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Health & Fitness

Mutts Matter: How Much Is That Doggy In The Window?

Are you supporting puppy mills?

Typically, we feature an adorable pup up for adoption with cute pictures and a hopeful story, and the Patch audience has been so receptive and supportive in helping us find these deserving pups homes. This week our topic is not a happy one, but we are asking for your support to help us educate your friends and family about the ongoing tragedy of the hundreds of thousands of dogs who suffer every day in puppy mills.

The adorable little puppy you see in the pet store, or the dogs you see advertised for sale online, on Craigslist, or in your local newspaper, all likely come from a puppy mill. Puppy mills range from backyard breeders to large-scale commercial dog breeding operations that view dogs as a commodity, and their only goal is to breed and sell as many as possible, through any means necessary. The result is that these poor pups are severely neglected and live in squalor, receive only enough food and attention to keep them alive, and never know love or human kindness. 

These dogs are locked up in tiny, crowded wire cages or boxes, and those who aren’t left out in the elements will likely never see the light of day, or know what it’s like to breathe fresh air or walk on grass. To minimize waste cleanup, dogs are often kept in cages with wire flooring that cuts into their paws and legs. They are forced to breed, over and over and as quickly as possible, until they’ve been abused to the point where they are physically unable to reproduce. At this point, most are brutally killed or discarded as trash. It’s sad and unthinkable, but it’s true.

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Mutts Matter is doing our part to eradicate puppy mills by educating our community and rehabilitating and rehoming as many of these dogs as we are physically and financially able to support. We are proud partners with the Animal Rescue Corps (ARC), a nonprofit animal protection organization that works with law enforcement to target industries like puppy mills that profit from animal cruelty by exposing them and shutting them down. ARC handles the investigation, retrieval, triage, and relocation of these animals, and works with placement partners like Mutts Matter who rehabilitate them and find them safe new homes. 

Last month, ARC assisted the Wayne County Animal Control and Sheriff's Office in the seizure and rescue of more than 125 animals, mostly dogs, who were found living in extreme neglect at a home in Monticello, Kentucky. The property owner pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges and surrendered the animals to ARC. 

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Mutts Matter has already taken in 20 of the dogs from the Kentucky raid, and we are grateful to be able to help place these pups in loving homes. Since all of these dogs need medical care, from basic spaying and neutering to more serious surgeries and the use of costly medications, we would be extremely appreciative of any donations from the community, large or small, to help with this undertaking. 

If you or your company are in a position to help, donations can be made directly via our website.

We have experience rescuing puppy mill dogs and understand that they need more time to settle in, and that the outside world is new and often scary to them. The come from a place where they’ve never experienced treats, toys, walks, or basic grooming.  They haven’t had a chance to learn about potty training or walking on a leash, or meeting strangers, and all of these things are potentially stressful experiences for them. They will need adoptive parents who have the patience to gain their trust, and can teach them how to live as family members for the first time.

The good news in all of this is that dogs are so incredibly resilient, and we have seen turnarounds with these pups that most people wouldn’t believe. With a little help, love, and patience, they’re able to leave behind their past to become wonderful family pets. Our hope is that potential adopters will take a second look at a dog that has come from a puppy mill, or an older dog who has seen some tough times, and know that they are not broken, and they can be just as loyal and loving as any other dog. It’s an enriching experience to give back and help those in need, and that goes for our four-legged friends as well as our neighbors. 

 

If you are interested in opening your heart and home to a pup in need, please go to the Mutts Matter Adoption Page and fill out an application, or if you have questions, you can contact Suzanne at suzanne@muttsmatterrescue.com.

Here’s a short video if you want to learn more about the Kentucky puppy mill rescue dubbed Operation Unbridled Spirit.

Download the movie

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