Puppy Mills: Dogs Abused and in Need of Champions
#Puppy Mills Dogs Reunited 1 Year After Rescue The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 40,000 puppies will be born into dog mills in the next 7 days alone. With recent news of Furry Babies, Inc. being sued for allegedly selling unhealthy puppy mill dogs, it is clear that most people don't understand just how puppy mills work. (Newswire.net -- June 18, 2013) St. Louis Park, MN -- What is a puppy mill? It varies from small operations with several dogs to large operations with hundreds. The main objective is to breed quickly with the lowest overhead with little welfare for any of the animals. Many times their entire life is spent in a wire cage--even the floor is wire with no padding so they can defecate with ease and never have to go outside. Some puppy mill rescues are wonder struck at being let outside. Jane, a little Havanese rescued from a backyard breeder, loved to gaze at the moon. It was obvious she had never seen the sky before. Common Problems While some are locked in cages or garages, others are tied up outside and are never let inside no matter what the weather is like. This was the case of the male Bernese Mountain Dog, Bentley. His owner had plans to shoot all of the adult animals in his care because the state of Iowa was harrassing him. Luckily pet rescue intervened before he could carry out his plan. Bentley was neglected for so long that his coat had to be shaved off. This turned out to be 80 pounds of matted fur, burrs and such that couldn't be combed or brushed out. Can Puppy Mill Dogs Be Rehabilitated? Today each of these dogs has been placed in a loving, "forever" home. This is proof that puppy mill survivors can be rehabilitated. Some can make very good pets with proper care and loving attention.