By Jody Spear
The Humane Society of North Iowa took in twelve dogs from a Southern Iowa puppy mill, September 14th.
“The Animal Rescue League of Iowa called to let us know a puppy mill in Southern Iowa was voluntarily shutting down because it could no longer meet USDA inspection standards,” explained Sybil. “They asked if we could help take in some of the dogs to save them from being put down. Of course we said yes.
The dogs arrived frightened, many covered in fleas, with matted fur, ears full of mites, mouths full of rotten teeth, and many other health conditions that will require extensive veterinarian care. All twelve dogs were used as “Breeding Stock” and are considered senior dogs.
“Often when people purchase a cute little puppy from a breeder,” said Soukup, “they rarely have the opportunity to see its parents; now they do. I challenge anyone to come to the Humane Society of North Iowa and see the poor health conditions of the breeding dogs from a typical Iowa puppy mill. It’s horrifying and shocking!”
“These poor souls have lived a wretched life at the cause of human hands,” said Soukup, “it is our mission at the Humane Society of North Iowa to change that and give them the happy ending they very much need and deserve.”
Please call the Humane Society of North Iowa for more information or see their website for more details: 641-423-6241, online at: www.hsni.org.
It is with heavy heart that the Humane Society of North Iowa announces that our beloved Millie, one of the 12 dogs that was rescued from an Iowa puppy mill last week, passed away on Saturday, September 17th.
Millie was a Labrador who spent all but the last two days of her nine and half years in a puppy mill.
A few words from the PUPPY MILL SURVIVORS
Pudzie-Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve dreamed of what it would feel like to have green grass under my feet instead of rusted wire. I’ve wondered if I would ever get the opportunity to experience a soft touch or a warm lap. I’ve even fantasized about not having to ”perform” non-stop but instead relax for just one brief moment in time. Now that I’ve been rescued, life seems so surreal. 
Since my arrival here, I have been treated with nothing but kindness and respect. Everyone is so genuine and passionate towards me. I’ve been awarded with my very own kennel, which includes solid flooring, plenty of room to move around and soft, clean bedding to boot. I’m so much loved that I’ve even been given a name. Me; a name! I finally matter. I’m someone. I’m worthy afterall. It’s so overwhelming! But I’m tired, and oh so very worn out. I’ve been imprisoned in a tiny cage for so long that every last bone in my tiny body aches to no end. My feet are swollen, calloused, splayed and sore from a life of walking on wire. My mouth throbs with pain. My gums are infected. My teeth are rotten and like many of us survivors, most of them will need to be removed. I find that I can hardly wait my turn for a dental. I just want the pain to go away, and I trust that it will, in time.
Until then, I’m free from harm and in safe hands so I’ll use this time to search for my forever family. Love from them is definitely needed, and in large amounts, but so is patience. The damage done during my years in the mill can be overcome, but it takes time and dedication. Please understand that it will take a very special family to adopt me. I’ve had such a horrific past, and I’ve been through so much that I ask every single person living in the home be willing to make an honest commitment to my rehabilitation, both medically and emotionally. In return, I promise to be forever and ever grateful. Won’t you please consider me today?
Lily-It brings tears to my eyes to learn that without so much as even the blink of an eye, the shelter agreed to take us ALL in and grant us the ONLY chance we will no doubt have ever had at reaching our full potential. It is their beleif that regardless of our age, we are all meant to serve a purpose in this life. They realize that it is no longer about the quantity of life for us mill survivors but rather the quality of life. They know full well that there are folks out there who not only need us but want us. Folks who are selfless enough to embrace us and love us through the last stages of our lives. Folks who understand the terrors that mill survivors live through and are willing to go above and beyond in order to see us happy, if even for a short time.
To all those who were involved in our rescue and to the eleven most lucky people in all the world who adopt us, my most sincere thank you for being our once in a liftetime saving grace. May you be truly blessed.
As for me, and my own adoption, I just want to share that if you don’t care how old I am, I don’t care how old you are:) Won’t you please consider me today?
Tinkerbell-Proud to be a puppy mill survivor, I’m safe and sound for the first time in my life here at the shelter and boy do I have big plans! Like most puppy mill survivors, I have never played with a tennis ball, relaxed in a soft bed, smelled the aroma of a home-cooked meal, or even gone on a walk. If things go my way, that’s all about to change.
Phoebe-Providing mill survivors with a crate may sound trivial, but I assure you it will make all the difference. With the exception of the shelter, we havenever had anywhere that we could go to feel safe and secure. Something as simple as a crate will help set us up for success when the single most happiest day of our life arrives: going home with our forever families! Won’t you please consider me today?
Maggie-I am in awe of all that is so quickly happening. When I first arrived, I was completely terrified of the human hand. For nearly all mill survivors, the sheer touch of a human hand most often resulted in a painful experience in one way or another. Our memories include being grabbed by the first reachable part of our body: tail, leg, scruff, and even ears only to be tossed or thrown from one cage to another so that we could repeatedly breed. Because of those memories, I had no idea what to make of it when shelter staff approached my kennel with kind words and a soft tone. -ADOPTED
Haley-Since my arrival, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Not only have I been reflecting about my own rescue but I’ve also been thinking about the thousands of other dogs who weren’t so lucky and are still held in captivity.
Curious as to how mills originated in the first place, I did some some asking around. When I learned that puppy mills have been in operation for nearly 60 years, I was downright shocked! It seems the post World War II boom of the late 1940′s resulted in families having more leisure time and greater amounts of disposable income. At the same time, mid-western farmers were looking for an alternative source of income, so they simply did what farmers do and responded to a growing demand…for puppies that is.
Using chicken coops and rabbit hutches they already had, in-experienced puppy farmers began housing and breeding dogs. Because profit was the bottom line, crucial needs such as veterinary care, proper nutrition, affection, and socialization were all dismissed. As business continued to grow, retail giants began selling puppies through their pet departments and pet stores chains were quickly established.
Now, more than a half of a century later, there are an estimated 4,000 puppy mills in the United States alone and they are ”milling out” more than half a million puppies each year! Astounding! It truly saddens me to understand that what started out so innocently has grown into something so ugly and downright repulsive.
As I become more and more comfortable with life outside the mill, I can only hope that the scores of those left behind will one day be able to experience the many joys of actually “living” and not just “existing.” As a dog, there isnothing I can do to help. As a human being, there is absolutely everything you can do, and it all starts with just one person. Won’t that person please beyou?
Harley-Having arrived with my life-long mate, Haley, we are clearly an exception to the rule and are adjusting very quickly to life on the “outside.” For whatever reason, we are already trustworthy and accepting of both shelter staff and volunteers. When they approach our kennel, which we happily share, our tails are ready, set, and wagging non-stop! Once inside, there’s no telling who will make it onto the warm lap first and I’ll admit I haven’t always been a gentleman. There have indeed been times when we’ve had to paw it out to see who wins. When all is said and done though you will often find us french kissing and making up.
A comical couple, folks around here argue that we complement one another in both looks and character. Haley barks to finish my sentences and I bark to finish hers. It’s as if we were always meant to be together and I hope to one day make that happen. You see, all my life I have loved her. All my life I have absolutely adored her. All my life I have dreamed of saying ”With this bone I thee wed” and making her mine for all eternity.
Throughout our many years together Haley has been a wonderful and nurturing mom. She was blessed with a selfless and forgiving spirit unlike any I’ve ever seen and she is just as beautiful inside as she is on the outside. If I had just one wish in life, it would be to make her my precious bride before God calls her home. After all, she’s certainly earned the right to become the wife of a dashing dachshund such as me! Won’t you please consider us both today and make my dreams come true?
Daisy-I’ve got one heck of a long road ahead of me. You see, I’ve been held captive in a cage for as long as I can remember. I’ve rarely known human touch, and I’ve never learned how to trust, to love, or to play. Instead, I’ve been subject to filthy and horrendous living conditions , denied proper medical care, and fed only the cheapest of foods. Human socialization is a foreign concept to me, so I am most hopeful for a forever family who is willing to be both gentle and extremely patient as I make the transition from past to future. Won’t that family please be yours?
Trixie-Proud to be a puppy mill survivor, I’m safe and sound for the first time in my entire life here at the shelter. Freedom has not come easy though. You see, somewhere along the way I lost one of my back feet. It’s been so long ago that I can’t quite remember how it happened. Perhaps it was the result of an injury suffered in one of the many fights that occurred in the cramped cages from which there was no escape. Perhaps it was one of the times when I was struggling to free myself after my foot got caught up in the wire flooring. Heck, it could have even happened during one of the cold winters when there was not enough heat and every limb of my body felt like it was literally frozen and numb. I guess I shouldn’t focus on that though. I’m just darn lucky to be alive. After all, female dogs like me are bred the first time we come into heat and every cycle thereafter. We continue breeding until our poor worn out bodies can no longer reproduce and then we are killed, often times inhumanely.
Ready and willing to put my past behind me, I’m in search of a forever home where I can be the teacher of valuable lessons. Before I leave this earth, I want people to learn that with a tremendous amount of love and patience, coupled with a sincere committment to my progress, the damage done during my long years of imprisonment can indeed be overcome. A complete sweetheart, I want to be the loyal companion you’ve always dreamed of, and together, we can make that happen. Won’t you please consider me today? |
