| ||
Puppy Mill Survivor“Tilly” - 7 years old, SheltiePhoto by Marian Brickner I was one of nearly 150 dogs seized by the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO) and the Douglas County Sheriff department from deplorable conditions at a puppy mill two days before Christmas 2004. Early one morning, several weeks later, my future owner happened to catch a TV news piece telling the story of the dogs and announcing a one-day only adoption preview at HSMO. She had always had Shelties, but had been without a dog for a couple of years since her last Sheltie died. Hearing that more than 30 of these dogs were Shelties demanded her attention. It was the day before her birthday and she knew she had to go to the preview. She took the afternoon off work, went to the event, applied for adoption, and was lucky enough to be selected by HSMO from a group of over 500 applicants. And so I entered her life.I thrived on attention from the very start, which is not typical of puppy mill rescues. Instead of being fearful and withdrawn, I was happy and social and did not hold anything against humans for my previous life. Indoor living was a new experience for me, but i quickly learned the ropes and was house trained in a few short days. True to Sheltie nature, I am highly intelligent and very loyal. I have sailed through every obedience class we have taken and easily earned my Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate. I love being around people and have bounced back incredibly from that horrible time in the mill. I spent the first 4 yrs of life having puppies and living in a prison. Now, I live the good life - a life of premium food, cushy dog beds, tummy rubs, lots of love, and playing the day away with my best Sheltie friend, "Cooper" (also a rescue). Watching us play and seeing our happiness at the simplest things warms Mom's heart and brings a smile to her face. I am so lucky to be out of that appalling situation, and even luckier that I have a great new family! Read more about other Puppy Mill Survivors and Missouri's Puppy Mill Problem. |
||
|
© Copyright 2010 Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation | ||