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ARTICLE - 140 Dogs Rescued From Puppy Mills

From News Channel 13, KRDO - http://www.krdotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11907618

Posted: Jan 30, 2010 06:24 PM MST
Updated: Jan 31, 2010 03:18 PM MST

By Lindsay Watts

PEYTON- Dozens of dogs rescued from puppy mills have a new shot at life in Colorado. This week the National Mill Dog Rescue Team saved 140 animals from Missouri and Arkansas. More than four dozen of the dogs were brought to the team's shelter in Peyton, the others went to shelters in other states. On Saturday volunteers spent most of the day cleaning the dogs and giving them medical care. Most puppy mill dogs spend their lives in tiny cages and get no vet care. When the animals can no longer breed, they're usually killed.

"These dogs are just not cared for," says Theresa Strader, director of National Mill Dog Rescue. "Rotted teeth beyond belief, you just flick the teeth and they fall out. It's very, very painful for them to live that way."

She says conditions at puppy mills are dismal, and people buying a puppy should look into where it came from.

"If that means making a schlep to another state, I believe it's worth the investment because what you'll usually find out is it's a puppy mill," says Strader. "If most people saw what we get to see in puppy mills, I don't think they'd want to support that."

If you're interested in adopting a dog, you can go to milldogrescue.org for information.

Photos from the intake of 51 dogs to National Mill Dog Rescue's facility on Saturday (1/30/10)

(Thank you to Tonya Barker for capturing and sharing these wonderful photos!)

A letter from a volunteer regarding the intake of 51 new dogs to National Mill Dog Rescue's facility on Saturday (1/30/10)

We participated in our first intake yesterday at NMDR. Reflecting on it a bit today, it occurred to us that what really happened this last week was that a rescue team from NMDR went out and rounded up dozens of therapy dogs. When we volunteers got to finally meet and work with them it was this gang of pups that were rescuing us, not the other way around.

The newly rescued dogs showed us how to be strong in the face of ongoing pain and crippling fear. They showed us how to be gentle and patient when being handled by a noisy herd of two legged creatures that they had rarely interacted with before. They showed us how to fight back the urge to lash out and bite when even their most personal space was being violated. Occasionally, they would even show us how sneak out a little cuddle or tentative lick to the creature nearest them.

In speaking with Theresa, she mentioned that in the next few weeks, many of these same "therapy dogs" (as I now like to call them) will teach is how to bounce back amazingly quickly from their terrible experiences and will reach out to us with their patented unconditional love.

While we worked with these angels, it was if they absorbed into themselves all of our personal pains and fears, along with their own, and then showed us how to handle it.

It's amazing that these pups experienced the worst that our kind has to offer, yet remain patient, gentle, loving teachers for humans (even though, up to this point, human hand has done nothing but treat them so poorly). When we encounter people with these same qualities and strengths as the dogs we met yesterday, we often call them saints.

So it was they who rescued many of us yesterday, at least while we had the honor of being with them. My additional thought was, how often do we get a chance to spend such a long chunk of time knowing we are exactly where we are supposed to be, and doing exactly what we should be doing?

So here's to the "therapy dogs" from yesterday - may they all be rewarded a hundred-fold for the gifts they brought to us.

And here's to the next group as well - may they at some level be strengthened and comforted not just by what they are receiving from us, but by knowing what they are giving to us.

Many thanks NMDR, see you next time.

- Chuck and Dar, a humble pair of National Mill Dog Rescue volunteers

Click here to return to National Mill Dog Rescue's home page.