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| Turtle, a 13 year old Shih Tzu who had lived his entire life in a cramped, unventilated cage, could hardly walk when he was rescued and was in a great deal of discomfort. ©Tracy Gould |
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Six months after The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) assisted Wayne County, N.C., Animal Control in rescuing 283 dogs from a puppy mill, most of the once-suffering dogs are now thriving in the loving care of new families.
Turtle, Chloe and Nonie were all used to breed the puppies sold by Thornton's Kennels in Wayne County, N.C. While their puppies were quickly sold over the Internet to unsuspecting families, these "breeding stock" dogs spent year after lonely year confined to small wire cages without ever living in a home or even feeling grass under their feet.
Their suffering ended in February 2009 when The HSUS and local authorities removed them from the deplorable conditions. After giving the dogs urgent care and treatment, The HSUS released the dogs to reputable animal shelters and breed rescue groups, where they could recuperate and find new families.
Turtle: New Life for a Blind Breeder Dog
Turtle, a 13-year-old Shih Tzu who had lived his entire life in a cramped, unventilated cage, could hardly walk when he was rescued and was in a great deal of discomfort.
Turtle was blind and suffered from chronic pain from glaucoma. One eye was shrunken due to scaring and the other eye was so large that he could no longer blink. Turtle needed his eyes removed to stop the pain.
Due to the large number of animals rescued, Turtle was one of many who were moved to shelters in other states to avoid overcrowding local agencies. He was taken in by The SPCA Tampa Bay in Florida, which quickly brought Turtle to a veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Thomas Miller of Tampa Bay Veterinary Specialists.
Dr. Miller was so touched by Turtle's plight that he performed the surgery at no cost. There, Turtle caught the attention of a technician, Tracy Gould. Turtle would lick everyone's chins as if to say "thank you for taking the time to pick me up." After a lot of Turtle's convincing chin licks and tail wags, Gould knew he was meant to join her family.
Despite losing his eyes and the trauma of his past, Turtle seems to have adjusted perfectly with the family's two other dogs, two cats and rabbit. He has figured out what toys are and how to play with them and is learning how to walk on a leash, but still prefers to be carried. Turtle endured 13 years of neglect, but has finally found peace and a loving family to call his own.
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| Chloe was a malnourished "breeder" Chihuahua who delivered two puppies several days after the raid. ©Gina Dunwell-Rushing |
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Chloe: Rescued While About to Give Birth
Chloe was a malnourished "breeder" Chihuahua who delivered two puppies several days after the raid. Because of Chloe's poor physical condition, only one puppy survived. About a week later, Chloe's milk dried up.
Fortunately, the breed rescue group that had taken in Chloe, Chihuahua Rescue and Transport, Inc., was able to find another mother dog from the same puppy mill willing to resume feeding the puppy. Keilee, the adoptive mother, was a Maltese but didn’t seem to mind performing a rescue of her own as she nursed the small brown pup alongside her snowy white brood.
Meanwhile, Chloe herself still needed a home. When a local TV station that covered the puppy mill story featured Chloe's picture on the news, Gina Dunwell-Rushing saw her, and felt Chloe would be the perfect addition to her family.
When she met Chloe, the young Chihuahua was missing a lot of hair and was very frightened of people and everyday noises. When fed she would devour her food as if she feared it would be taken away at any moment.
After months of loving care, Chloe has a beautiful thick, curly coat of hair and has learned to trust her new family. She is still learning that she doesn't have to devour her food, as she probably had to fight for it in the puppy mill. Chloe now knows how it feels to be loved and adored and enjoys running in the grass under the sunshine—something she never experienced during her life in the puppy mill.
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When you look at the well-groomed pet she is today, it’s hard to imagine that Nonie was rescued from a life of misery and squalor. ©Marsha Stevens-Pino |
Nonie: A Beautiful Dog from an Ugly Past
When you look at the well-groomed pet she is today, it's hard to imagine that Nonie was rescued from a life of misery and squalor. Nonie (labeled "No Name" on her paper work) was a heavily matted and malnourished "breeder" Maltese who lived in one of the many filthy, cold, cramped cages in the puppy mill.
After her rescue Nonie was transported to the SPCA of Tampa Bay, Fla. where her new life began. Soon after, a nice couple came to meet her. Nonie hobbled over to them and fell into their arms—it was love at first sight.
Nonie was in poor condition. She was diagnosed with dislocated knees and her paws were still stained and burned from years of standing in urine. She had also lost a lot of fur.
Today, Nonie is a new dog. Her adopter, Marsha Stevens-Pino, reports that Nonie loves to play with the family's other dog, Boomer, and looks taller now that her dislocated knees have been treated.
Nonie especially loves to snuggle with Stevens-Pino's elderly mother-in-law, who is recovering from health issues of her own. Nonie now knows what treats are, how to eat from people's hands and the simple pleasure of a good tummy rub.
More Happy Stories to Come
In August, Virginia Thornton, the former owner of Turtle, Chloe, and Nonie, was convicted of 12 counts of animal cruelty in Wayne County, N.C., district court. Under the terms of her probation, she is banned from breeding animals.
As The HSUS continues to rescue dogs from puppy mills across the country, we rely on the good work of reputable shelters and pet rescue groups to help us find new homes for once-suffering animals. With the cooperation of many organizations, we are pleased to share some of the thousands of success stories that animal welfare groups and loving adopters have made possible every year.
To learn more about puppy mills, visit humanesociety.org/puppymills.
