Most dog lovers, and especially most dog owners, are familiar with puppy mills, but few of us have ever seen first hand what they entail.
We know they treat animals humanely, breeding them again and again with no concern for health or quality of life; we know they value profits above all else, and that many puppy mill dogs end up in our mall pet shops, where unsuspecting, well-meaning families purchase them, perpetuating the cruel process. Beyond that, though, it’s just a vague idea that we have of the horrible establishments. That’s about to change.
A few months ago in Texas, the local SPCA organization (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) organized a mission to rescue dogs confined in a suspected puppy mill. When they arrived, conditions were horrendous: dirty water, urine-stained living spaces, fecal matter everywhere. Most of the dogs they encountered suffered from severe hair loss and eye conditions; they also discovered two dead puppies.
As disturbing as the scene was, the silver lining was that the volunteers were able to rescue a total of 37 dogs that day. 37! Pretty incredible.
Watch the powerful footage below!
It’s unfathomable that a person would treat such loving, kind animals that way. Thankfully, though, the efforts and determination of us dog lovers is strong enough to outweigh those actions. All we need to do, of course, is come together! I don’t know about you, but seeing this made me squeeze my rescue dog just a little tighter, and really pause to be grateful for his health and safety. To make a donation toward medical care for the dogs in this video, click here!
