Monday, February 02, 2009
For puppy mill dogs, this is their shot
Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times
Claren Purser holds a Boston terrier at Angels of Assisi. The dog is one of 63 animals rescued from a commercial breeder in Carroll County.
Related
Tips for bringing home a puppy mill dog
- Many puppy mill dogs will be unaccustomed to being handled, and human contact may be frightening to them at first.
- Puppy mill dogs, often confined to cages, may have never seen stairs and may have never even walked regularly. In many cases they will need to be carried up stairs, over thresholds and up hills for some time.
- Household appliances can be new and terrifying "monsters" to your new dog. Your dog will need a time to adjust to the noises and sights of an indoor home environment and may be fearful of many of these unfamiliar things.
- Puppy mill dogs will not be housebroken, but can be trained with time and patience. Be vigilant, consistent and patient and read more on how to successfully house train your new dog.
In visitor rooms at Angels of Assisi, the tiny dogs wait. Many of them squirm and yip, much like the adorable puppies found at pet stores. They wag their tails and seem eager to meet new faces.
But a few appear nervous when strangers approach. One little Yorkshire terrier hovers at the back of her crate; she watches fearfully, trembles constantly. Another flinches at any sudden noise.
They are dogs removed from a commercial breeding operation. They were the breeding stock used to produce pet store puppies.
In November, Virginia State Police seized 63 dogs, mostly Yorkies, Boston terriers, dachshunds, poodles and schnauzers, from a commercial breeding operation in Carroll County following complaints about the condition of the dogs. They were placed with Angels, a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter in downtown Roanoke.
Since then, the dogs have come a long way in their socialization, but a few may never completely relax. The ones that still lurk at the back of their crates may take years to trust people.
But now, they have new futures.
They need extra TLC
The dogs were in bad shape when they arrived, according to Lisa O'Neill, volunteer coordinator for Angels. They had matted fur and they reeked of urine and feces. Their nails were damaged and teeth decayed, ears and paws infected.
Most of the dogs were 5 to 8 years old and had spent their entire lives in businesses that mass produce puppies, also known as puppy mills. After the dogs were bathed, groomed and treated by veterinarians, O'Neill and other volunteers then began helping the dogs acclimate to life beyond the breeding business.
"They are just not used to daily living with people," O'Neill said.
After they were brought to Angels, the civil case against David Winesett, the breeder from whom the dogs were seized, was dismissed.
Angels retained custody and eventually purchased the dogs from Winesett, allowing the shelter to put them up for adoption.
O'Neill said this group of dogs has proven to be resilient. Prospective pet parents need to be aware, however, that these little dogs may have big issues.
"Some of them will come around and some never do," O'Neill said. "Some will be skittish and scared the rest of their lives."
Potential adopters are counseled about what they are getting into, O'Neill said. Because mill rescues tend to be anxious, they may not be a good choice for a family with young children. Adopters are sent home with three pages of instructions on how to handle some of the most common behavior problems.
Patience, O'Neill said, is crucial.
Dogs in commercial breeding facilities are almost never out of their small crates. They are used to urinating and defecating where they sleep and eat, so going outside to potty is new to them.
In a puppy mill, physical contact from humans is minimal and usually not pleasant. Breeding dogs may be especially sensitive to being handled.
"They have trust issues," O'Neill explained. "We've learned to approach them straight on and very slowly, and not come at them from the side or behind."
Many of the dogs have chronic health problems. O'Neill said some will continue to need medication, and others had their decayed teeth removed.
The condition of the Carroll County dogs is not uncommon for dogs removed from commercial breeders.
Toni Levine of New Castle has fostered and socialized puppy mill rescues for years, and she said she gets calls about more dogs in need of rescue almost every day.
Adopters: Be prepared
Levine processes adoption applications for Chris' Rescue Angels, a national network of volunteers that finds homes for small dogs. The majority of dogs placed by the group are obtained from commercial breeders.
Levine said many are "mentally injured" dogs that may never fully adapt to life as a pet. She "forever fosters" some of the more difficult cases.
"Most of the dogs in my house are seniors," Levine said. "They are throwaways."
Potential adopters are put through a stringent vetting process, including calls to landlords and veterinarians and home visits.
They are also educated about what to expect when they take in a puppy mill rescue.
Some of the "tinys," as Levine calls them, will never be housebroken, some will never allow anyone to pick them up, and some will never be social with strange people or other dogs.
Others, especially females, may obsess over toys. They become possessive, Levine said, because their pups were always taken from them, often before they are weaned.
But others adapt nicely to living in homes with families.
"Some of them just come around. It just amazes me," Levine said. "They just come out and say, 'Yay, I'm free.' They are the easy ones to foster and the easy ones to place."
Levine said many of the dogs bear the physical scars of life in the mills.
"We get them [dogs] that have been de-barked, we get them with mammary gland cancer from being overbred, we get them blind and paralyzed," she said.
But Levine said despite the problems, even the most damaged dogs eventually find good homes.
"People will reach out for special-needs dogs," she said. "People will surprise you with compassion."
