to Adopt

Toby's picture on Petfinder

In the summer of 2009, when my family and I finally considered getting a dog, my cousins had just purchased two Shih Tzu/Poodle mixes. The puppies were so cute. Soft, fluffy, very much like little Teddy Bears (as their mixed breed nickname implies). My children fell in love, so I got the name of the breeder and gave her a call. She was very nice and explained that she wouldn’t have any puppies available until the following April when some were going to be given to her. The conversation was pleasant and very quick. My internal red flags had been raised. If she wasn’t breeding the pups herself, where were they coming from? I later explained to my children that no puppies were available so we’d have to look elsewhere. They were disappointed, but I couldn’t bring myself to take the route that had presented itself.

I started doing some research. I looked at the local Humane Societies and other humane animal organizations. I asked friends what they had done. Then, in September, my friend’s mom was telling my about a dog she was taking care of for her son. His name was Duke – a huge boxer mix with the most expressive brown eyes. She explained that she couldn’t take care of him for much longer and she would need to find him a new home. I had her send me a picture which I forwarded to all of my friends explaining the situation. My friend, Rose, the already proud owner of a Boxer named Daisy, replied almost instantly. She was interested. Within days, Duke was adopted by Rose and her family.

I’m not sure if I had an epiphany at that time or if the satisfaction of finding Duke a home fueled my desire to pursue adoption more intensely, but I logged on to Petfinder that day and revisited the web page for Toby, then listed as “Westley”, on the Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue site page. I had already fallen in love with his little face the week before, but had hesitated because I was unsure of adopting from a rescue. I sent the link to my husband and we decided to fill out the adoption application. A week went by before we heard anything. The waiting was killing us. Then we got the call that we could come and meet him.  It was love at first sight for all of us. One week later, we brought “Westley” home, renamed him Toby, and our lives haven’t been the same since.

Toby was a puppy mill rescue and, as he adapted to our family life, I couldn’t help but think what his life could have been like had he not been rescued. If you know anything about puppy mills, you’d know he could have spent his life neglected and unloved. The work done by groups like Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue allows so many dogs to be given a second chance. According to the Humane Society of the United States, anywhere from 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year. Of those, 3 to 4 million are adopted. With so many animals needing a second chance at finding a forever home, adoption is the only option for us.

A Great Read!

Well, I finished Saving Gracie by Carol Bradley. What an amazing book! It really opened up my eyes to the severity of neglect and abuse that occurs at puppy mills all throughout the United States. There are so many courageous advocates, animal welfare organizations and volunteers that work tirelessly to end puppy mills all together. In addition, there are so many kind-hearted and gentle people in the world willing to give puppy mill survivors a chance at a life free from neglect, sickness and sadness.

This was a thought-provoking, information and heart-tugging read. I highly recommend it.

Saving Gracie – Have you read it?

I’m about half way through the book Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy Mills by Carol Bradley. It’s the amazing true story of one dog’s rescue from a Pennsylvania puppy mill and how this Cavalier King Charles Spaniel went from being a sad, sickly and forlorn animal, worn out from bearing litter after litter, into a loving, healthy member of her new family.

The book details the rescue itself, the stories of the dogs‘ journeys from the mill to their forever homes, and the heroic tales of the people who stepped forward to save more than 300 dogs from deplorable and life threatening conditions.

I’m half way through the book and I’m riveted. The scary and reprehensible world of puppy mills is blown wide open in this true story and my heart is breaking as I read the stories of the brave and committed people who worked tirelessly to bring the puppy mill operators to justice, and spent countless hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars to care for and rehabilitate the small, voiceless survivors of the raid.

If you get the chance, please check it out. It’s worth it, even if only to understand the dark world of unethical breeding, animal neglect and cruelty that needs to be eliminated, and that all of God’s creatures, big and small, deserve a life of compassion, peace and love.

What an amazing day!

Today was my first day volunteering at Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue. What a great day! B&LB is the same rescue where we found Toby. Patti, the woman who runs the shelter, as well as the attached training facility, does amazing work there. These dogs come from all different backgrounds – puppy mills, owner surrenders and animal control. I could tell from the first time I met Patti that she really cared about the animals she was rescuing, and I found out today that she also knows all of the rescued dogs by name and can tell you about each of their personalities. She is focused on working with those dogs that may have behavior issues like separation anxiety or fear to get them to a point of being adoptable.

As volunteers, we take the time to socialize the dogs, teach them how to walk on a leash and generally provide them with love and affection. We also help keep their living arrangement clean. At BL&B, the dogs have lots of room to run and have easy access to the outdoors. The facility is nice and bright with special spaces for special needs animals and puppies.

I spent the first part of my visit with Patti learning how they did things and meeting her staff and the dogs. On the second part of my visit, I took three different dogs for walks around the neighborhood. Muffin, an 11-year-old male Bichon, was raring to go. He is an owner surrender and sweet as can be. He did great on his walk – he actually loved it! He was friendly, affectionate and got along with all of the other dogs. He’ll be a great companion for anyone. Merlot was next. A year-old Shetland Sheepdog/Papillon Mix (best guess) who was a stray, Merlot thoroughly enjoyed his walk. He was friendly, social and never stopped wagging his tail.  That little guy actually looked like he was smiling as we were walking along. My last walk of the day was Taco, a long-haired chihuahua mix who is somewhere around 8 years old. As stray as well, I was told he prefered women to men, and would probably do best in a female only home or one that will understand that he is going to need time to warm up to the males in the household.  He was a little shy and moved away when I tried to pet him, but he was very submissive and by the end of our walk, he was actually trotting along happily and making eye contact with me.

It was a great day! I can’t wait to go back again next week. And I’m hoping that I get to see all of these little buddies adopted into their forever homes!

Missouri Votes YES! on Prop B

Today is the beginning of a new life for dogs in the state of Missouri! Yesterday, Missouri voters stepped up to vote Yes! on Prop B. This watershed vote will change the lives of millions of defenseless animals in a state known as the Puppy Mill Capital of the US.

Prop B will enhance Missouri’s existing laws by restricting commercial breeders to keeping no more than 50 female dogs for breeding, increasing the size of dogs’ living spaces and requiring commercial breeders to visit a veterinarian annually.

Prop B, which applies to those keeping fewer than 10 breeding dogs, requires that dogs be fed daily, bred no more than twice every 18 months, and housed indoors with unrestricted access to an outdoor exercise area. Operators not adhering to these requirements face misdemeanor charges, fines and possible jail time.

These measures make sense, right? You would think that things such as feeding a dog daily, vet visits or providing a place to exercise would be a given. While I believe dogs should be treated as family, not like puppy producing, cash machines, these common sense standards will hopefully improve the quality of life for those dogs that don’t have an alternative.

Thank you, Missouri voters for standing up for animals! This was an amazing victory that will cause big and much needed change!

Related Articles

• Ed Sayres: Passage of Prop B Marks Historic Moment for Missouri’s Dogs (huffingtonpost.com)