HISTORY
Unfortunately, puppy mills are not something new. What surprised me was how many there are just in my area alone. I personally started off in this direction when a dog close to us went missing. He was starting to have an urge to wander but no further than a whistle away. Never to be seen again. We canvassed to find him to no avail. The outpouring of concern and willingness to assist from
our community was overwhelming. We still get tips months later! It began to occur to us that there may be a connection to missing dogs in the area and the mills who could be keeping the dogs for breeding purposes. In the process of our search, I came across some stories of my own that blew me away. This man selling pups with Parvovirus, a life threatening disease, out of his truck; breeders with little concern for the well-being of the dogs they're mating like rabbits, amongst apparent filth nonetheless; general neglect of pets of unknown purpose in extreme temperatures and/or lack of care. I also found out how difficult it is to find justice for these animals. It takes some hard evidence to stop this abuse. Unfortunately we see a lot of abuse in our lifetime that gets swept under the carpet and personally I like hardwood floors. So I decided to try and direct this community spirit into one portal. And here we are. Welcome! OUR MISSION
To work towards putting an end to the mistreatment, *misuse and abuse of dogs in our community. Our focus is awareness and prevention of puppy mills in the area but any animal abuse or neglect is equally intolerable and any information received will be passed on to the appropriate third party. We are here to help in any way that we can. Whether it is to pass on information of a missing or found pet, articles, tips, studies, connections for fostering and rescue or... you name it. We are a portal in progress and always expanding our repertoire to invoke prevention and change. Unfortunately our bylaws and regulations can only do so much as they stand. We strive to unite all like minds to put our paw print on this earth in a positive way. As far as potential mills go, we need your stories, your friend's stories, sightings, you name it. With that said, I'm not looking for finger pointing. When it comes to names and that sort of information, please send us a private message. Innocent until proven guilty right? But with enough information, these kennels can be investigated and charges laid if necessary. Failing that, at least they'll clean up their act! I hope to partner with people who can make a difference and spread the word. If you want to come forward and share your story, perfect! If you want to remain anonymous, that is ok too. All tips lead to something. MY STORY
I myself have fallen to the trap of buying a sweet-faced puppy from an un-reputable breeder and ended up with a furry mental patient. Advertised as a purebred Golden Retriever, such a well-known family dog, how could I go wrong? Plus he was in my price range, about $450 with no papers. That's ok, I had no plans of breeding. The address? The local zoo. We arrived to find two fluffy puppies in a cage across from the leopard cage. Alrighty then... Let me first say that my husband started talking about the puppy like we owned it WHILE we were driving there. I'm like, "relax, we haven't even seen it yet!" He says, "Nobody goes to see a puppy, looks at it, then walks away without one." I thought, possibly true but, to date I have no proof. Now I can say that I have myself as proof. Anyway, I fell in love with that face. I asked to see the parents and he hesitantly took me to the back behind the zoo animals where there was a dog pen with a dirt bottom, a very skittish female golden and a couple other mud-covered puppies. Naturally the two in the original display cage were clean and presentable. Against my better judgement, I "rescued" the puppy. We didn't make it to the 1 year mark with him as he was a menace. Tons of damage, children's tears from being bitten and jumped on, snappiness, running away and just general disregard for authority later, he was sent to be rehabilitated and rehomed. I've learned my lesson! Never again would I buy a dog that way. I would want to see the parents, IN a home, well adjusted, well fed and well taken care of and vet papers to prove it. Too many people are playing God and doing irreversible damage to age old breeds and now the pups and their new unsuspecting owners are paying for it. FINAL THOUGHTS
There are already a ton of dogs out there in shelters, rescues, humane societies and foster homes looking for someone who will just understand and love them. Maybe they themselves came from bad breeding or abuse, but now they’ve been rehabilitated and/or safety checked. In addition, they’re vet checked, neutered and micro-chipped and now just need the right owner. Please think about visiting your local shelter or rescue to find the right dog for your family. If however you would rather have a cute tiny purebred, do your research. Don’t look for a bargain and trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. This isn’t just a pet purchase, it’s a life choice.
*Using domesticated dogs for financial gain without concern for the health and safety of the animal or others
