"Sydney" was born in a windowless shack filled with wire cages. A mother dog is in the cage and is made to breed as often as possible. These mothers often don't know how to walk. The dogs above rain waste products on the dogs below them. By the time that Sydney was rescued she was coated in her own and other dog's urine and feces. She had to be shaved because her skin was infected. It took many months of medical care to cure the ear infections caused by the conditions of the mill. She was going to be destroyed by the mill because she has two different colored eyes. I was told that even though she is a gorgeous purebred, having one blue eye and one amber-colored eye freaks some people out.
We have really enjoyed her the past three years and we decided to adopt another dog that was a lap dog. Spring is a great time of year to start training a puppy. I found a wonderful organization on the Internet that makes trips to the puppy mills. I was delighted that the group is right here in Vermont! The founding members make trips themselves to puppy mills and bring back as many as they can provide foster care for. They found us a purebred, nine-week-old Pomeranian who is a delight. They have other beautiful puppies and dogs that they have rescued directly from the puppy mills.
Our very own Valley veterinarian Roy Hadden has helped to make it possible for the rescued dogs to have medical care and spay/neutering. He also regularly volunteers for the Humane Society. It is very generous of Roy and greatly appreciated.
I encourage anyone who is thinking about a new pet to contact a rescue organization. Because my experience is limited to my three dogs, there are many pet rescues that I don't know about but are easy to find via the Internet. Our local animal shelters are listed in the phone book and are happy to work with you to adopt a pet. Summer is coming and this is a wonderful time to train your new best friend.
Mehuron lives in Waitsfield.
