Lamb Chop the adorable Maltese is happy with her mom in Wisconsin. But sadly, life wasn’t always so great for the little dog. She lived in a puppy mill for six years, where she likely gave birth to litter after litter of puppies. So, when she was rescued, she was hesitant to trust humans, but now, her mom has gained her trust.
In fact, Lamb Chop has come such a long way that she has now been crowned the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog of 2020! She clearly deserves it more than anyone.
Lamb Chop Learns to Love
When Christin Schubert visited the Washington County Humane Society in Slinger, Wisconsin, she never expected to come home with Lamb Chop. After her rescue cat Seven passed away in 2014, she decided to bring home another animal. Even though she was used to life with a cat, when she saw Lamb Chop, she fell in love.
Lamb Chop arrived at the humane society in rough shape. All her teeth were rotten and had to be removed, she was treated for cauliflower ear, and she had several tumors removed. Now, the only reminder of those procedures is her tongue that sticks out. But it only adds to her sweet personality.
Like most puppy mill survivors, Lamb Chop is very shy. At first, she was scared of people and didn’t know how to behave around other dogs. Schubert spent lots of time with her and took her to shy dog classes to help gain her trust. And it worked perfectly!
Lamb Chop is still shy, but she has come a long way from where she started. She now gets excited when Schubert comes home. She loves spending time with her mom, cuddling with her stuffed animals, and eating cheese like a true Wisconsinite. Schubert gave her the safe space she needed to heal both physically and emotionally.
This sweet dog won the People award for the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog Contest in 2020. There were over 10,000 dogs who entered. The last year’s winner was also a puppy mill survivor, so it’s important to keep spreading the word.
Help Put an End to Puppy Mills
Lamb Chop is a super cute face from an ugly industry, and Schubert wants to help put an end to puppy mills more than anything. She and Lamb Chop are working with an organization called Bailing Out Benji, which helps expose pet stores selling puppies and encourages people to adopt. Oftentimes, people support puppy mills without knowing because they buy puppies from pet stores or online.
“We always say that in order for puppy mills to close, the public needs to stop funding them through their purchases,” said Schubert.
Schubert and Lamb Chop often visit Pet Expos to spread awareness about puppy mills. Lamb Chop’s cute face always draws people in, and they can learn about this horrible industry as they meet the sweet Maltese. The organization also works with lawmakers to stop the sale of puppies in pet stores.
Lamb Chop also has her own Instagram page to help spread the word. She’s a star despite everything she has been through. Congratulations, Lamb Chop!
H/T: people.com
Featured Image: @lambchopthepuppymillrescue/Instagram and @bailing_out_benji/Instagram
Toledo, United States.
