I've been wanting to write about this for a long while now, but I
have found it difficult because telling the story involves an issue I find
really painful. I am referring to the neglect
and abuse puppy mill dogs are subjected to.
Three years ago I adopted a dog that was rescued from a puppy mill. Her name was Callie or as we now call her, Kelly.
Callie is a smart, feisty and pampered Bichon
Frise. I adopted her from the Delaware Valley Bichon Rescue, an all-volunteer organization which does an incredible job finding homes for neglected Bichons. At the time of her rescue, Callie was
approximately five years old. She was being used as a breeder dog, and she had spent all her life up to that point living in a crate. The rescue took Callie to the vet where she was spayed. She also required
13 tooth extractions. Lots of pregnancies, poor nutrition and a lack of
proper medical care took a toll on her teeth. Even though Kellie is now on a well-balanced diet, and even though she takes vitamin supplements, she still
has issues with her teeth, and I have taken her to have subsequent extractions. Other than that, her health has been fine, thank goodness. Kellie was fostered in the state of Delaware by a wonderful husband and wife team named
Conni and Jesse. They are volunteers with the Delaware Valley Bichon Rescue, and they have fostered many dogs, some of which have been puppy mill rescues. Conni and Jesse have a special knack for bringing these dogs back to
life. Each day, Jesse would drive Kellie and another puppy mill dog to PetSmart. He would put the dogs into a cart and wheel them around the aisles in
order to get them accustomed to people and to new noises. Kellie loved
(and still does love) going for car rides. When I adopted her, I too started taking her to PetSmart. It was just as Jesse
described it: she liked the car, but she was afraid of people and of the experience in the
store. I first met Callie at Conni and Jesse's house. That's when I was introduced to all the other lovely dogs who lived there. Maggie,
Spike and Jake were the three little bichons that were Conni and Jesse's fur babies. Kelly and two more puppy mill rescues were
there waiting for forever homes. I approached
Kellie and the other rescues and petted them.
I was surprised at how tight their muscles felt. Muscles hard as rocks. All three dogs were on alert, they were
shaking, and they were so tense that they would not relax a single muscle.
I brought Kellie home that first day I met her. It took about a month for her to relax and
learn to trust me, but it took her a lot longer than that to learn how to be a happy pet. She had to learn how to go up and down the stairs. It was hard to see her struggle with that, but she finally got it. Going outside was also a struggle. At first, she wouldn't even let me put a leash on her. Today, she absolutely adores going for walkies. She still adores car rides. She appreciates going to PetSmart because she knows that’s where greenies come from, and for those who don't know, greenies are a healthy and chewy treat dogs go wild over. Good for their teeth.
I am so glad that I was able to give
her a better life. I know that she loves me and I love her also. Very much. Linus, my other dog, is crazy about her. He looks out for her. She likes to play hard to get with him during the day, when she is busy with other things, like waiting for the mail carrier. Every evening however she curls up next to Linus on the sofa. Callie and Linus are great
company for my mother, who is somewhat frail. The three of them hang out together during
the day. I don’t really know what they
do, because I am at work, but I know they have a good time and I just know it involves treats, although I can't prove it. Callie has learned to sprint downstairs every time the refrigerator door opens. Would she have learned to do that if there were no treats involved?
