Cooper - The Little Man with the Big Teef

A quirk is often endearing, at times it can make a someone funny, but it always makes them more interesting. Where we pick up our quirks, we don’t always know, but sometimes what makes us different is a scar from a painful past.

Cooper, our sweet, shy cover model for the QUIRKY issue, is visibly different—his protruding teeth are high on the quirk scale. He also has a personality that is a bit different from your average dog raised in a loving home. After I met him, I couldn't help but wonder what he might look and act like had he not been used by an unethical breeder;had he always gone to bed with food in his tummy and a kiss on his forehead. Part of me feels bad for putting him on the cover of the QUIRKY issue—he's not quirky in the fun way most of the dogs in the issue are. He's unusual because he was used and neglected. Cooper is absolutely adorable and perfect as he is with his jutting teeth and hesitant demeanor, but the truth is, the only reason he is this way is because he was treated inhumanely.

Just recently, over 600 dogs were seized from a licensed pet dealer just north of Jacksonville in Georgia. This “business” had more than 700 dogs on property. Let that number sink in. Not SEVEN dogs ... SEVEN HUNDRED. That’s insane. I have trouble keeping up with my THREE some days! These dogs were severely matted, malnourished, and in horrible shape. Already stretched-to-the-max rescues from all over took as many as they could—footing the expenses (emotionally and financially) to clean up this GREEDER'S mess.

Cooper was one of the dogs removed. He was taken in, along with nine others by Fawns Small Dog Rescue. He weighed only five pounds, was matted, filthy, and his teeth were rotting. The only life Cooper had ever known at the puppy mill was in a cage, but since his rescue, he’s flourishing. He’s been placed in a loving foster home, packed on two whole pounds, been groomed by Salty Paws Healthy Pet Market, and had all of his poor teeth (except the four large ones) removed.

“In just a few weeks Cooper has settled into a wonderful new world where he has become happy and healthy—he’s learning that people are kind, food is plentiful, and life is good,” foster mom Mary Hart says. “Although he still doesn’t walk well on a leash, he happily follows me and my two dogs around. He especially likes walking on the beach where he has discovered that people are nice, andif he sees someone sitting on the sand, he goes up and makes friends! Cooper also really likes other dogs and gets excited to see them. We often go for walks in a stroller where he can see all kinds of new things, or we go to the park and discover new smells and walk around in the sunshine. Cooper loves spending time in his first-ever cozy bed or on the sofa with me. He’s such a good boy!”

Cooper and foster mom, Mary Hart

Let’s get fired up!

We don’t want Cooper’s story to make you sad, but we do hope it makes you mad. We’re asking you to help make this stop. Again, this was a licensed pet dealer with hundreds of dogs living in disgusting cages on his property. Do you support this? Is that where you’d like your new puppy to be born?

This isn’t an isolated incident. Within the last couple of months, local rescues have stepped up numerous times to clean up these inhumane hoarding messes. More and more “breeders” are being discovered to actually be large puppy mill operations, where the parents of those adorable puppies we see in stores or advertised on Craigslist are living atrociously painful lives. The ONLY reason these places exist is that people keep opening their wallets to them. Pretty simple.

How do we make it stop?

We can snuff out greed and I’m asking you to help—this clever plan is only going to work if we’re all on the same page. Here’s where we get all tough-lovey on you: If you are adding a puppy to your family without doing your research or caring enough to meet the parents (even if they’re out of state—do not take online photos as truth), you are part of this problem.

1. Please consider adopting as your first choice. You can adopt any breed—and mix breeds are all the rage. (Fun fact: many times mix breeds have less health problems!) Perhaps match your family’s energy level to the personality of the dog, instead of focusing on the breed.

2. If you’re set on buying from a breeder—never ever buy a puppy if you can’t meet its parents or physically see with your own eyes where they are living. No impulse puppy buying. A good breeder cares about where their puppies end up, and they definitely care about (and for) the parents. They’ll happily let you meet them.

3. Speak up! Speak up! Please honor Cooper and all the victims of this greedy industry the next time you hear someone saying they’re going to buy a puppy— you’re much smarter now! Share what you know . •

Cooper deserves the best life. To adopt Cooper or donate to help care for the puppy mill dogs, contact Fawns Small Dog Rescue.

/ fawnssmalldogrescue.org

Check out unleashjax.com/adopt for more breed rescues!