National Mill Dog Rescue

A tribute to Copper

2012-01-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today, all of us at National Mill Dog Rescue wanted to pay tribute to a very special little Miniature Pinscher who made his journey over the rainbow bridge yesterday.

Copper got his name at a dog auction. He was purchased for a penny.

Copper's story was followed since his rescue in 2009. NMDR purchased the 8 year old Min Pin during the closing minutes of a Missouri dog auction. No one wanted him. He spent his entire life as a breeding dog and was "used up" and no longer of any worth to the commercial breeding industry. Theresa found room in the rescue van and purchased copper for one cent. Hence the name, Copper.

Copper underwent extensive surgery and vet care. He also was the focus of an incredible documentary titled, "I Breathe." The most infuriating part of Copper's story is that his previous owner is Barb York, the president of the Missouri Pet Breeders Association. An excerpt taken from the documentary about Copper is below.
(Warning - although the video below does not contain any disturbing images, if you're squeamish, you'll want to skip 1:20 - 1:45 as Copper is in the vet room getting stitches)

After his surgery, Copper was adopted by a wonderful family - the Buckleys. He was a cherished and truly loved family member. An email from the Buckley family....

We just wanted to let you all know that Copperthe penny dog passed this morning. From the time he came to our home, weknew his kidneys were failing. He did great on prescription food but hehad been in ill health probably for many years prior and couldn't fight itanymore. We knew the end was close (only over the last few days), butdidn't want to acknowledge it. Yesterday evening he took a major downturn. I slept with him on the couch waiting to go to our vet this morning. At2:30 he woke me up and I thought he had to go to the bathroom. He just laiddown on our deck. We went back to the couch and sometime between when I fellback to sleep and 4:45 am he jumped down from the couch and went under ourX-mas tree (yes it's still up) and passed there. He looked so peaceful when wesaw him. You'd never have known his past.

Thank you for rescuing Copper and allowing theblessing of his company over the past 2 + years. He was in inspiration tomany. Though we are feeling the pain now, we are gladto have had the opportunity to give and most receive love from an olderdog that was thought to be disposable.

Bonnie Buckley and the Buckleyfamily

Copper and his family at Christmas

An update on Hambone from her family

2012-01-17T13:41:00.005-07:00

In August 2011, Hambone was rescued by NMDR. She was in terrible shape and couldn't stand up. After months of being nursed back to health and the kindness of a caring foster home, Hambone was adopted. Her family loves her dearly and sent in a letter and photos with an update on little "Hammie."
_________________________________________

I just can't tell youall how much we LOVE this little girl!

Hambone (front) and her big sister, Fergie

We have two other Corgis, Fergie and Simon, and we were really affected by the posted story of Lyric andHambone... especially watching Hambone literally fall over when Chuck puther on the floor. I just couldn't get that video out of my mind.

Video of Hambone at the vet on the day she was rescued.....

We saw thatLyric had been adopted and decided that we just had to take a chance withHambone. The only reservation we had was whether or not she and Fergie could getalong because sometimes two female corgis are not good together. Somehow, Ithink Fergie and Simon sensed that Hammie was a special little one. Theyimmediately accepted her into the pack and have never gotten into a scuffle over anything.

Photo of Hambone on the day she got her name. In the vet waiting room, sitting
in Chuck's lap - being a ham. Lyric rests in the background after her blood transfusion.

We decided to keep Hambone's name the same because honestly it just fits her perfectly. She is such a ham! She also often gets adoringly referred to as "Hammie" and "Hammalicious." She has gained almost three pounds since shecame to us and is a great eater. She follows Fergie andSimon everywhere and is learning from them every day. Oh and not only is Hammie walking just fineand she can even RUN now! She isn't as fast as the other two but she suretries to keep up with them.

Hammie loves to lay by the fire in Jim's office athome. She is the most determined little girl and she is actually starting to tackle the steps. We allow her to try stairs on her own time, so she getspicked up a lot.

We really try to make every day special for her and she hasbrought so much love and happiness to our home. We can't imagine life withouther now. Hammie is a very happy girl and so are we. Thank you to Theresa and Chuck forrescuing Lyric and Hammie and all the other dogs, and a big thank you to all of NMDR. Lastly, our thanks go out to the followers and friends who extended prayers for both Hambone and Lyric. They are both very happy andsafe now.

Love,
Sharon, Jim, Hammie and family

Huge thanks to our rescue friends in AZ and NY!

2012-01-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

When we all work together, we can save a lot of dogs. That goes for rescue organizations too. National Mill Dog Rescue wants to thank North Shore Animal League in NY for continuing to partner with us in saving dogs. 60 are on their way to you this weekend and we thank you for making space and ensuring each of them find wonderful homes.

In other partnerships, 20 dogs departed from NMDR's kennel yesterday morning - all headed to Phoenix. Why would we do that? Well, we asked for help, and fortunately, several rescue partners came through. Countless dogs on an Iowa property are currently in desperate need. However, the kennel is completely full. Rather than give up, Theresa got on the phone and immediately started making calls to contacts who could help.

Mikki, Beethoven, Bogart, and Susie Q are all headed to AZ to find warm-weather homes!

Cast Off Cockers, Benji's Buddies, and Happy Tails in Arizona all stepped up to take a few dogs each from NMDR's kennel and help them find good homes.

National Mill Dog Rescue is proud to be associated with the above organizations. By working together, approximately 120 dogs will be moved across the country and rescued from different states this week. Thank you for helping these little dogs find forever homes and for allowing us be able to save more.

A post from me about a dog named Miley.

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name isAleta and I'm a volunteer for National Mill Dog Rescue. I have written a lot of posts for NMDR, butthis one's got me stumped. So, I willstep out of the role of NMDR's occasional online voice and write this one solely as myown.

I received a message yesterday from one of our devoted fosterfamilies. It hit me hard. When something happens to any of the dogs orvolunteers, it happens to all of us. National Mill Dog Rescue, all dogs and people,are a family.

Miley

Kelly, one of the most caring foster mommies a dog couldever ask for, was charged by an aggressive American Bulldog yesterday. Kelly was out walking her two Chihuahuas -Greta and her foster dog, Miley. AsKelly's heart leaped into her throat, in an instant, she discovered it was nother suffering the attack, it was little Miley. Before I scare the heck out of you, please know that Miley is alive andwill most likely make a full recovery (at least physically).

The American Bulldog came off its property. It was unleashed and unfenced. There is no question that Kelly istraumatized and will be haunted for a while. Unfortunately, she will carry the brunt of the gory details alone, as Iwill spare you from them here. The endresult was that Miley was slashed - from one shoulder, all the way to theother. Kelly believes that Miley’sharness saved her throat and her life. The bite marks in the photo of her harness are too numerous to count.

Miley's harness - a lifesaver

How on earth Kelly pulled it together to get Miley to theemergency vet is beyond me. But she didit. Kelly, and the team at the closestveterinary hospital she could find, saved Miley's life. This is a photo of Miley yesterday afternoon....

I'm not going to end this post with any words of wisdom, as I don't have any. I am shocked. I am baffled. And, personally, I am a little disheartened with karma at this moment. Something's just not right when a sweet little soul like Miley survives 6 years in a puppy mill and fate deals her a hand like this. Yesterday was supposed to be a non-event of a selfless foster mommy simply taking her dogs outside for some exercise.

I have donated my time and I have poured NMDR's heart into over 300 posts here throughout the years. I'm going to ask for your help now. I would never ask except I have already done both myself:

1) Post a comment after this blog post or on the facebook thread supporting Kelly and Miley and offering encouragement and well wishes to her and her family (she is an avid reader of our social media channels).
2) Donate a few dollars to Miley's care if it's at all possible for you. I did. Miley's emergency vet bill was over $1,300. Kelly feels terrible about NMDR having to cover the cost and also donated a chunk of change herself. Her doing that makes me feel awful. Please help just get this vet bill covered today so the cost issue quickly becomes a non-issue. Having Kelly even think about that absolutely kills me.

Thank you for reading this post, donating a little to Miley and for supporting NMDR no matter what hand fate deals our little dogs. I don't understand why this happened. All I know is that it's truly is incredible that Miley survived and there has to be a reason.

Thank you.

Please donate to help fund Miley's vet care.

Stella.... down, but certainly not out.

2012-01-09T14:50:00.001-07:00

Stella, an 8 year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was rescued on January 5th and was thought to be very pregnant. Upon arrival at the kennel, she was put into a foster home immediately (in case she had her babies that day).

Photo of Stella on the day she was rescued

The following day, her foster family took Stella to the vet to find out how many pups she was carrying and help her with any health issues. It turns out Stella wasn't pregnant at all. Her tummy was just huge from an extremely infected uterus. Without blinking an eye, Stella was rushed into emergency surgery. The fear was that her uterus would burst any minute.

While under the knife, a thorough examination was conducted on Stella. It turns out that her mouth was rotten and she had to have all but 3 teeth removed. She is also heartworm positive, has a grade-5 heart murmur, and severe knee displaysia in both hind legs.

This photo was taken after her surgery (two days ago)...

Poor Stella has a bloody nose in the photo because it was discovered she had wood splinters in her nose. The vet had to pull those out as well.

Stella has a long road ahead of her. She is recovering from surgery and getting stronger every day. She is also undergoing heartworm treatment and will have continued check-ups and vet care. Her foster family is showering her with love, attention and everything Stella needs. According to her foster mommy...

"This little dog has gone through so much and is still absolutely the sweetest dog ever."

National Mill Dog Rescue wanted to extend a huge thank you to Stella's foster family for taking on the role of nursing this little girl back to health... no matter how long the road. Hang in there Stella. We're all pulling for you!

If you would like to donate to help with Stella's vet bills and future care, please click here to go to our donate page and be sure to put "Stella" in the memo.

Thank you for keeping Stella in your thoughts and prayers.

Buddy's voice

2012-01-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! My name is Buddy. I know, it's a common name. However, I'm an incredibly uncommon dog.

Buddy

I am proof that there are angels among us. I am only one year in age and have already been blessed by a good samaritan and two rescue groups in my lifetime. My angel is an unnamed, unknown witness that acted as my voice when I could not.

Last month, I was living in my family's home in Missouri when "my angel" witnessed a horrific act and stepped in as my voice. I was in the yard of my home when a few of the neighbor residents were witnessed taking a blow torch to my fur. My angel stepped in, no questions asked, and saved me. I was removed from that situation immediately and never to be returned to that neighborhood ever again (thank god). From that point, I went to a Missouri rescue contact who immediately got in touch with other rescue groups to see if room could be made for me. National Mill Dog Rescue said yes, they could take me in and they could help me.

Playing in NMDR's big outdoor run

I do need to take a moment to let everyone know that I have forgiven my past. In all honesty, I am a truly patient, fun, trusting and forgiving dog. If you ever meet me, you'll see.

Short video of me playing with a few kids in NMDR's big play yard....

As 2012 approaches, I have a new year's wish. Although I would love to find a forever home to treat me with kindness and love, more than anything, I'd give my heart and paws to pay back my angel. But I can't. I have no voice.

So this is my wish....

Please be my voice for all the "Buddys" out there. Make one of your new year's resolutions be to help me pay back my angel. If you see harm come to any animal - stop it. Immediately. If you see an animal in need... help it. Don't think, don't ponder, don't ask "what if?".... make split-second difference and step in to do what's right. Be a voice.

If there are puppy mills in your state - educate.
If there's animal abuse in your neighborhood - speak up.
If the standards and advocacy laws for animals are sub-par - fight.
If there's room in your home - adopt.
If you're not sure about adopting - foster.
If you're hands are tied, but your voice is loud - share.
Share posts, write what you know, educate, do whatever is in your power to make a difference in 2012. Commercial breeding must stop. Animal abuse must stop. Dog overpopulation must stop. Make your resolution to be part of the solution. Be a voice for me and all dogs in need.

I am grateful for an angel that will never know the depth of what my life will mean. I will live the rest of my days guarding, protecting and loving the family that truly loves me back. I am a dog. I have no voice, but I have loyalty and immeasurable love. My promise is to be the dog I know I can be if you will promise to be my voice.

With love to all the future angels out there,
Buddy

Adopt or foster Buddy

Save Chip from science

2011-12-29T11:30:00.003-07:00

UPDATE (12/30/11 - 10am MST)

Best news ever! It has been confirmed that Chip found his forever family this morning. It's the perfect home for him and Chip will remain in Michigan, where he is already loved and comfortable in his own back yard.

The second piece of good news is that ALL the dogs at the Mecosta County Animal Shelter have homes. Due to the outstanding job that everyone did at spreading the word, the Mastiff and the two retriever pups were also adopted by families this morning.

NMDR and CAWL would like to extend a huge thank you to North Star Border Collie Rescue in MI for making the 2 hour drive to the shelter this morning just to get this information in person and to pick up any dogs that were left. We rest easy knowing the information is accurate and all dogs are safe, sound, and out of there.

Many called, emailed and posted wanting to make donations to help with Chip's transport fees and care. We have not accepted any of those funds because we would never take donations under false pretenses. Because there is no transport, transport funds are not needed specifically for that. However, the three organizations who worked together over the last 2 days save countless dogs every day and continually operate on a shoestring budget. Combined, the three of us have hundreds of dogs in our care and always more coming in. All are 501(c)3 nonprofit, no-kill organizations and would appreciate any donations you can possibly give. Click on the images/links below to donate.

North Star Border Collie Rescue

CAWL - Colorado Animal Welfare League

NMDR - National Mill Dog Rescue

Lastly, a HUGE thank you goes out to all our social media friends, fans and followers. Even though Chip is not in our care, by spreading the word, you are the ones who found him a home and saved him from science. You saved all these dogs. Thank you, a million times, for all your help.

________________________________________

UPDATE:

Colorado Animal Welfare League (CAWL) has stepped up to help NMDR and Chip. They have arranged for transport from Rochester, MI, to Denver, CO on Monday, Jan. 2nd. When arriving in CO, Chip will either be fostered through CAWL's network or ours. He will also receive care through a partnership of the two organizations.

However, Chip's not in safe hands yet. He needs to be picked up from the shelter in Big Rapids, MI. It is also roughly a 3 hour drive from Big Rapids to Rochester. If you are in the area and can provide Chip with a place to stay for a few days and/or start your New Year off by making a drive to Rochester, MI, you would definitely qualify as this dog's lifetime hero. All calls to the shelter seem to be going to their voicemail at this time, but it is believed that the fee is $35 to get him out. Whatever it is, if you can get Chip out of there, NMDR will reimburse you and be incredibly grateful.

If you can help get Chip out of the Mecosta County Animal Shelter and get to Rochester, MI, please email either NMDR or CAWL as soon as you can.

Thank you from NMDR, CAWL and especially Chip!

__________________________________________________

National Mill Dog Rescue and Chip need your help. Chip, an 8 month old Aussie/Border Collie/hound mix, is currently in a shelter in Big Rapids, MI.

Why is a puppy mill rescue group in Colorado sending out a post on behalf of a dog in Michigan? Because Chip's time has run out and we have a large social media network that may be able to help.

Chip is young, sweet, amicable and overall, a very happy dog. Even though dogs are euthanized every day, what will happen to Chip is actually much, much worse. If Chip doesn't get out of this shelter this week, he will be sold to a research lab. Chip's location, Mecosta County Animal Shelter, is located in one of the two counties remaining in MI that practice pound seizure. Shelter pets are sold to class B dealers for use in experiments and research.

Chip's bio and adoption information from the shelter can be found here: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/21791332
(NOTE: Please do not call this shelter just to rant about their practices. The person who picks up the phone is only a middle-man and the employees there don't make the rules. Let's just do the best we can right now and try to save Chip.)

Please share this post. Someone who reads may know someone in MI who can help. Spreading the word makes a difference.

If you are in the Big Rapids area and can help Chip, please call the shelter 231-796-1331 or personally head over there to meet Chip. National Mill Dog Rescue would also like to help by being an umbrella for this dog. We can't make it all the way to MI today, but we can help whoever can help Chip asap. If you can only foster him, we'll help use our network to find him the right home. We'll help with adoption (shelter) fees and vet care. If you can help Chip in the present, contact us, and we'll work with you to ensure his future. This dog will not go down on our watch.

Thank you in advance for sharing this post with everyone you know. We'll get Chip out of there so he doesn't spend the rest of his life in the misery of a research lab.

From Abby to Lorna Doone... a Christmas gift

2011-12-16T12:45:00.001-07:00

One year ago, Abby and Lorna Doone were rescued and became kennel mates. Both of them were in terrible shape. Abby, a scared poodle girl, bit everyone out of fear. NMDR's volunteers worked with her daily and finally, Abby found a wonderful forever family and was adopted. Abby is thriving in her forever home in Kansas City and her family couldn't love her more.

After her dear friend and kennel mate left her, Lorna Doone stayed at NMDR's kennel, working with the rehab team and waiting to find her own forever home.

Finally, a few months ago, Lorna Doone went home with a foster family.

Today, something arrived in National Mill Dog Rescue's mail box addressed for Lorna Doone. It was a package from Abby. Inside were Christmas gifts for her friend, and a very special letter.

Gifts that were inside the package from Abby to Lorna Doone

The letter...

(click to enlarge)

National Mill Dog Rescue wishes a very Merry Christmas to you and all your furry family members.

With love from Abby and Lorna Doone.

Headed to prison

2011-12-11T16:35:00.001-07:00

Guess who's going to prison?

Babs is on her way!

A half dozen dogs from National Mill Dog Rescue's kennel are headed to prison this week. Babs, Bella, Esther and Bourbon are a few of the lucky ones who get to go to the slammer. Yep... very lucky.

Colorado Correctional Industries oversees the Prison Trained Dog Program and they help a lot of dogs. A few dozen dogs from NMDR get to enroll in the prison program each year. This week, the program will be admitting 6 dogs from the kennel.

We're excited for Bella!

Nine different correctional facilities from around the state participate in the program. Certain prisoners have gone through a training program specifically to learn how to handle, socialize, and care for dogs. The dogs are kept with their assigned inmate at all times and go to training every day together. The best part is that the dogs are kept in the program for as long as it takes to make them ready for their forever home. Canine graduates of the program go on to be well-mannered family pets, and many become police dogs or service dogs.

The Prison Trained Dog Program is an asset to both people and dogs. NMDR is always honored when space is made in the program for a few of our rescued pups. Heading to prison means they are assured to receive love, care, proper nutrition, tons of attention, discipline and, most importantly... the right forever home.

Time to help the Shepherds

2011-12-08T14:24:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone. National Mill Dog Rescue sure could use your help.

Last week, 15 German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois were rescued. They were being given away for free at a Missouri dog auction because no one wanted them. The group of 15 would have gone to one of the largest puppy mills in the northeast, so NMDR took them all in so they could have a chance at life.

This is Nova. She a 2 year old Belgian Malinois who's residing at the kennel.

With the other German Shepherds already in residence, that's over 20 that are at the kennel. Although they're ok and will always have a home with NMDR, we're kind of overwhelmed. Most dogs that come out of puppy mills are tiny, fluffy, designer breeds. The kennel's indoor-outdoor runs are huge for them.

However, the kennel is no place for these big, beautiful, regal and energetic Shepherds.

Can you help us by spreading the word?

Jade is a 5 year old German Shepherd girl who sweet, but so very scared.

How can we find homes for these big dogs asap? Please share this post. Know of any breed specific German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois groups? Let them know their breed is in need.

Kane - 8 year old German Shepherd boy

We don't want life to be any harder on these big beautiful dogs than it already has been. If there are any connections to be made with any individuals, foster groups, rescue groups and/or breed specific rescues, please pass along the word. The more people give a shout out that these big guys are available for adoption, foster or breed group transfer, the better chance they'll have.

If you're in the CO area and can adopt or foster, please see our foster/adopt page for more info.

If you're a rescue or group in the U.S. that specializes in GSDs or Belgian Malinois and may be able to help, please drop us an email. Transport help is never a guarantee, but we can sure try. NMDR's facebook friends and followers have been known to accomplish some of the most amazing things when called upon.

Ellen (front) and Wolfe. Both are terrified and spend their days huddling together.
Room to roam or a place to call home is what's needed most.

Juno is a sweet 2 year old German Shepherd who would
love to spend Christmas in her very first home.

Please help these dogs by spreading the word. We're honestly not asking for anything more than that. You never know who's connected to whom and the right group or person could be found to get a lot of these dogs into homes by Christmas. Share this post and you'll be helping German Shepherds, Belgain Malinois, and all of National Mill Dog Rescue.

Thank you in advance for all your help!

Shave and a Haircut... snip, snip!

2011-12-04T16:23:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, 14 abused Cocker Spaniels in Missouri finally caught a break.... their breeder died. The rescue teams see a lot of terrible things while out on rescues, but the condition of these dogs was the worst. NMDR was able to take 4 of the dogs, while other rescues helped the rest. Upon arrival to CO, the 4 Cocker Spaniels went straight to get groomed.

Bernie being offloaded from the mobile rescue unit

Although we haven't gotten the "after" portraits online yet, we are SO happy to say that all 4 of these dogs are feeling much better. Thank you to Janie with The Puppy Mill Project for capturing these great photos and video.

While Bernie was getting shaved, Darrell comforted this scared little dog the entire time.

Bernie and Darrell

Back at the kennel....

Feeling much better!

With just a little time, proper nutrition, gentle grooming, a whole lot of love, the group of Cocker Spaniel's memories will fade and they'll forget about their horrible past. Dogs live in the moment. May every single moment of their future be warm, loving, pain free, gentle and kind.

November was busy!

2011-12-01T13:57:00.001-07:00

November was a busy month. NMDR had 3 rescue trips in one month!

The rescue team arrived safely at the kennel last night and all 20 dogs were fed, cared for, and got a good night's sleep.

Today, the hard work starts for the grooming team.

Photo of a blind, matted Cocker Spaniel who was rescued yesterday.
This sweet dog weaned pups just 2 weeks ago.

According to this run's rescue team (Theresa and Darrell) this one was particularly difficult. All the dogs were in positively awful shape.

"I've seen a lot of things since starting with NMDR but this rescue was a tough one. However, there was one thing that everybody noticed about all of the Cocker Spaniels - under all those mats, we could see their little tails wagging."
- Darrell Rhodes

Photo of one of the rescued German Shepherds in transport

15 German Shepherds were rescued. A dog auction in Missouri occurred over the weekend. This lot was not wanted by a single soul and were given away for free. Rather than be destroyed, the group of 15 was scheduled to be shipped off to one of the largest puppy mills in the northeast. German Shepherds are a breed close to NMDR's founder's heart, so she stepped in. Even though we have very little space available and are really not equipped to handle so many big dogs, they're with us now.... safe.

The kennel is no place for big dogs. With the group that just came in, that's 19 that are currently at the kennel. If you're a friend to large breeds or love German Shepherds, now is a really great chance to open your home to foster a big dog for Christmas. A few of the ones who just arrived are scared and may not be ready for homes, but Anya, Wolfe, Hawke and Ellen have been at the kennel for over a month, and are ready to go! You can find their photos and info on our Available Dogs page: http://milldogrescue.org/Available_Dogs.html

Big dogs not your thing?

Foster homes are urgently needed for two very small dogs:

Sage was recently returned to the kennel. She's scared and bewildered as to why she wound up back here. It's because she's a big dog in a little dog's body and really needs to be in a home with no other dogs. She doesn't like to share her owner. We know this is a tough request, but if you could spread the word for this little Yorkie, she'd sure love to be someone's only dog for Christmas.

Click here for Sage's bio.

Yodel is a sweet Poodle boy who arrived at the kennel last week. He is having surgery this Saturday to have one of his eyes removed. Having a foster home to help Yodel with his recovery would be ideal.

Click here for Yodel's bio.

If you have space in your home and room in your heart, please consider becoming a foster family soon. For information and an application, please click here. Also, please don't hesitate to email NMDR's foster coordinator, Pam, with any questions - pamarf@milldogrescue.org.

Thank you!

The Kindness Ranch

2011-11-25T23:10:00.001-07:00

National Mill Dog Rescue would like to share with you a letter from David Hatch, boardmember of the Kindness Ranch, the only organization in the United States dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of all kinds of animals used in research.

16 research dogs were rescued from a laboratory yesterday

This amazing sanctuary is the result of years of generosity and dedication of its founder, Dr. David Groobman, whose love of laboratory animals led to the development of the Kindness Ranch, a 1,000 acre ranch near historic Hartville in Wyoming, some three hours from Denver.

The Kindness Ranch recently rescued a large group of dogs and are seeking volunteers to assist in their rehabilitation. They have limited guest quarters and unlimited basic camping and RV space and will assist with transportation costs. What better way to give thanks to these dogs who have dedicated their lives as research animals than to volunteer with the Kindness Ranch!

Roscoe gets his first collar, his first leash, and -- especially -- his first walk.

Please read the letter below:

----- Forwarded Message -----
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 3:37 PM
Subject: Great news from Kindness Ranch

Dear friend of Kindness Ranch,

We don't send out too many emails because we respect your time and privacy. However, some great news has come our way and we want to share it with you right away, and see if you might be able to help.

Kindness Ranch got 16 dogs on Saturday! This is fantastic news for 16 of the countless animals used in research across the country. Getting these pups settled in to their new accomodations, though, will take a lot of work. Most of them will be unfamiliar with a loving environment, taking walks outdoors, socializing with other dogs etc, and we will desperately need help doing all of these things. We need many volunteers to come to the ranch and spend time with all of our new friends. Your time commitment at the ranch would be only four hours a day, or more if you want. This would be a wonderful opportunity for a dog and animal lover to come and spend time in a remote and very beautiful location, three hours north of Denver in the southeast part of Wyoming.

(See www.KindnessRanch.org for much more information about the sanctuary.)

We have wonderful accommodations for volunteers, and you will be welcome to come for a few days, a few weeks, or even a few months. Transportation funds are available.

Thanks very much,
David Hatch
Board Member, Kindness Ranch

If you're interested, please contact Executive Director Mike Stabler,mike@kindnessranch.org, 307-331-4569 as soon as you can.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-20T22:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone!

This is the holiday to eat. And eat. And eat.

This time of year, many of us also like to make sure everyone around us has enough to eat. If soup kitchens aren't your thing and you'd like to make sure your canine friends have a happy Thanksgiving, the dogs of NMDR hope they can be on your list. The kennel is running low on dog food.

How you can help NMDR's dogs:

To give a puppy mill survivor a happy Thanksgiving, please purchase a bag of dog food from Furry Friends, Inc., to donate to NMDR. Furry Friends, Inc. is a local (Colorado) pet food store who has already donated over 4,000 lbs of adult dog food to NMDR this year. We are so grateful for their donation.

The dog food can be ordered online or in the store and will be directly delivered to NMDR's kennel. In addition, Furry Friends has thrown in a 15% discount for your donated purchase of dog food.

Not in the CO area? You can order online...

Go to this link to order dog food.

Add a bag to your cart.

When checking out, please put coupon code "NMDR" to receive 15% discount. The shipping address is 5335 JD Johnson Rd, Peyton, CO 80831.

That's it! You've just sent a bag of dog food over to our kennel.

If you're in the area, feel free to wander into Furry Friends, Inc's store. Mention NMDR and the same offer applies. 3170 N. Stone Ave Colorado Springs.

Lastly, if you're in the delivery area or able to come in the store, please feel free to purchase dog food for your own dogs for a 10% discount. After donating a purchase to NMDR's dogs, please enjoy a discount for yourself by using the coupon code "Thanks" and a 10% discount will be applied to your entire order.

(Discount offer from from Furry Friends, Inc. expires on 11/23/11.)

Thank you in advance for helping feed the dogs in our care. We also greatly appreciate you for supporting those who support us.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

- National Mill Dog Rescue

A truly selfless vacation

2011-11-18T12:04:00.001-07:00

Today's guest blog post comes from a pair of generous women from Rhode Island. They spent their recent vacation in Colorado, volunteering at NMDR's kennel. Huge thanks to Trish and Michaela for the tremendous amount of work you did and for being such a wonderful inspiration to others.

______________________________________________________________

Hi! Our names areMichaela and Trisha. We live in RhodeIsland and Massachusetts and recently volunteered for a week at NMDR. We were asked to right a guest blog about ourvisit.

Michaela grooming Bess

We were very excited to come and help the dogs; however, wewere both a bit apprehensive. Havingread so much about puppy mill survivors and the horrible situations the dogshave come from, we assumed NMDR would be somewhat of a sad place. We couldn’t have been more wrong! This place is so amazing because as soon asyou begin to walk around the premises and meet the volunteers and dogs yourealize it is a place of hope. The dogshave come from horrendous backgrounds but they are all on a good path. They are moving forward and all of thecompassion the volunteers show, and the patience they give to each dog; it isnothing short of phenomenal!

Trish drying Teddy

The first day we were literally slack-jawed withastonishment with the amount of work that is constantly done by volunteers. The sheer coordination involved in thefeeding, medicating, socializing, and exercising all of the dogs could beoverwhelming yet everyone involved does the tasks needed and they do itpleasantly and efficiently. It truly isall about the dogs.

Trish making friends with Jacob

Michaela is a professional groomer so most of our time wasspent bathing and grooming dogs. By thesecond day we were accustomed to all of the volunteers talking about each dogby name when they stopped by the groom shop. Truly, every dog is known by name and most volunteers would mention sometid-bit of information about the particular dog’s background, quirks, etc. When these dogs arrive at NMDR, they instantlybecome part of the “family”.

Michaela and Timmy

While we enjoyed meeting all of the dogs, as always, there werea few that touched that extra special places in our hearts. For Michaela, it was Timmy, a six year oldBichon Frise who had recently arrived at the rescue with matted and stainedfur, skin injuries, terrible teeth and eye sight yet has the swagger andself-confidence of a Newfoundland. For Trishait was Sasha, a four year old Siberian Husky also a recent arrival. Sasha is timid and sweet and wants to befriends with everyone she meets. Watching her toss a ball up in the air, knowing where she had been sucha short time before, we had tears in our eyes.

Several of the volunteers took time to have dinner with usand NMDR founder, Theresa, along with Darrell and Dee shared their stories ofrescue trips. Hearing first-hand howtirelessly these folks work to rescue as many dogs as they can, brings to mindthe famous Margaret Mead quote “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that everhas.”

These folks are changing the world one dog at a time……

P.S. To all the blogfollowers – Massachusetts and Rhode Island are now on the official volunteerroster – which one of you out-of-staters is going to benext??? J

Thanks for the help!

2011-11-15T17:32:00.001-07:00

NMDR wanted to send out huge thanks to USAF Academy Cadets, CS-18 "Night Riders" for spending a day last weekend helping clean and volunteering at the kennel.

Groups are always welcome to help out at the kennel. If you lead a "troop" (no matter what kind) and would like to volunteer, please contact Michele (michele@milldogrescue.org).

Earlier in the week, NMDR was lucky enough to have a few students from Liberty High School help out with the kennel cleaning duties. It's a dirty job, but has to be done, day after day.

Young volunteers are a great help. Thank you to the teens of Liberty High School!

Did you know that NMDR has a Teen Team? We have a great group of teens who do all they can to help dogs. The next Teen Team meeting is on 11/27 at 10:00 am at the kennel. Please contact Michele (michele@milldogrescue.org) if you know of a teen who'd like to get involved and volunteer.

Thank you to all volunteers and all supporters for the countless ways you help the dogs of NMDR. We couldn't do it without you!

I want a dog for Christmas!

2011-11-10T14:42:00.001-07:00

Ah, the holidays. They’re upon us again whether we’re ready or not. For many families, including the popularanimated kind, the request of “I want a dog for Christmas” echoes through thehalls.

Chad has been at the kennel since April.

National Mill Dog Rescue would like to take a moment to endorseand encourage that request.

Yes. We definitely think that wanting a dog forChristmas should be encouraged… however in pushing against traditionalthinking, we suggest a much kinder, gentler twist.

Foster a dog for the holidays.

Why?

The Christmas season is known for impulse buying – including puppies. Obviously we're against purchasing puppies from petstores, but even adopting a rescued dog can be a big commitment. Impulse decisions can sometimes get thebetter of us. Fostering a dog means you have the continued support of the rescue organization, no matter what happens.

Epson has been at the kennel since May.

Fostering a dog is a great opportunity to do something selfless and truly giving over the holiday season.

Dixon has been at the kennel since June.

Fostering a dog requires no commitment other than the present time. When you foster a dog, it's important to do your best to take care of it, but there is no expectation for you to keep the dog for the rest of its life.

When you open your home to a dog in need, that dog becomes more adoptable by the minute. A home environment does wonders for a dog's confidence, personality and training.

NMDR's kennel has quite a few dogs that have been here for months. It's hard to watch new dogs come and go as quite a few still patiently await their turn to find a forever or foster home.

Please consider fostering a dog for the holidays. If you're not in the CO area and can't foster for NMDR, we hope you'll think about opening your heart and home to help shelter a dog in need in your area.

A facebook follower said it best….

“Spread the Cheer – Pets deserve Holidays too.”

Click here to learn more about our foster process and to fill out an application.

Thank you!

Foster with care

2011-10-29T14:24:00.000-06:00

National Mill Dog Rescue wants to take an opportunity to brag on one of our foster families.

Toby and McKensie were purchased by NMDR at a Missouri dog auction last April. This senior pair's breeding days were over and they were auctioned off for just a few dollars.

McKensie and Toby

After a few months at NMDR's kennel, these two precious Toy Fox Terriers went to a wonderful foster home, where they are still available for adoption today.

McKensie - basking in the sun in her foster home.

Patti, their foster mom, took the time to paint portraits of both dogs and we think she captured them beautifully.

Toby

McKensie

Toby and McKensie are still waiting to find their forever homes. However, the two are a bonded pair and they must stay together.

Huge thanks to Patti and to all of our foster families for doing all you can to give puppy mill survivors a first chance at knowing a life of love. Thank you!

Click here for Toby's bio.
Click here for McKensie's bio.

Adopt Toby and McKensie

Who says you can’t catch a cloud?

2011-10-27T14:24:00.000-06:00

That’s what I've been told by those who have pet me… I'm like touching a cloud. I’m softabsolutely everywhere, especially my heart.

My name is Jacob. I’ma 7 year old Keeshond and I’ve been in a puppy mill my entire life. You’ll know that instantly when you meet me,because I won’t trust you. I’ve nevertrusted a human being, ever, and it shows. However, after all I’ve been through, I don’t bite and never want tocause anyone any harm. It’s simply notin my nature.

Below is my picture taken at the kennel when I arrived at NMDR. I look like a complete goofball. For heaven’s sake, who cuts hair like that? My breeder, that’s who. It’s not uncommon for breeders, when surrendering/retiring dogs, to shave off the matted hair to make them look more presentable. But, in all seriousness, what’s going on with my head? If the Flock of Seagulls met Billy Idol, the unfortunate collision would result in my hairdo.

Intake picture aside, I've been at NMDR's kennel for a few months now. My hair is growing back healthy and I feel better every day.

Here are a few short facts about me:

- I’m terrified. The good news is that I'm not scared in a "freak-out like a cat in a bathtub" sort of way, but I dofreeze - solid. I'm horribly confused by this new world around me and have no idea what to do, so I become a statue when frightened.

- I will need a fenced yard in whatever home I go to. Until I learn to trust (whenever that may be), if I get loose, I know nothing else other than to run away. That's what scared dogs do.

- Seven years of confinement won't be repaired overnight. A patient, gentle family would suit me well.

- I get along great with most other dogs. Having another dog in the family would help me learn to trust and possibly begin to understand what the heck is going on.

- Lastly, there's something special about me. You have to trust me on this one. I didn't know it until now, but the more I interact with other people and dogs, the more I realize that I've got something inside me to share that I never knew was there before. I've never bonded with a single human being ever in my lifetime, so when it happens, it will be unbreakable. Trust me, you'll know the minute it happens. I will become your dog, your companion and a trusted loyal friend.

I'm starting to look better on the outside, I just need a home and a family to help heal the inside.

With lots of love to give,
Jacob

Adopt or Foster Jacob

Not wild about senior dogs and want to help some puppies instead?

2011-10-26T14:55:00.000-06:00

Oh boy... do we have the puppy project for you!

This call for help comes from our rescue friends in the La Junta, CO area and the Ft. Morgan, CO area. The above photo is of 6 feral puppies who were found living in an abandoned garage in Rocky Ford, CO. The pups are 3 months old and are undomesticated. They're a wild bunch.

Fortunately, the puppies were caught last week and are now safe at the Fort Morgan Humane Society. Unfortunately, they do not have the staff or time to socialize and help make these dogs adoptable as quickly as they would like. The fear is that they've been undomesticated for so long, with each day they get bigger, they may become wilder and less adoptable.

Why were we called for help? Well, puppy mill survivors are not socialized and NMDR has become quite good at the process of helping dogs go from terrified animals to wonderful family members. Calling NMDR to help socialize dogs is a great idea, however we're completely full. With the rescue of 71 dogs from Missouri last week, the kennel and our foster homes are at capacity. Volunteers are running at full speed and we're doing all we can with the big bunch we already have.

What can you do to help? Well, this one is for all our followers who prefer puppies to senior dogs. We don't get many puppies, so here's your chance to really help make a difference for a pup who wouldn't be given a chance otherwise. The female pups are in need of foster or forever homes soon. There are 4 available and they can be separated. The quicker these puppies get daily socialization, the better chance they'll have in this world. They have had their first shots, are dewormed, and don't bite. However, it is strongly advised not to put one of these pups with very small children. Providing a home for one of these dogs (whether it be temporary or permanent) could be a very rewarding challenge for the right family.

If you can help give one of these pups a chance directly, please call the Fort Morgan Humane Society and ask for Jill or Katie: 970-542-6416.
If your home is already full of dogs and cats and kids and all the other wonderful fun things that make a house a home, please try to share this post so others can choose to help if they want to.

Because they're feral, what mix of breeds the pups are is unknown. However, the mama dog was captured and brought to the dog pound in Rocky Ford. To the left is her photo.

Mama has been living in the wild for who knows how long, but she has some lovable domestic qualities. It is believed she was in a home at some point. If you have interest in possibly helping the mama of these pups, please contact Janet with Animal Rescue of the Rockies (westjanet58@msn.com).

Thank you for reading this post and for helping us help other rescues. In the end, we're all one big group with the same goal.... saving dogs.

- National Mill Dog Rescue.

Why we do what we do…

2011-10-22T12:21:00.005-06:00

Anya,a German Shorthaired Pointer, was rescued by NMDR in the early spring of2009. She spent her days in a puppy millthat fell below USDA standards. Beforethe place could be shut down, the owner burnedit to the ground. Anya was found under atruck. Physically, she was ok, butmentally, Anya was a terrified mess.

After spending a few months at the kennel and hundreds of hours of time with the volunteers, Anya still was not making much progress. She cowered all day, every day, ate very little and hid in her bed as much as possible. Thankfully, Holly at Vail Doggie offered to foster Anya. As the many months went by in Vail, Anya slowly responded to loving care and regular attention. She learned to enjoy the daily company of other dogs and began to trust the people who were so patient with her. Soon, Anya started to retrieve the tennis ball and began to look forward to seeing people, as they always brought her treats, kindness, outdoor excitement, love, and a tender touch.

Two long years later, this is Anya today...

Anya has found her forever family and is thriving in the great outdoors of the big sky country - Montana.

It's stories like Anya's that keep all of us at National Mill Dog Rescue hopeful every day. We will keep going on rescue runs, keep volunteering, keep up the veterinary care, keep trying to find all dogs homes, and keep trying to put an end to the commercial breeding industry. Special thanks to Vail Doggie for reminding all of us that fostering dogs is what makes the biggest difference in their lives.

Love to all from Anya in Montana.

Please consider making a huge difference in the life of a puppy mill survivor. Foster a dog today.

Griffin, a lucky Welsh Terrier with great news

2011-10-20T11:21:00.001-06:00

Update on Griffin - 11/16/2011

Griffin's ear ablation surgery was scheduled for today and has been canceled for a very good reason. He's getting better! This is great news because ear ablation surgery is a major operation and absolutely terrible thing to put a dog through. He is still on medication and will be for a while, but as long as he keeps improving, it looks like a full recovery is possible without surgery.

Now that Griffin's getting healthier by the minute, he has a new problem emerging - he's bored. During his recovery, this 5 year old Welsh Terrier boy enjoyed a quiet foster home with no other dogs. Griffin is now available for adoption or a different foster home in the meantime. He loves all people and does great with other dogs. No cats or small critters should be in a home with this little man. If you're interested in adopting Griffin, please have another dog or two in your home to keep him company, he'd be so happy!

If you're interested in adopting Griffin, please click here for NMDR's adoption application. If you're in the CO area and can help this boy out by fostering him with other dogs, please contact NMDR's foster coordinator Pam - pamarf@milldogrescue.org. Thank you!

For those who donated to Griffin:
Where did your money go? Good question and we always want to be 100% honest. $900 was needed to pay off the vet bill for Griffin's pending surgery. Our goal was achieved and we cannot thank you enough for helping ease our minds with your donations last month. Now that his surgery most likely will never happen, we plan on moving that money over to several dogs who need vet care, while keeping it in the Terrier family. The funds will go to the shots, spaying, and dental work of the 6 Skye Terriers who arrived at the kennel last week. It will also go to help with any dogs needing emergency care on the Missouri rescue that's occurring tomorrow morning. However, the one thing we don't want to do is to presume to make decisions for you. If you donated to Griffin and would like your donation refunded to you, that's ok too. Please contact Rich (rich@milldogrescue.org), for donation refund requests.

Thank you from Griffin and all of National Mill Dog Rescue

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Update on Griffin - 10/26/11

Over the weekend, Griffin was picked up from North Academy Vet and went to his first foster home. His appreciation for the kind gesture was to respond by chasing the resident cat. By some miracle, a new foster home was found for him the very next day. A kind family, with no other dogs or cats (we didn't know places like this even existed), opened their hearts and home to Griffin. They sent in a few photos of him in his new foster home.

Griffin - perched in the yard

Griffin's doing very well in with his foster family. He's on daily doses of pain meds and his current vet concluded, for Griffin's own health, that he needs a few more weeks to treat his ear infection before surgery. Griffin's ear ablation surgery has been bumped back from this Thursday to Nov. 16th. A little more time is needed to clear up his massive ear infection. Poor little man!

Right now, thanks to NMDR's rescue team (for pulling him out of that mill in his time of need), all the volunteers, foster families, and incredible group of nationwide followers who donated to his care, Griffin's story is continuing to be a success. We'll keep you posted as to how he's doing and how his surgery goes in a few weeks.

Thank you for supporting NMDR and for caring about each and every one of puppy mill survivors we rescue.

With love,
Griffin and all of National Mill Dog Rescue

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10/21/2011

Thank you, thank you, thank you all SO much. We reached our goal and will be taking care ofGriffin's vet bills immediately. NMDR does ourabsolute best to be respectful to your families, your own dog's needs, and yourwallet, so we try very hard to cry out for donations only when we're in apinch. This group always comes through,and for that, NMDR and the dogs, are eternally grateful. Feel free to continue to look in on us online anytimeto see where your money goes. Ourorganization is an open book and it's all for the dogs. Today, you not only helped Griffin, but helpedease the financial stress of an organization with a group of two dozen puppymill survivors arriving tonight. Thankyou again.

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10/20/2011

Griffin wasn't supposed to be rescued last weekend.

According to his breeder, Griffin was one of the stronger,healthier dogs. Theresa took one look atthis dog in horrific pain and couldn't leave him there. So, the rescue team made room for just one more.

Both of Griffin’s ears are infected. We’re not going to show you a picture of his ears, becauseit’s really just too gross. Thecondition has gone untreated for years. It’s unimaginable to think of how long this little boy was in pain. When Theresa saw him, he was doing nothingbut rubbing the side of his head on the wires inside his cage.

This is one of the worst ear conditions we’ve ever seen on adog.

Griffin was taken over to North Academy Veterinary Hospitalthis morning and will be spending the week there. Dr. Tuthill is helping prepare Griffin fortotal ear canal ablation surgery next week. Griffin will then go to Powers Animal Emergency Hospital to have his surgery performed by Dr. Wilwerding. Huge thanks from NMDR to both Dr. Tuthill and Dr. Wilwerdingfor generously cutting their fees in half in order to help us care for thisdog.

Below is a video of Griffin taken at the kennel yesterday. He can barely hear and has no appetite.

Thanks to the reduction in vet fees, this expense mountainhas been cut down to just a mole hill. Whew! However, Griffin and NMDRreally could use your help to get us the rest of the way. Roughly $900 is needed to get this dog backto health. He’s young and has a majorityof his life left ahead of him. Not onlywill we work to have the rest of his days be cage-free, but completely pain-freeas well. We feel we owe that to Griffin.

You know we rarely ask and we hate asking, but if you could donate a few dollars today, you would make a big difference to NMDR. We had 50 dogs come in last weekend and roughly 30 more will be on their way tomorrow. We're prepared to vet all dogs we rescue, but sometimes serious surgeries come up and that's when we really need your help.

Today, Griffin needs help. Please consider skipping your Starbucks or packing your lunch tomorrow. A small amount from each of us will add up quickly. We'll let you know when our goal is met as we never want to ask for more than is absolutely necessary.

Thank you in advance for helping Griffin.

A new day is dawning...

2011-10-16T12:44:00.000-06:00

National Mill Dog Rescue saved 48 dogs in Missouri yesterday. The team is headed home to CO and will pick up 6 Dachshunds in KS on the way. Below is an email from Chuck, recapping the rescue team's day yesterday.

We started a beautifulMissouri day with an educational but sad dose of reality - a dog auction. Itwas sparsely attended and many dogs went for extremely low prices - despite thecoming usually hot Christmas season. Some of the dogs were from the"complete dispersal" of two breeders going out of business. This andsome discussions indicated that times are tougher for the breeders feeling theeffects of new controls.

Then we went on to pickup dogs from three breeders and two of our rescue partners for atotal of 48 more passengers on board the vehicles. A lot of doxies,cockers, Lhasas, cavaliers, a yellow lab pup, Norfolk terriers, poodles,Yorkies, Min Pin, Boston Terrier, Pomeranian, two Cotons, and a snow whitePekinese pup.

Most got to run and play (most for the first time), in the barn tonight andsome will sleep with team members - who were too tired to run and play.

Photos from the road....

A sweet male Welsh Terrier was rescued yesterday. He was suffering from an
untreated ear infection that is obviously causing him a tremendous amount of
pain. He will be given immediate vet care and will most likely have to be rushed
to a surgical center for ear canal ablation surgery. Please keep this little fella in
your thoughts.

This post is not just to share news and photos of the rescued dogs. It is also to share a feeling. Theresa reports from the road that the feeling of the industry is changing. Rather than a discouraging uphill battle, the tide is starting to turn. Although it won't happen overnight, the commercial breeding industry is slowly dying. The air in the dog auction was different. There weren't that many people in attendance and the auctioneer was continually reassuring breeders that this is just a temporary slump.

Now is the time not to let up. Now is the time to realize that together, this group is a force that is changing history.

Have you ever felt like your work in saving dogs is just a drop in the bucket? Do you feel like there are days when you just don’t make a difference? Well, today is not that day. You are, we ALL are, making a difference in the commercial breeding industry and it is really starting to show.

This is where your hard work goes. This is where spreading the word makes adifference. This is where your donationsnot only save one dog, but go on to save thousands. This is not the time to feel like a drop inthe bucket. We are all making adifference.

Keep sharing. Keep shouting. Keep posting. Keep loving all dogs just as you love your own.

Pet stores are closing. Dog auctions are diminishing. Education and awareness is increasing. Dog's lives are being saved.

Thank you for making a difference with us.

From all the volunteers, rescuers and dogs of National Mill Dog Rescue - thank you for your help and support.

Snapshot of a Puppy Mill Rescue

2011-10-14T11:19:00.000-06:00

NMDR's rescue team departed Colorado this morning and will attend a dog auction in Missouri tomorrow. After the auction, the rest of the weekend involves picking up over 30 retired breeding dogs from breeders and puppy mills that are going out of business.

A majority of this post (below) was written earlier and posted for a previous rescue. Because we gain new followers every day, it's worth revisiting to answer a few very important questions....

What is a dog rescue?
NMDR usually transports and returns with dogs that are rescued from 3 different situations: closure of a puppy mill, breeder surrender or dog auction.

Puppy Mill Closure:
Rescuing dogs from the closure of a puppy mill is usually a large scale, multi-team, collaborative effort between several rescue organizations across the nation. You can always find NMDR in that mix somewhere.

A puppy mill is usually shut down or put out of business by a state's dept. of agriculture for legal reasons that often involve dogs being kept in deplorable conditions. NMDR will get notice of such a pending closure and work with other organizations on rescue, transport, care and shelter for hundreds of dogs.

Breeder Surrender:

This is the most common scenario in which NMDR rescues dogs (as will be the case this trip). A breeder can be either a puppy mill owner or something to the same effect on a smaller scale. These owners can even be "backyard breeders," in which hundreds of dogs are bred for the purpose of profit, but not necessarily in a "mill." NMDR's rescue teams have recovered dogs living in holes in the ground, wooden barrels and even being caged inside a broken microwave. Breeders will surrender their retired breeding dogs when they're "used up" and are no longer of use or profit to them.

NMDR's rescue contacts have worked with these breeders over time to help them understand that there are “retirement homes” available for these dogs. Our contacts do not present themselves as “rescuers.” It’s a very subtle and non-threatening relationship that is developed. NMDR attempts to present itself as a cleaner, easier option than breeders going through the effort of destroying what breeders consider as their useless stock.

Dog Auction:

Hold on to your hat. Yep, these awful events really exist. A dog auction is an event very similar to a cattle or horse auction. A dog is put on display for bids and is sold to the highest bidder. A lot of these dogs are puppy mill cast-offs. They are either too old to be productive breeding stock, or they are not successful at producing puppies. Also, a puppy miller may have too many dogs of a specific breed so they will sell off some and purchase others to diversify their stock.

Below, is a short video clip featuring Theresa's comments about dog auctions:

(Thank you to Jenesis Productions for providing this incredible video)

A very small percentage of the dogs NMDR rescues come from the auctions. Most get picked up by NMDR's rescue teams upon being directly released from puppy mills. Of the 30+ furry souls that will be rescued this weekend, a majority will come straight out of the mill, directly into our arms. Space is a bigger issue than funding when it comes to NMDR's purchasing dogs at the auctions. Most of the worn out, retired breeding dogs will sell at an auction for less than a dollar. NMDR could rescue hundreds of dogs at a time at any given auction, but transport and kennel space is a never ending issue.

A Happy Story...
If you watched the video above, you'll notice that it ends with the mention of a sweet Miniature Pinscher named "Copper." Copper was purchased by NMDR for one penny (hence the name) at the closing minutes of a dog auction in Missouri over a year ago. As a happy follow-up to his story, below is a photo of 8 year-old Copper with his loving family.

An excerpt of Copper's words from his story a year ago...
"I will close this chapter of my story by sending a heartfelt thank you to National Mill Dog Rescue for coming to get me. My fate without you would have been the end of my days. For one penny, you proved that I am not a “throw away” dog and I promise to never forget that. I wanted to write my story for all the other “one cent” dogs out there. I want my second chance to become theirs too."

Please keep NMDR's rescue teams in your thoughts and hearts as they set out to save lives this weekend. Auctions are truly horrible. Puppy mills are beyond awful. The living conditions and the furry souls that survive them are images that our rescue volunteers are brave enough to face.

Thank you in advance to our rescue teams for enduring the long weekend ahead and for stomaching what a majority of us would find unbearable.

- National Mill Dog Rescue

Please consider donating to help us fund this rescue. My goodness gas is getting expensive! Any little bit helps. Thanks so much.

Pip, Pip, Hooray!

2011-10-10T21:48:00.000-06:00

Hi! Hi! Hi! My name is Pippi and I have terrific news. The results are in and I'm heartworm negative! Whew! It took a long time to get over that.

Here's a photo of me driving home from the vet with a big ol' smile on my face. It's nice to be healthy. Well, sort of. I still have spine issues but am getting stronger every day.

I'm writing this post about me in the hopes that I can find my forever family soon. Do you know any Dachshund lovers? I'd be so happy in a home with someone who understood my breed.

I'm a 6 year old girl who was rescued by NMDR several months ago. I've had a rough go of it. I was a breeding dog for all the years of my life and still don't trust men. After being in a tiny cage for half a decade, naturally, I have a few behavioral issues that will require patience and love. It is also believed that I suffered some trauma and was thrown into a wall or on the ground. I arrived with several ruptured discs in my spine and, for a wiener dog, back problems are insufferable.

The good news is that I'm in foster care and am receiving regular vet treatments and acupuncture on my spine and it's working! I'm making steady progress and have become quite a mobile little girl.

At the vet after my heartworm test.

I get along great with other dogs. As a matter of fact, it's super important that I have canine company. I don't like to be alone and find great comfort in my tail-wagging friends. A family with doggie siblings would be wonderful!

I've had a crappy life so far and am thinking I'm really deserving of a forever family soon. I'm a puppy mill survivor and I'm certainly not perfect. As a matter of fact, for the next few months (or even a year), I can be considered a "special needs" dog. Because my back has kept me immobile for so many months, I'll be in need of hydrotherapy to strengthen the muscles in my legs. Sigh... I can't wait to finally be a healthy girl. Don't worry, if you adopt me, NMDR has kind folks to help you and I with my physical therapy.

Here's a video of me walking. I've come a long way and get around pretty well now....

I'm fragile, but don't want to wait any longer to find my place in this world. I've got a few weird behavioral issues, but with help, a permanent home, and a family to teach me to trust, I promise to do my best to learn to be a model Dachshund. It's my turn to try. I just need my first chance.

Love, Pippi Longstocking

Adopt Pippi

A very happy update on Lyric

2011-10-06T12:37:00.002-06:00

We received a letter from Lyric's forever family and wanted to share the good news with everyone.

For those who don't know Lyric's story:
Lyric, a 10 year-old Corgi, was rescued by NMDR at the beginning of August. She was deathly ill and it was believed that she would not survive through the day. However, Lyric and her fighting spirit would not give up. With treatment and special care, she grew stronger every day and has survived.

Video, taken by Theresa, on the day Lyric was rescued...

Lyric spent 10 years of her life living under a piece of plywood on her breeder's property. When Theresa and Chuck lifted up the board (photo below), Lyric was unresponsive and barely breathing.

She was rushed to the veterinary hospital for a blood transfusion....

Letter and photos from Lyric's family.....
October 6, 2011

Theway that Lyric has settled in, anyone would think that she had lived with usher whole life.

When we made thecommitment to adopt her, I wondered if I had completely lost my mind. I wasreally afraid that we were not up to dealing with her and the potentiallysevere adjustment issues that might come up. We decided that the best way toproceed was to treat her like any other dog that we might bring into our home. Her history was just that…history. Her life started the moment that she came tolive with us, that feeling sorry for her and not requiring that she be a well adjustedfull-fledged member of the family would really be a disservice to her. Stanleyhas been a wonderful role model for her and her willingness to please has madethis journey relatively easy. She is an absolutely wonderful little girl. Sheis smart, loving, adorable and funny. It has really been interesting watchingher learn new things like discovering that you can't go through screen doorswhen they are closed (hard on the nose), that squeaky toys are the best thingever, that backyards and rolling in the grass are really great, that cats areinteresting but act kind of annoyed when you mess with them too much and carrides just rock. At ten years old she’s becoming a happy healthy normal dog.

Lyric and her squeaky toy.

I have seen first-hand how the ability to heal the body and spirit is somethingquite miraculous. Her food aggression and resource guarding are completelygone. I started out hand feeding her because she was so fierce withanything related to food (for good reason) and I think that helped to calm herand slow her down and we gradually just moved her closer and closer to Stanleyand now she eats from her own bowl right next to him. No big deal.

I remember how wobbly and weak she was and how difficult it was for her to walkacross the room let alone go up and down stairs when we first brought her home.Now I just love watching her run across the room playing fetch with one of hertoys, galloping up and down stairs, tearing across the backyard at full speed,following me around like a little shadow. She has been learning basic obedienceand walks pretty well on a leash and is housebroken.

She is such a wonderful blessing to our family. We love her so much and can'timagine life without her.

I can't tell you how wonderful I think you and NMDR are. We are so grateful to everyone who invested time, money and prayers into saving Lyric. We know we are the ones who benefited from everyone's love and kindness and we will never forget that. I plan to pay it forward.

I have attached a couple of pictures. It's hard to believe this is the same dog as the pictures of her literally on death's door that were taken right after you rescued her. Those pictures rip my heart out, but at the same time they are a great reminder of how far she's come.

Hero needed to hold my paw

2011-10-05T14:17:00.002-06:00

UPDATE on Elmer (10/6/11) -

Message from Dr. Cristy Fisher at Pine Creek Veterinary Hospital: "WOW!!!! THANK YOU so much for your blog post. We all were cryingat the hospital when we read it. AND we have already had several people call tooffer their homes. What an amazing network of people you have."

Message from NMDR: Thank you to all who read Elmer's post and for contacting Pine Creek Vet to help him. It looks like he will be going to a wonderful family by as soon as tomorrow. We hope that the kind person/family who takes Elmer will choose to keep us updated on how he's doing. A loyal facebook follower said it best - "NMDR followers are the best!" You guys shared Elmer's post and found him a home and loving arms to carry him over the rainbow bridge. Thank you.

___________________________________
Original post 10/5/11-

Hello there! I'm Elmer and I'm dying. Yep, there's no way to sugar coat it, facts are facts and I'm honestly pretty excited to see what's going on the other side of that rainbow bridge everybody's talking about.

The good news is that I'm old. I've lived for over 15 years and if I could talk, I'd tell you a whole library full of tail-wagging stories. The bad news is that I have a very serious heart condition that has gone untreated for many, many years. I am currently residing at Pine Creek Veterinary Hospital in Colorado Springs. The kind doctors here put me on heart medication and estimate that I may have a few months of life left. The reason I'm asking for help is because I don't want to die in a vet clinic and I don't want to pass over the bridge alone.

I'm a 20 lb, Sheltie mix who was dumped out in the Colorado woods who knows how long ago. A good samaritan found me and brought me into Pine Creek Vet. The folks here have been kind, gentle and providing medication and care. My past is unknown, but I do know what I want my future to hold.

I'm an incredibly friendly fella who loves all people, other dogs, kids and even cats. I'd do well in any low-key home. My heart absolutely cannot handle much stress or exercise, so the quieter and calmer the better. My brain tells me to do things that my body can't tolerate. For example, I'll go for a walk until I pass out because my heart can't handle it. I also don't think I'll manage with any car rides or transport for longer than an hour. My heart is too fragile.

Why am I posting this on National Mill Dog Rescue's blog when I'm not a mill dog or even in NMDR's kennel? Two reasons: 1) NMDR loves all dogs, not just the ones in their care. 2) Rumor has it, NMDR's social media followers are an incredibly powerful bunch. I heard that when they set their minds so something, whether it be transporting dogs, raising funds, or finding homes, this is the group that gets it done.

I don't need money. I don't need a lot of food, or effort. I don't need much exercise or excessive attention.

I just need you.

Providing a hospice home for dogs truly is heroes work, and I know that I'm asking for a lot. You and I both know that caring for me won't be the difficult part; losing me will. I'm a great dog and I bond quickly with those I love. I'm sorry that I can't make a long-term commitment to you physically, but I promise you will carry my paw prints stamped on your heart for a lifetime. No one wants to die alone. There are reasons people leave hospitals and go to their own homes for comfort and hospice care. I would do that today, except that I don't have a home to go to.

If you can help me, please call Pine Creek Veterinary Hospital at 719-955-0966 and ask for either Cristy or Erica. You can also email drcristy@pinecreekvet.com.

Thank you in advance for trying to help me with the final chapter of my journey.

Love,

Elmer

Rescue is only the first step...

2011-10-04T12:56:00.000-06:00

Did you know that National Mill Dog Rescue has a volunteer rehabilitation team? The team currently consists of approximately a dozen volunteers working with the same number of dogs.

Grace, the French Bulldog, receives attention from NMDR's rehab team to overcome her fears.

NMDR's rehab team formedabout 2 years ago. A focused program was needed to devote specialattention to dogs exhibiting severe behavioral problems. Since puppy mill survivors spend the entirety of their lives in fear of people and without human contact, many arrive scared and traumatized.

Molly and Grace - outside with the rehab team

Jill Haffley, an experienced dog trainer and animalbehaviorist agreed to head the program and assistvolunteers with specialized treatment plans and establish program goals foreach dog. Each volunteer isrequired to read information about rehabilitation techniques and also meet with Jillor an experienced volunteer. The volunteers observe then implement the programwith a dog who has been placed in the rehab program.

Dogs are assigned to rehab if they are fear biters, dogaggressive, difficult to pick up, and/or cower and shake when they see a human. The selected dogs receive 2 to 3 sessions per week.

Grace is so afraid of people that she crawls on her belly when a person is near.

The rehab team's goals with a dog can include: establishing trust, easy pick up, no bitingor aggression to humans, social with other dogs and humans. The ultimate goal is to have the rescued dog be ready for adoption.

So far, dozens of dogs have graduated from the program to go on to find their forever homes.

Volunteers are always needed for the rehab team and many other areas of NMDR:
http://milldogrescue.org/Volunteer.html

Milled and Misunderstood

2011-09-26T13:30:00.001-06:00

This article, written about National Mill Dog Rescue, was originally posted in Yellow Scene Magazine (http://yellowscene.com/2011/09/21/milled-and-misunderstood/). It was published on September 21, 2011 and written by Stephanie Riesco.

Milled and Misunderstood

Psychologically damaged dogs rehabbed and rehomed

Otis did not trust people. He growled instead of excitedly greeting caretakers and charged if anyone walked past his room.

Jill Haffley, behavior specialist with the Colorado-based National Mill Dog Rescue, has seen every by-product of modern puppy mills—from terrified shaking to aggression. She said Otis, a rescued miniature poodle, was an extreme case.

“In cases like Otis you wanted to walk into his kennel backward,” Haffley said. “Whereas people would shake hands face to face, with dogs they go rear to nose. You want to respect Otis in his space, so you go in backward.”

Puppy mills can be as small as a garage or fill homes, sheds and unsheltered yard space with dangerous, unsanitary cages where breeding dogs spend their entire, often unduly short lives. Experts say the majority of dogs sold in pet stores come from puppy mills, and the Humane Society estimates these stores sell roughly 500,000 puppies each year. From abuse-related deformities to unusual expressions of fear, each rescued mill dog bears scars of the poorly regulated commercial dog industry, Haffley said.

Haffley, who adopted her own rescue dog, said she believes every mill dog can learn to accept human love, even Otis.

“Somewhere within Otis a light just clicked on for him and he realized we weren’t there to hurt him,” Haffley said. “We get all ages, all breeds, all types. Not one of them is unable to be rehabilitated if given the amount of time that they need.”

Kim and Heather - working on leash-walking
and socialization with Retta and Shadow

Kim Lehmann, a volunteer coordinator who has worked at NMDR since its 2007 opening, has seen more than 5,000 dogs rescued primarily from puppy mills in the Midwest, specifically Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

“We rescue those dogs that are discarded by the breeders and slated to be killed because they can no longer produce puppies for the mill,” Lehmann said. “They are either too sick or too old or they are dogs that are not what the public is buying in the pet stores.”

NMDR’s almost entirely volunteer-staffed facility in Colorado Springs relies on donations, adoption fees and grants to fund rescue, veterinary care, cleaning and rehabilitation.

“They often arrive filthy, matted, infested with fleas and tics and parasites and all kinds of infections, broken bones, broken jaws,” Lehmann said. “Some dogs won’t walk through doorways, some dogs won’t eat in front of us—of course nobody walks on a leash right off the bat and nobody is house-broken.”

In her 2010 documentary, I Breathe, Colorado filmmaker and producer Jene Nelson worked with NMDR and breeders to study the commercial dog-breeding industry.

When filming, Nelson said she was barred from entering most facilities with cameras, but a reputable dog auction unsettled her as she watched dogs sold on the auction block to the highest bidder.

Here is a clip from the I Breathe documentary about dog auctions:

“I can’t say that it was an evil, terrible experience, it was surreal because you have all these purebred dogs that are being put on an auction block,” Nelson said. “Copper, this dog profiled in my documentary, sold for one penny.”

The United States Department of Agriculture and most states’ regulations monitor breeding, but Nelson said there are not enough inspectors to do an effective job. State legislators in Missouri and Colorado overturned laws that would crack down on puppy mills. Animal rights organizations speculate lobbying from the multi-billion dollar breeding industry prevents the passage of regulatory laws.

“One of the dogs featured in my documentary was just in horrific condition and she came from a USDA-licensed facility,” Nelson said. “When I pulled the last inspection report from that facility, there were some minor violations, but there was not a mention of any of the conditions of any of the dogs.”

Nelson promoted education to fight the commercial industry. Trust only hobby breeders who test for genetic disorders or those who allow thorough site visitation, she said, but simply going to a rescue facility garners viable pets as well.

“For people who think that shelters or rescues just have mangy mutts, I have a cavalier King Charles spaniel who’s absolutely adorable, she’s out of a puppy mill, and she’s a rescue dog,” Nelson said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to take a dog with nothing and give it a life.”

Well adjusted boy seeks family with lots of toys

2011-09-15T14:25:00.000-06:00

Hi there! My name is Indy and I can't figure out why I'm still here. Since I have such a great personality and love everybody, I figure it's because my forever family just hasn't been able to find me yet.

I'm a 6 and a half year old Shih Tzu boy. I weigh in at 12 lbs and have spent the entirety of my life confined to a puppy mill. That is, until NMDR rescued me in June. I've been living at the kennel ever since. The volunteers are great and I love my roomies and playtime, but it's time for me to make space for another dog in need. Considering the lack of human touch and kindness throughout my life, I'm incredibly well adjusted. I absolutely love other dogs and think all people are wonderful. Loves and pets are always welcome.

I'd also like to brag that I'm healthy and super playful. I have a young spirit and think that toys are fun!
Here's a video of me yesterday being a happy boy in the kennel play area....

And another one....

I'm happy, healthy, calm, socialized, agreeable and, in my opinion, ridiculously cute. I live in the moment and have forgiven my past. All I need now is a future.

So, if you know of a loving family who might be looking to add a great family member like me, please pass along this post. I don't know why they haven't found me yet, but maybe this post will help.

Thanks in advance for helping a little guy like me find a forever home.

Indy

Adopt or foster Indy

Needles and dog lips and ear mites... oh my!

2011-09-07T13:16:00.000-06:00

National Mill Dog Rescue saved a lot of dogs from puppy mills that were shut down this last July. All those beautiful furry souls gotta go somewhere, and we're proud to say that our kennel and foster homes are full.

Henry

We'd like to feature a few of the faces that sure could use some help with a small donation today.

All of the dogs from the recent Iowa rescue suffer from horrible ear infections and ear mites. Henry's having a rough go of it right now. He's been started on antibiotics and Revolution (to kill the mites), but he's still quite lethargic. Henry will eventually rally and is getting a stronger every day, but we keep our thoughts with him daily and hope for a speedy recovery.

Harley's a 5 year-old Sheltie who's had an unthinkable life so far. He's timid... and rightfully so. Something very awful occurred in the mill where he was bred and kept. A portion of Harley's lip is missing. Let's not think about Harley's past plight any longer and focus on his future. Harley could use a loving home. Dogs forgive, and Harley will be no exception. He needs a patient family to help him come out of his shell.

Harley

Pippi Longstocking, a beautiful Dachshund girl, is having a rough patch. We're working hard to see her through it.

Pippi Longstocking

Pippi was rescued by NMDR several months ago. She was heartworm positive and currently (still) suffers from ruptured discs in her spine. She is in terrible pain and her foster family is doing all they can to comfort her. Aside from medication, Pippi receives weekly acupuncture treatments. The vet says that she is slowly showing positive improvement.

We try hard not to ask for donations and bug the heck out of people. NMDR only asks when funds are needed. Why are we asking? A majority of NMDR's expenses goes to vet care. When we're full of rescued dogs, our vet bills go up. If you haven't donated to NMDR recently and would like to help Pippi, Harley, Henry or any of the dogs in NMDR's care, please donate today. It all adds up quickly and a small donation will make a huge difference. It always does.

All the dogs of National Mill Dog Rescue thank you in advance for your help today. We couldn't do what we do - without you.

Thank you.

Please donate today:
http://milldogrescue.org/Donate.html

Today's youth...

2011-09-05T17:26:00.000-06:00

National Mill Dog Rescue was grateful to have so many young volunteers over the weekend.

The USAF Academy Cadets (Squadron 23), spent a majority of their Saturday volunteering for cleaning duty at the kennel.

Thank you for helping your community and for helping NMDR's facility stay clean and spotless!

NMDR also had a wonderful treat on Saturday when Girl Scout troop 1451 came by to help clean the play area and main arena in the kennel.

Thank you to all volunteers and all supporters for the countless ways you help the dogs of NMDR.

What a great weekend!

Lyric got adopted!

2011-08-20T17:02:00.001-06:00

Lyric was adopted today. Hooray!

Lyric, a 10 year-old Corgi, was rescued by NMDR at the beginning of August. She was deathly ill and it was believed that she would not survive through the day. However, Lyric and her fighting spirit would not give up. With treatment and special care, she grew stronger every day and has survived.

Below is a photo of Lyric and her new brother - Stanley. He's a Corgi/Heeler mix. Stanley is the same age as Lyric and they get along very well together. Lyric's new family is very excited about welcoming her into their home. Lyric and her new family did a "meet and greet" today and it went very well. NMDR will groom Lyric, get her spayed and give her a dental treatment before she moves in with her folks early next week.

After ten long years of living under a piece of plywood, Lyric is finally getting the home she's always deserved.

A note from Lyric's forever family...

"As Lyric's new mom, we are very excited about having this darling little girl as a part of our family. We will do everything we can to make her life the best that it can be from now on. She deserves it."

From all of us at National Mill Dog Rescue, we thank you for your support. Special thanks to Friends Rescued Animal Network (http://www.friendsrescued.org) for providing 24-hour care to Lyric when her condition was critical.

All of you helped us help Lyric and we are grateful.

A Public Service Announcement from Sasha

2011-08-09T13:59:00.006-06:00

August 11, 2011

UPDATE ON SASHA:

We are sorry to post the news that Sasha passed away yesterday evening. We had no idea that her prognosis would go from so optimistic to so bleak in one afternoon. The blog post below would not have been created for her, nor would we have gotten anyone's hopes up if there was any clue that Sasha would not respond to treatment and deteriorate so rapidly. We post what's real and sometimes reality ends up taking a turn for the worse.

All of us at NMDR are completely heartbroken. Sasha's little body simply ran out of fight, her strength was gone, and she let go. This beautiful furry soul died in loving arms and without pain.

_________________________________________________

August 10, 2011

Hi everyone! My name is Sasha. I'm a Pomeranian girl who came from a Missouri puppy mill and arrived on the last rescue. I'm 7 years old and have decided to create my very first public service announcement (PSA). I asked one of the kind volunteers at NMDR to help me. So she grabbed her camera and met me out in the kennel yard. You'll have to forgive my wobbliness in the video. Both of my ears are severely infected. My teeth are rotten and abscessing through my gums. The swelling between the two has horribly affected my equilibrium. I did the best I could to get around.

The neglect of my past has been unimaginably awful. But I don't want to talk about that. This is not an "oh poor me" PSA. This is about the future. I am receiving antibiotics for my ears, pain medication, and will have every single one of my teeth pulled this week. Having my teeth removed should help with the swelling in my head. Hopefully, the infection will clear up with time. I hope it does soon. I'm already tired of the way people look at me. I don't understand.... it's like I'm breaking their heart. I don't mean to. I've never had anything in my heart but love and forgiveness. The minute I see that look in the volunteer's eyes, I just want to do everything I can to get near them so I can make their sadness go away. I try with everything I am to put on a happy face simply so I can make others happy too. That is my greatest joy.

This PSA is not just about my future. It's about the future of all little breeding dogs like me. I'm not a selfish Pomeranian and wouldn't go through effort to make a video only for myself. All I can think about is the ones who are not rescued. Purchasing puppies from pet stores and disreputable online puppy sellers directly support puppy mills. Please spread the word. Share this post, do whatever you can. What has happened to me will just keep happening until the world realizes that paying for puppies from pet stores and disreputable breeders supports animal cruelty.

Love,
Sasha

Foster/Adopt Sasha

Good news, good news and more good news...

2011-08-06T11:16:00.006-06:00

Good news about Hambone...

Hambone left the vet yesterday and spent her first night in a home. She is with a long-time NMDR volunteer family who will work with veterinarians and specialists to make sure that Hambone stays pain-free and has a chance at a happy life. She still cannot stand up for more than a few seconds but, the great news is that her bladder is beginning to function normally. This is a huge improvement over the dangerous condition she was in earlier - of not being able to empty her bladder at all.

Thank you to all of NMDR's fans, followers and volunteers who donated to Hambone. You took a weight off NMDR when we were able to pay Hambone's vet bill, in full, when she left the clinic yesterday.

Good news about Lyric....

Photo of Theresa and Lyric on the day she was rescued.

Lyric is receiving full-time, round the clock, 24-hour care at a veterinary hospital in Parker, CO. She received another blood transfusion last night. Lyric has an esophageal feeding tube because she still cannot eat on her own. Due to her significant degree of malnutrition, she must be fed very slowly or her organs might shut down. Through all the needles and tubes.... Lyric still wags her fluffy tail.

Like all of us, the vet techs have absolutely fallen in love with Lyric. They give her very special attention and gentle belly rubs every moment they get. This little dog is nowhere near out of the woods yet, but her body is tolerating the treatments. The true celebration will begin when and if she begins to stabilize.

Here's another bit of INCREDIBLE news. Friend's Rescued Animal Network (FRAN Fund) is covering the entire veterinary cost for Lyric. This is a huge donation from an incredible organization. Thanks to FRAN and huge thanks to Laurie for keeping us updated on Lyric's progress.

Good news about this Monday's rescue....

Your outpouring of support and donations to help Lyric and Hambone have left us speechless. Thank you. The great news is that, thanks to the FRAN Fund, all of the donations raised for Lyric will now go straight over to save the 60 dogs that are still waiting for rescue this Monday.
This is one of the dogs your donations will go to save...

When approaching the property in Iowa, Chuck managed to snap a few photos. This appears to be a Cocker/Basset mix. She is still in Iowa with 59 other dogs - neglected and starving. Darrell will be taking the big rescue rig to the property on Monday and will load up all the dogs that are left. The donations that you made for Lyric will go directly to the cost of rescuing, feeding and vetting all of her friends who were left behind.

We will keep you posted on next week's rescue, Lyrics progress, and Hambone's loving home as best we can.

Thank you all for being a part of National Mill Dog Rescue. Because of your support, this organization is making a big difference. Please keep spreading the word and, with any luck at all, someday, we will never have to witness the suffering endured by a beautiful furry soul, like Lyric, ever again.

What are the 3 main things puppies do?

2011-08-03T10:44:00.009-06:00

Yep, you guessed it. Eat. Sleep. And poop.

French Bulldog mix puppies - currently in foster care

We've got the last two covered, but dang these guys eat a lot.

Occasionally, the dogs we rescue are pregnant. NMDR has 3 puppies arriving on the rescue truck, 5 lab mix puppies at the kennel, 6 puppies in foster care and 2 pregnant dogs. We are in need of high-quality puppy food.

Lab mix puppies at the kennel. Love the dangling foot!

How you can help NMDR's puppies:

Please purchase a bag of puppy food from Furry Friends, Inc. Furry Friends, Inc. is a local (Colorado) pet food store who has already donated over 4,000 lbs of adult dog food to NMDR this year. We are so grateful for their donation.

The puppy food can be ordered online or in the store and will be directly delivered to NMDR's kennel. In addition, Furry Friends has thrown in a 15% discount for donated puppy food.

Not in the CO area? You can order online...

Go to this link to order puppy food.
Add a bag to your cart.
When checking out, please put coupon code "NMDR" to receive 15% discount.
That's it! You've just sent a bag of puppy food over to our kennel.

If you're in the area, feel free to wander into Furry Friends, Inc's store. Mention NMDR and the same offer applies. 3170 N. Stone Ave Colorado Springs.

14-week old Chi-weenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund) puppies, Porter and Ronnie.

Lastly, if you're in the delivery area or able to come in the store, please feel free to purchase dog food for your own dogs for a 10% discount. After donating a purchase to NMDR's puppies, please enjoy a discount for yourself by using the coupon code "Thanks" and a 10% discount will be applied to your entire order.

(Discount offer from from Furry Friends, Inc. expires on 8/10/11.)

Thank you in advance for helping feed the puppies in our care. We also greatly appreciate you for supporting those who support us.

- National Mill Dog Rescue

A forever home for Trina and Susie Q

2011-07-31T13:55:00.002-06:00

Trina and Susie Q are two tiny Yorkshire Terriers that were rescued from a horrible puppy mill over 6 months ago. When NMDR got to them, these little dogs weighed a meager 3 to 4 lbs. The 9 year-old girls were in very bad shape. Trina was missing a leg and poor little Susie Q was very underweight and was missing half of her jaw due to neglect. They were so happy to be rescued after nine years of living in a rabbit cage.

Trina and Susie Q immediately went into foster care. Their foster mom tirelessly loved them, fed them, bathed them and played continually with these little girls. After a life of neglect, belly rubs quickly became their favorite thing. The foster mom of these dogs took close to four months to nurse them back to any resemblance of stability and health.

Finally, the perfect family came into their lives. The Yorkie's foster mommy was very sad to let them go, but when the right forever home comes along, it's impossible to deny. Trina and Susie Q's new mom and dad love them VERY much. They live with 5 other small dogs as siblings (also rescues), their family members are home most of the day, the girls have tons of toys to play with and healthy food to get some weight on their little bodies. Susie Q is still a very fragile girl. She has a stage 3 heart murmur and the onset of kidney disease but both are treatable with medicine and lots of good yummy fattening food. However, the best medicine of all is the love these precious dogs are receiving from their new mom and dad.

Trina and Susie Q's incredible foster mom wanted to send a note along from the recently adopted pair....

We wanted to let all of the wonderful people that rescued us and took care of us, to please not worry about us. We are so happy and so loved. We wish every mill dog could fine a forever home like we did, thank you again so much for caring enough to come get us out of that horrible place. And thank you to our foster mommy - we will be forever grateful. We are sending you a picture of us with our foster mommy that was taken at Mom and Dad's house when she was visiting. We hope you enjoy it.

Love Forever and ever,

Trina and Susie Q

Dogs, dogs, dogs and more dogs....

2011-07-28T16:04:00.004-06:00

National Mill Dog Rescue is full. Our 11,000 SF kennel is at capacity and all of our current foster homes are busy housing adoptable puppy mill survivors. This is a good thing! NMDR has over 200 dogs available for adoption or foster care. All of our partner rescues are also full. As much as it does our hearts good to find dogs good homes, it hurts equally as much not to be out on the road rescuing more. It's a tough balance. It pains NMDR to get calls from breeders who want to surrender dogs and we have to say no. When we're full, lives are being saved, and at the same time, they're not. If you, your family or friends are considering adding a new furry tail-wagger to your home, please consider adopting. Foster homes are also in need.

One dog residing in NMDR's kennel, who's in major need of a foster family, is Bosco. He's a 9 year old Italian Greyhound and the busy noise of the kennel is stressing this boy out.

One of NMDR's newer volunteers was walking by Bosco's pen and her heart ached for him. She wrote what she thought Bosco's voice would be if he could make a plea for a foster home and a calm environment....

My name is Bosco. Actually, it is a new name, I’ve never had aname before, so I’m still getting used to it. I think I like having a name. Icame into National Mill Dog Rescue with my 22 other Italian Greyhound buddiesearlier this month. We were rescuedtogether. My buddies are settling inpretty well, but I'm having a very difficult time right now. The nice volunteers at NMDR have put me in aplace in the kennel where they can keep an eye on me because I’m having troubleadjusting to this new place. All I do ispace back and forth, I just don’t know what to do with myself. I’m confused, sad and lost. Some of the volunteers think that all of mypacing will wear me out and take a toll on my little body. They are worried about me. When the nice volunteers pick me up, I meltin their arms. This is the one place Ilove to be. My whole body relaxes, Iclose my eyes, my cares are gone and I feel the warmth of something calledlove. I like this new thing calledlove. I just need more of it.

Could you let me sit in your lap to relax my poor, tiredbody? Could you hold me and let me meltinto your arms? I promise, I’m not muchtrouble, I just need you to love me and show me what a good life can feellike. I’m getting tired of pacing and Idon’t know how much longer I can hold out. Thank you in advance for reading about me and wanting to open your home to help me.

Love, Bosco

NMDR is beyond grateful to all our volunteers for being advocates for the dogs and helping them find their voice when and if needed. If you may have space and quiet moments to share with this little dog, please don't hesitate to inquire about fostering Bosco.

If you've never shared your family and life with a foster dog before, it's an incredible experience. It's selfless, it's difficult, it's trying, it's heroic, it's unpredictable, but most of all, it's worth it.

- Thanks to all our friends and followers from Bosco and National Mill Dog Rescue

Click here for information on how to adopt or foster with NMDR.

I got you babe

2011-07-22T12:20:00.005-06:00

Sonny and Cher are a pair of 4 year-old English Pointers whoare inseparable. They arrived with therescue team last weekend and are currently residing at NMDR’s kennel. We are hoping to find the perfect home for thispair of hunters. These dogs need jobsand would thrive in the right environment.

Sonny and Cher did not come from a puppy mill. They were previously in a home and given upby their owner to our partner rescue, North Shore Animal League America (NSALA),in New York. NSALA was not finding asuitable home for the Pointers and thought NDMR may give them a better shot ata great life in Colorado.

These two are healthy, spayed/neutered, love people, loveother dogs, and are ready to find their forever home. It would be a terrible shame to coop them upand keep them from enjoying their true instinct and the great outdoors on aregular basis. An ideal family wouldhave a large fenced back yard and a passion for the outdoors. A bird hunter would find these dogs to behis/her friend and a great assets in the field. Most likely, they will need training, but Sonny and Cher are smart and veryeager to please. Although the video below only shows the dogs ambling around NMDR's play area, you can see how strong they are. Watching these two worktogether to sneak up on a bird is true poetry in motion.

If you could spread the word about these two and share thispost with friends, it would increase Sonny and Cher’s chances of getting tospend the rest of their young lives working in the field. That’s all they want to do. We don’t want to find these dogs just anyhome, they deserve the “right home” for them. They have spent the entirety of their lives together and must be adoptedtogether. (Adoption fees for the pair are essentially a two-for-one deal.)

Sonny and Cher are safe at the kennel,can stay for as long as they want, and get outside every day. NMDR knows it won’t happen overnight, butwhen you help us get the word out, the odds that the dogs are found by theirpotential forever family goes up exponentially.

Thank you for reading about Sonny and Cher and thank you, athousand times, for all your support of National Mill Dog Rescue.

Adopt Sonny &Cher

Come join the fun! A wine tasting event to benefit NMDR...

2011-07-20T20:50:00.001-06:00

National Mill Dog Rescue is SO excited for this big event! Last year was a ton of fun and we anticipate this year to be even bigger and better. We really hope you can join us on August 5th.

Sharing a few photos from last year's NMDR Wine Tasting Benefit....

For more information and to purchase tickets for this incredible event: http://nmdrwinetasting.eventbrite.com/

All of us (including the dogs) at National Mill Dog Rescue thank you for your support. We couldn't do it with out you!

An old soul with a short-term wish…

2011-07-15T22:50:00.015-06:00

UPDATE 7/24/11:

The update on Windy holds both good news and bad news. The bad news is that her inoperable mammary tumor has grown. It still seems that she is not in pain, but there's no question that the mass on her chest is, sadly, bigger.

The good news is that Windy has found a wonderful family to spend the rest of her days with. She is living in a loving home, enjoys the company of other puppy mill survivors, and is actually learning to trust and receive love.

Judging by the growth rate of her tumor, it is entirely possible that Windy's time on earth may be shorter than we originally anticipated. However, from this point on in this little dog's life, she will be 100% cared for in every way possible. She receives daily affection, treats, socialization, friendship, kindness, warmth, and a place to call home. When the day comes for her to make her trip over the rainbow bridge, she will be in the arms of those who love her.

The huge outpouring of support, concern and interest in Windy has not gone unnoticed. To the many kind hearts who contacted NMDR to help and open their homes to Windy... we sincerely thank you. Windy's story is no longer a sad one. The rest of her life will be spent in peace and her tale will go on to save many, many dogs. Our mission only grows stronger when a puppy mill survivor spends a day, even if it's just one day, without suffering.

- National Mill Dog Rescue

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi! My name is Windy and I have a question for you. What do you get when you combine a 13 year-old breeding dog, a fear of people, over a decade of neglect, and a mammary tumor the size of a hot water bottle?

Me.

I’m a 13 year-old Italian Greyhound who was rescued from a Missouri puppy mill in June. Before you stop reading or write me off as a waste of time or money, please understand that I’m not asking for financial help or surgery or even a long-term commitment. I simply need a home to spend my last few months in.

What I am looking for is a kind, loving family to spend what will probably be the last six-months of my life with. Unfortunately, I have an incredibly large mammary tumor and aggressive treatment is not an option. Let’s face it – 13 is old for any dog and, after having over 20 litters of puppies, it’s incredible that I’ve survived this long. The vet says he will not remove my mammary tumor because the surgery, if not the recovery, will most likely kill me. It is best to let me live out the rest of my months in peace - not stitches.

Believe it or not, there are up-sides to my situation. I'm not in pain (at least I don't act like I'm in pain and the vet doesn't believe so). I'm comfortable. I have a huge pen at NMDR's facility and am warm, comfy and well cared for. I would really just like a family to give my love and loyalty to before I make my trip over the rainbow bridge. In 13 years, I've never had that before. I don't know what it means to curl upon a couch, or that the tasty cheese is kept in the fridge, or even what it means to wait for someone I love to return home.

Because of my advanced years, I have no adoption fee. However, before anyone believes it’s easy to adopt me, please understand my breed and what I've been through. I’m very fragile and very timid. Up until this point, my only experience with humans has been a complete lack of kindness. I don’t bite, but I will require excessive patience as my brain tells me to back away and get as far from people as possible. I love other dogs, but at this stage in my life, the older, calmer and smaller the dog, the better.

I have been a momma. I have taken care of hundreds of puppies. I have made profits for people. I've paid my dues. I really just need someone to take care of me now. Please contact NMDR if you feel that you may be my caretaker for the rest of my life. I promise you won't regret it. The memories you'll gain in a short time with me will leave an impression on you that will keep me with you for a lifetime. Even if our physical time together may be limited, I will be your dog forever.

Love, Windy

Things are heating up

2011-07-14T09:35:00.014-06:00

The content below is an email from NMDR's Director, Theresa Strader, sent out to all volunteers last night. We understand that a lot of our readers aren't in the area, but wanted to post this on our blog for those who may be interested to know how tough the day-to-day decisions can be for this organization.
_________________________________________________

Good EveningVolunteers,

Oh man!! The pastcouple of weeks have been the absolute craziest we've ever experienced. As manyof you know, we get requests for taking in dogs almost every day. Thoserequests come from a variety of places – Department of Ag, shelters that don'thave the time and resources to care for mill dogs, other rescues or from themills themselves.

In the past 2 weeks, Ihave had requests on three hundred dogs in one call and that's happened threedifferent times since last Monday. That, in addition to the more typicalrequests. Despite the virtual gutting ofProposition B, without any doubt, it has made an impact. These people are wanting out and as usual,the dogs are paying the price.

Naturally, we cannotsave all the dogs but we are trying really hard to save as many as we can. Ourrescue and transport partnership with North Shore Animal League America is ahuge help but Darrell and his team are delivering 71 dogs to them later today,so they will be full for a while. That said, we only have three dogs atkennel 2 today and we do have room for many more. However, we need morehelp at that kennel to care for the increased number of dogs. We work reallyhard to keep that kennel at a manageable number and transport dogs to kennel 1as soon as there is space; usually a few a day. However, for about onemonth, we really do need more help in order to give the dogs the care they eachdeserve. Anyone with an empty foster spot would be a HUGE help as well.

As it stands rightnow, per our agreement with the owner of kennel 2, we only have use of it untilthe beginning of September. My feeling is, if we have the room, we shouldsave the dogs. I know that's easy to say and the reality is a great dealof hard work to care for them, but we owe it to them to give them the onlychance they have. That's what we do. If any of you feel that youhave a morning or afternoon a week for the next few weeks that you can come andhelp out, please email dee@milldogrescue.org and let her know. We will beforever grateful and so too will the dogs.

I've attached a picture from a rescue facility in Oklahoma that is literally begging for our help. As you can see, it doesn't look like a very good situation for the dogs. Dee and I are leaving in the morning to get some out of there. This poor lady is trying her very best but she too knows that it's not a good situation but she is trying so hard to save as many as she can.

Things are changing and the millers are downsizing or getting out. Unfortunately, it will get worse before it gets better. However, the light at the end of the tunnel is slowly getting brighter.

As ever, from the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of you for caring so deeply about our mission. NMDR exists because of you. Over 5,000 mill dogs have been given a chance because of you.

With sincere gratitude,

Theresa Strader – Director
National Mill Dog Rescue

Mouth pain is miserable. Can you help?

2011-07-11T10:52:00.043-06:00

23 Italian Greyhounds were rescued by NMDR last week. All except one dog is over the age of eight.

An interview with Theresa was published today in an article about the recent rescue. National Mill Dog Rescue is honored to be featured in USA today. Please click here to read today's article. It's wonderful!

With new dogs in the kennel needing veterinary care and our tireless rescue team currently out on the road in Missouri - NMDR needs your help.

Our veterinary room is in dire need of a piece of equipment that would make our lives a lot easier. We can't afford to buy one gallon of distilled water at a time anymore. It's time to graduate to owning a distilling machine. The good news is that they aren't that expensive (as vet equipment goes). One purchase can equate to a permanent solution for mouth pain over the years, and make a huge difference.

The simple facts are:

- NMDR has rescued 4,989 dogs so far.
- 95% of the dogs rescued are older and in their senior years.
- Dogs in puppy mills do not receive veterinary care or proper nutrition.
- Old dogs have old teeth.
- Rotten teeth are painful.
- Among the other vet care NMDR provides, dental work for rescued dogs is a necessity.
- Over a gallon of distilled water is used each time the dental machines run.
- Purchasing a gallon at a time is expensive!
- An effective distilling machine will cost $800 to $1,000. NMDR simply does not have that amount in the budget right now.
- NMDR plans on operating for years to come and it's time to purchase our own water distilling machine.
- We cannot sit by when dogs are in pain. Ever. We will do dental work on dogs for as long as dogs are rescued and need care.

Diva, a 12 year old IG rescued last week, has only a few teeth left
(which is why her tongue constantly sticks out)

So here's our question for you: Can you skip your Starbucks today to donate $5? That's it. Just five dollars.

If we can reach our goal, we'll purchase a water distilling machine this week. Your small donation can help NMDR achieve a long-term solution that can reduce the mouth pain of thousands of dogs to come.

All the dogs of National Mill Dog Rescue thank you in advance for your help today. We couldn't do what we do - without you.

Thank you.

Please donate:
http://milldogrescue.org/Donate.html

Please don't take her from me.

2011-07-06T10:31:00.001-06:00

Hi! I'm Toby. I'm a 9 year-old male Toy Fox Terrier. I weigh all of 5 pounds and barely have any teeth left. However, I am a healthy boy and have lots and lots of life left to live.

I am writing this post because my best friend in the world, McKensie, is NMDR's dog of the week. If she got adopted and left me, I would be so very sad.

McKensie and I are currently kennel-mates and we thrive off each other's company.

Toby & McKensie - best friends all their lives.

Both of us spent the entirety of our lives (9 years) together in a puppy mill in Missouri. Somehow, we were retired together and made it to a dog auction - together. The dog auction was the last chance for McKensie and I to either find rescue or meet our fate. Because of our age, our auction price was very low. No one really wants old dogs, especially breeders. For the first time in our lives, good fortune came our way. Theresa purchased us for mere pennies and we were soon on the rescue van headed back to NMDR.... together.

This is why I don't want McKensie taken away from me. We're like war buddies. If, whoever is considering adopting her, could adopt us together, NMDR will work with potential adopters to waive my adoption fee. It's that important that we stay together. We're bonded and McKensie is half of my heart.

Love,

Toby

Apply to adopt Toby and McKensie

Beauty seeks Beholder

2011-06-27T15:27:00.003-06:00

You know how they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Well, there's no question I have an abundance of beauty. It's my beholder that's missing.

Have you ever looked at another living being and, without making observation of one single detail on the surface, knew that you loved them no matter what they looked like? When you love someone, or something, that much, looks are irrelevant and their beauty takes your breath away, absolutely every time you see them. I'm 7 years old and have never once had that. I have always known that I am a beautiful little Bichon Frise girl, but for some reason, no one else has ever seen me that way.

When you first lay eyes on me, you'll be able to see why NMDR needed to rescue me. I was almost bred to death. For my entire 7 years of life, I lived in deplorable conditions and churned out litter after litter of puppies, only to have them taken away from me each time. A complete lack of vet care has left me with rotten teeth and I'm blind in my right eye. In fact, my right eye is kinda creepy. It's not my fault and I can't help it. I am sorry I look this way.

I have had so many litters and so little nutrition that my nipples almost drag the ground. The video below says a lot about me. You can see my beautiful features and flaws. You can also see that I am chock full of hope. I wag all the time. I smile. I hope against hope that someone will sit with me and just love me for hours.
(The fella standing in the doorway is Epson, my Bichon kennel-mate.)

I was rescued from a puppy mill a month ago and have been living at NMDR's kennel ever since. Below is my intake picture. I wanted to put it on here because it shows just how bewildered I was at the time.

The kind volunteers have been working with me and do their best to offer daily love and attention. But no families come to see me. No one has inquired about me. When potential adopters come near my pen, they give a glance, quickly look away, and walk on. It doesn't hurt my feelings too much anymore because I've gotten used to it. However, that doesn't mean I've given up. I am working so hard to trust people. I know I'll never be a beauty queen, but I can strive to be an incredibly friendly dog. Considering my past, the fact that I have already forgiven is truly an incredible accomplishment.

The wonderful soul who adopts me will receive my unconditional love. I promise. I will blossom. I will trust. We will bond. I will become healthier. I will do my best to be a model puppy mill survivor. In return for my love and loyalty, you will need to be my protector. Not one person has ever stood up for me. Ever. Your friends will cringe when they look at my eye and you will have to defend me. When you take me for a walk, my swayback and udder-like nipples will draw unwanted attention and comments. You will have to defend me. You will need to be the one person out of a million (literally) to stop walking, kneel down next to me in the middle of the street, look at my sweet face, hold it in your hands and tell me that I am the most beautiful dog in the world. Because, to you, I truly will be.

My name is Dell. Not only do I need a beholder; I really do deserve one. Please be the one in a million to look beyond the surface and inquire about me. You will quickly discover my most beautiful feature - my heart.

Love,
Dell

Adopt or Foster Dell

www.milldogrescue.org

A happy post about a few happy dogs

2011-06-23T18:37:00.002-06:00

NMDR is proud to announce that we've had a fun influx of adoption updates lately. We know we end up posting a lot of sad tales (and tails), so it's doubly wonderful to post happy ones. Here a few updates, photos and videos that were received by NMDR in the past few days...

Torie (now Gracie Rose) was adopted a few days ago and is slowly coming out of her shell. Here she is enjoying the sunshine in her forever back yard. She's still scared of most everything, but has learned to climb the stairs and is doing her best to follow her canine sibling around to learn the ropes.

Mocha was adopted yesterday! Photo of this beautiful boy and his happy forever family:

John Henry was an Italian Greyhound who was rescued by NMDR many months ago. He was in such terrible physical and mental shape when he arrived. The volunteers worked with him daily and eventually, he quit fear biting. Then he began to trust. As they days and weeks rolled by, John Henry slowly came around and eventually his forever family found him. John Henry, now called Henry, lives in Canada. If you want to put a smile on your face, please take a minute to check out the videos his family sent. Henry is the fawn colored I.G. Pure joy. Pure freedom...

Video 1 Video 2

The last photo of this short, happy blog post is a photo of Phillip. Phillip is a recently adopted Labradoodle who's lovin' life in his new home. When he was first rescued, he flinched when a volunteer extended their hand. Phillip's come a long way!

Thanks to all our followers for adopting and never, ever, ever buying a puppy from a pet store.

- National Mill Dog Rescue

You really gotta see this truck

2011-06-16T15:11:00.006-06:00

This Saturday's a HUGE day for National Mill Dog Rescue and we would really like you all to be a part of it. This Saturday (June 18) at 10am, you're invited to come on out to NMDR's kennel (aka Lily's Haven). We will be welcoming home our tireless rescuers (Darrell, Chuck & Tom), welcoming 25 new puppy mill survivors and gawking at out new "mobile adoption unit" as it rolls into Lily's Haven.

Kennel address:
Lily's Haven
5335 JD Johnson Road
Peyton, CO 80831

An invite and letter from Theresa explaining the exciting opportunities of the vehicle partnership with North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) can be read by clicking here.

What are we celebrating?

Well, we think Chuck, one of our tireless rescue volunteers, who sent this email in from the road last night, says it all....

"We just had such a nice send off from the NSALA employees we met. The president of NSALA also came to wish us well. They are very excited about their first vehicle partnership and hope to expand it to include more of the same until there are rescue vehicles in all key areas of the country saving lives. It's a huge honor for NMDR and a tremendous testimony to Theresa who has nurtured and developed this relationship. Darrell continues to expand NMDR's relationship with many of the key players in the NSALA organization. Everyone I spoke to knew of Darrell and had the best things to say about NMDR.

As for the rescue vehicle - it's amazing! But let's leave the detail of that for when our folks come out to see it. One or two people from North Shore Animal League will be at Lily's Haven on Saturday to celebrate with us."

So please come join us this Saturday to celebrate for a multitude of great reasons. Sandwiches and drinks will be provided. Smiles are welcome and if it turns out to be a zoo of a day, please don't forget that our mission is 100% about the dogs. Jump in with both feet, introduce yourself, and say, "What can I do to help?"

See you soon.

- National Mill Dog Rescue

We should have sold tickets to the show...

2011-06-13T11:13:00.001-06:00

National Mill Dog Rescue's "Dog of the Week" post is up and if you haven't seen them yet, you really should wander over and take a look. It's Chihuahua mania - times 4! Cocoa Chanel, Hugo, Honey and Cashew are the dogs of the week.

More fun than the final photos and dog of the week post, are the outtakes, bloopers and funnies of how "Chihuahua Mania" was actually pulled off. The volunteers were cracking up the whole time. The crew of Chihuahuas loved it.

Ron, Shanna and Pam - "Chihuahua wranglers"

For safety, little strings were put on the dogs for the photo shoot, to make sure they didn't wander off the edge of the table. Honey kept crawling under Cocoa Chanel.

Ron and Pam try to stay behind the scenes as Bonnie begs Cocoa Chanel to look at the camera - just once.

How great are NMDR volunteers? All the details in this photo shoot are awesome. They cared enough to track down sombreros and even a paper mache cactus.

Cashew kept falling asleep and was rather unimpressed with the whole thing.

From the crazy Chihuahuas and even crazier volunteers of National Mill Dog Rescue... we hope everyone has a fantastic week!

It's like being at a Jr. High dance all over again

2011-06-10T11:10:00.001-06:00

Dang. Well, now I feel really lousy. I was in the foster spotlight last week and not one single person asked about me. It's like reliving a jr. high dance and standing against the wall, alone, waiting for someone to ask me to dance. However, just to show the world that I'm not a quitter and I'm not an ugly duckling, I'm dusting myself off and trying again.

My name is Colby. I'm very excited today because my foster family will be taking me to NMDR's 5K run/walk tomorrow. I'll be at NMDR's booth and promise to be on my best behavior. I've combed my hair, brushed my teeth and am looking all spiffy for the big day. Have I mentioned that I'm VERY excited?

I really hope someone will stop by to see me.

I was rescued by NMDR in the summer of 2010 from the awful and notorious "power washer" mill. The mill owner would bathe us and clean our wire cages with a power washer. It was so painful. I was such a mess when I was rescued that it was hard to tell not only what breed I was, but whether I was a boy or a girl. After spending a few months at the kennel, my foster mommy found me and I've been doing great at her house. I'm socialized, healthy and even potty trained!

The reason I need to move on from my foster family and find my forever home is because my foster family is desperately needed to foster dogs. It's what they do. They have helped foster and rehabilitate over 30 puppy mill survivors to move on to their forever homes. I need to move on too, so I can allow them to help others like me.

I'm a 6 year-old, neutered Shih Tzu boy who's asking for a second chance. I'm trying to forget about being ignored when I was on the Foster Spotlight page, and am looking forward to tomorrow. Please consider sharing my bio (http://www.petango.com/Adopt/Dog-Shih-Tzu-Purebred-11152028), coming to the 5K to see me, or just spreading the word that I'll be there. It would be great to have at least one person pat me on the little head and say, "Colby! You sweet little man, your forever home is just around the corner. I know it. We're pulling for you buddy." Any sentiment like that would just lift my spirits to the moon.

Thank you so much for reading my post. I'll be here. Leaning against the wall. Patiently waiting for you to ask me to dance.

Love,
Colby

Adopt Colby

www.milldogrescue.org

Daisy's Journey Home

2011-06-01T12:08:00.001-06:00

In an uncanny twist of fate, Lily's sister Daisy, arrived at National Mill Dog Rescue.

Lily, a little Italian Greyhound, became a hero for mill dogs the day she was rescued by Theresa in 2007. She passed away approximately a year later.

Lily's video can be seen here.

Below is a post written by Theresa about Daisy, a wonderful new edition to her family and a gift to all of National Mill Dog Rescue.

_________________________________________________

In March 2011, I received a phone call from Joy, an Italian Greyhound rescuer from Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to that day, I didn't know Joy but she had done her homework to find the family who had rescued number 251 from the Reedgate dog auction four years ago. Number 251 was Lily, many of you know Lily, our first mill dog.

That particular auction was a big one, 561 dogs, forty-nine were Italian Greyhounds (IG’s). Thirty-eight IG’s were purchased by rescuers and were sent to various IG rescues around the country. Nine came here to our home. Joy had taken in several herself, worked with them and placed them in loving homes. However, three years after one of these little ones was placed in her forever home, her owner became very ill and could no longer care for her. Happily, Joy took her back into her home.

What had happened over those three years though was that Lily had inspired the birth of an organization that would take a stand against the cruelties of the commercial dog breeding industry, National Mill Dog Rescue. Lily’s story was becoming well known and with a little searching, Joy had found us.

Joy told me much about this little girl who had been returned to her care. She was a Reedgate dog, number 248. She was missing her lower jaw too, and had a remarkable resemblance to Lily. I thought back to the auction and remembered six or seven of the IG’s that were lined up on the table on either side of Lily that day, most were missing their lower jaws and all of them were terrified. Daisy was on that table, three dogs to the left of Lily.

It took some time, but through their paperwork, we discovered that Daisy and Lily have the same sire. Daisy was born just a few months after Lily. Daisy is now 10 years old.

Daisy, being held in the arms of Richard Strader

Joy knew in her heart that Daisy belonged here with us. She knew that we were well versed in the care that Daisy requires and she knew what Daisy would mean to our family. She also knew of a lady in Atlanta who was driving to Colorado for a dog show so the transport was arranged. Anxiously, we awaited her arrival.

When we first laid eyes on Daisy, it literally took our breath away. She is indeed a living memory of Lily. It is truly extraordinary. We will do our very best to give her every comfort she deserves and like our promise to Lily, we will shower her with love until her final day.

Daisy - sunning on the deck.

For now, Daisy enjoys laying by the fireplace with all of her IG brothers and sisters and as the weather becomes warmer, she spends much of the daylight hours basking in the sun on the deck, precisely like our dear Lily. Sometimes, there are no words; all we can do is stare at her….. she is beautiful.

- Theresa Strader

Director, Founder, dog lover, guest blogger, volunteer and proud to be a part of Daisy's family

National Mill Dog Rescue

Summer Time Lovin'

2011-05-27T13:17:00.001-06:00

It is getting to that time of year where the weather is welcoming and vacations are happening. Being outdoors is one of my favorite things and I love involving our dogs on our outdoors adventures whether it is camping, hiking or just a walk. There are many outdoor activities that are dog friendly but it can require some planning to ensure safety and an enjoyable time. Depending where you live, flea/tick medication and vaccinations should be up to date. Giardia is an ugly thing, trust me! Luckily there is a vaccination to prevent it as well as having clean water with you is the key! I have tried a few different products to take along but the easiest I have found is the portable water bottle with the attached trough. Keeping Fido hydrated is very important when exercising. Depending on the hike and how long you’ll be gone, food needs can also be important. Just like humans, working out and exercising calls the need for energy – which we get from food. Dogs are no different; having a high energy dog food and treats with you will help your dog(s) stay active for their outdoor adventure. Packing a first aid kit for yourself and your furry pals is also a good thing to have. I have found it best to just have a zip lock bag including things such as gauze/bandage rolls, adhesive tape, tweezers and ointment. Outdoors is a sanctuary for many people – it is important to make sure you leave as little of a trace as possible – this means be sure to clean up after your pet and not to let them wander outside of the trail. Another very important thing to remember while doing outdoor activities with dogs – keep them on a leash. Not everyone enjoys dogs like I do, so I try to respect others while enjoying my outdoor time with my family, two and four legged. Also, don’t forget to make sure your dogs have their tags on them! While we plan and try to prevent any issues, it is always best to over prepared! Being outdoors is probably my most favorite activity and we hike quite often. Our two dogs get so excited and really enjoy going with us as well. If you are looking for a great outdoor companion, National Mill Dog Rescue has many that would love to join you on your adventures! Including many big dogs that are currently dreaming of their future outdoor adventures with you!

Here are some NMDR dogs that are waiting to be your outdoor pal!

Sophie- A 9 year old boxer. Sophie says I love being with people and enjoy my walks! Please pick me to be your adventure buddy!

Shadow - A 7 year young Labrador. Shadow says I am ready for my new family and hope to enjoy mother nature with you!

Jennie - 6 year old female Labrador. Jennie says I am very good on a leash and dream of being an outdoor explorer!

For Colorado fans- I have found this website very helpful on finding trails that are dog friendly: http://www.outtherecolorado.com/

You can use the trail finder to find all local trails that allow dogs.

-Lindsey, guest blog poster, dog lover and loyal NMDR volunteer

I need to be rescued from this rescue

2011-05-25T11:15:00.001-06:00

Hi there. I’m Serenity and I’m a tiny Chihuahua girl who’s in a downright funk. I know the first step is admitting you have a problem, so here it is: my problem is that I’m in a big ol’ doggie-got-the-blues… funk-o-rama.

NMDR rescued me in February from a puppy mill that held me captive for 5 long years. It was awful. I had countless litters of my own puppies ripped away from me and each time, a piece of my heart went with them. When I was rescued 5 months ago, it was such an exhilarating feeling to experience human touch again. I love, more than anything else in the world, being in a person’s arms. You can just watch my little face light up when I’m right where I want to be.

However, without regular human touch, I’m suffering. I am. It’s 100% of what’s causing my funk. Although NMDR’s kennel is warm, loving, caring, and better than most places in the entire world, it still isn’t a “home.” I need to belong to somewhere, someone, some family, somebody. If you look at my videos and photos, they’re not dynamic in the least. As every Chihuahua lover knows, that is not my breed’s real personality. My true personality is to be out front, center, standing tall, full of life and proud to be a big dog in a little dog body.

I initially didn't want to post this video of me below, because it doesn't make me look like the most adoptable, fun dog in the world. But it is who I seem to be these days. Not only do I feel disconnected, I look and act disconnected.

I think the thing that’s adding to my funk is that I can’t figure out why I’m still homeless. I’m only 5 years-young. I love each and every person that comes near me and I get along great with other dogs. I really am trying.

Here’s what I need you to do…

Be my own personal hero. Foster me. You don’t even have to commit to adopt me. Just foster me and let me be a part of a family. I won’t take up much space and I promise, promise, promise, you will see a whole different dog emerge. Right now, my personality is one-tenth of what it could be. Don’t let that dissuade you. Come to the kennel to get me. Don’t look at other dogs and don’t let my “blues” stop you from coming straight to me and being my hero. When I tell you I need you, I’m not doing it for your own good; I’m doing it for mine. This is me, putting on my “big girl pants” and telling you what I need in order to help me to be the true happy, zany, full-of-life, Chihuahua that’s waiting in my loving heart.

I’m young. I’m healthy. I’m spayed. I’m ready to go. Zoloft is not for me… you are. If you’re reading this post without a dog snoring in your lap, click here. It’ll remedy that situation almost immediately.

Thank you for reading my post and for trying to help me find my “inner Chihuahua.” I promise to do my best. You’ll see.

Love,

Serenity

Foster or Adopt Serenity

55 puppy mill survivors arrived at the kennel last night

2011-05-21T20:50:00.008-06:00

Thanks to a huge effort by 3 rescue teams, a multitude of tireless volunteers and a wave of heartwarming funding assistance from NMDR supporters across the nation, 55 dogs live's were saved this weekend.

NMDR's rescue driver, Darrell posted the following this evening...

"I'd like to take a moment now that things have settled down a little to say thank you to all who donated and followed us while we managed to rescue 55 dogs. It means a lot to those of us driving down the road knowing we have the vast support of people across the nation pulling for us to "bring them home safe." I'm proud to be a part of this organization and all it stands for. Just let me get a full nights sleep and I'll be ready to go again..... Thanks to all of you!!!!"

At 2:00 this morning, while most of us were sleeping soundly, the rescue teams rolled quietly through the night into Colorado. Volunteers were there to greet the teams and assist with offloading and caring for the dogs. Please enjoy this album of photos taken by Alison during the offloading in the wee hours of the night.
These are the dogs you all saved.....

Note: A lot of these photos were taken at kennel 2. It is only used as a staging area for new arrivals until they're moved to kennel 1 the following day for intake (which is occurring right now). Intake is when all the new arrivals are given a name, fact sheet, veterinary assessment, and notes made for any future care they need. Photos of the intake will be coming soon.

The 55 newly rescued dogs thank you for your support. Their faces say more than we could type into words.

- National Mill Dog Rescue

We're going to get Mable's friends

2011-05-17T11:28:00.003-06:00

Thanks to you, the kind hearted dog lovers who donated to our upcoming rescue, NMDR now has the funds to go rescue Mable's friends.

Who's Mable?

One month ago NMDR rescued a dozen dogs from the same breeder in Missouri that needs our help now (the 26 we're going to go get on Thurs.). Mable was one of the lucky few who was rescued last month.

A letter from Parker (Mable's new daddy):

"When Mable arrived at Kennel 2, she was the most happy dog. Her tail was always wagging and although she was happy to see everyone, she continually whined. When I laid my hands on her my heart sunk and the tears started to flow. She was under weight, dirty, smelled like yeast, and her sides sunk in. Over 400 ticks covered her body from one end to the other. After applying frontline for the second time, two days later, we realized Mable needed a tick bath. While Theresa and Heather took this task on, no one could have anticipated the amount of ticks.

I was at kennel 2 that morning when I cleaned Mable's kennel again and I became sick at what I saw. When I washed the kennel with the power washer it looked like grapes rolling across the floor. There were so many ticks full of blood all over the place. I prayed Mable would not have some tick disease, low blood, heart worms, or suffer some ill effect of the situation. When I went to check on Theresa and Heather I found needle nose pliers in Theresa hand as she was pulling ticks off Mable with each tick both ladies released a squeal. Beautiful Mable was still wagging her tail. Four long hours later, they had finally finished pulling ticks from between her toes. Mable was then taken to Kennel 1 (Lily's Haven) and remained there until her surgery was done and her results revealed no tick diseases.

Mable is one of the greatest dogs to ever become a part of our family. She is getting healthier every day and receives all the love she can get. She sleeps by the bed and in the middle of the night I hear that tail wagging, banging against the wall, and it makes me smile every time.

Those 26 dogs that are in need of an emergency rescue make my heart ache... because that's where Mable came from. We can't save them fast enough. It's hard for me to rest knowing dogs like Mable are needing us to arrive sooner than later. I cannot thank you all enough for helping NMDR make this rescue happen and for saving these innocent dogs from starvation."

- Parker and Brad, proud to be a part of Mable's life and family

We wanted to post Parker's letter to let you know that your donations will be saving some really incredible dogs this week. And, although we can't guarantee they'll arrive in the best physical shape, we promise to work hard to make them comfortable and get them healthy as fast as we possibly can.

We thank you. The dogs waiting in Missouri thank you. We'll bring them home very soon.

- National Mill Dog Rescue

Tawni's message... "The view sure is beautiful from the other side of the rainbow bridge"

2011-05-16T01:07:00.001-06:00

Hello. My name is Tawni. I'm a little Japanese Chin girl who passed away on Saturday night. I wanted to send a very special message back from the other side of the rainbow bridge. It's important for me to make sure that National Mill Dog Rescue and the gentle hands of the volunteers who made the last few months of my life so wonderful know that I'm not only ok, but hold cherished memories of the living world I knew.

I was part of a dozen Japanese Chins that were rescued from a Missouri dog auction in March of this year. Because I'm 7 years old, no one, including my breeder, wanted me anymore. I was useless. But not to NMDR. The rescue team saw me and my desperate crew of retired Japanese Chin breeding dogs and purchased us for mere pennies.

The first thing I did was was wag my tail. The second thing I did was reach for my rescuer's arms. I was born to love people and I aways have. The instant I was rescued was the instant I forgave.

When I arrived at NMDR's kennel, I was given vaccinations, a vet exam and a bath. All of which made me not only feel better, but made me feel like I was important. I was special. For the first time ever, I wasn't a commodity, but a part of something. Something really important.

From March until now, I spent my days at the kennel. I have no complaints. You should have seen my digs. My little 10 lb body got one of the largest runs in the kennel. Not only that, but I was in the arena room. Everyone, and I mean everyone, got to come by and visit me every day. It was like having 100 families. When the kennel got quiet, even during the day, I very clearly let it be known that I needed "my people" back by howling. Yep. This little girl let the howling bellow through the kennel until I was back in the arms of someone... anyone... I didn't care. I howled for attention. All the volunteers loved me, and I loved them. Dearly.

Sadly, on Thursday night, I fell ill. I was dehydrated and vomiting consistently. It was unexpected, because until then, I felt fine. It turns out, as discovered during surgery for my dire condition, I had two rapidly growing malignant tumors that encapsulated my intestine. No one could have known. At the time of my emergency surgery, I was honestly beyond hope. My little body couldn't repair itself and I gently, quietly, was allowed to pass away right there on the operating table.

In my 7 years of puppy producing pain, do you know what I remember the most? Treats. Yep. My favorite time of day was when I rose above all people, all schedules and all the "putting out fires" that NMDR has to do and I got my tasty treats. I could see Kim walking pen by pen, lovingly handing out those tasty dog treats. She would be talking to volunteers, trying to help them pursue their ideas to help NMDR, but she would do this, always, while tending to ALL of us dogs at the same time. I could hear her and the rest of the volunteers through the day, but never, not once, did I miss out on my yummy treats. It's just one of the things at the cozy kennel that made me feel like such a special girl. I never got forgotten. Not once. I was important.

In a way, I'm really glad I never got adopted. I've already been through enough in my life, let alone putting a family who loved me through the heartbreak of losing me. I lived as a dog in need of rescue and I died as a dog in the care of one. My forever home is here now. You want to know what it's like? Well, to take away from the doggie heaven mystery, here's what it's really like...

- There's warm sunshine. Every day.
- I have a ridiculously soft bed.
- Every person I encounter is Theresa or Kim.
- The breeze blows in all the right directions so I catch the smells that cause continual doggie intrigue.
- My Japanese Chin friends are no longer in cages but run up to me with tails wagging, tongues panting, grass stains on their tiny feet and eyes full of excitement, itching for me to join them on the day's adventures.
- The memories I have of my time on earth are good. Even though dogs live in the moment, our memories don't die. My strongest memories are of the loving hands that carried me over the rainbow bridge. I was not alone. I was clean. I was comfortable. I was not in pain. I was loved. And I was a very important dog. No one can take that away from me.

Thank you from all of us comfortably spending our days on the other side of the rainbow bridge. To all the rescues, especially NMDR, for allowing me to make my journey over the rainbow bridge not as a lot number at a dog auction, but as a truly loved dog that had a name... Tawni.

See you when you get here. I'll be waiting with a wagging tail and smiling heart.

Love,
Tawni

Because 11,000 SF just isn't enough

2011-05-14T09:24:00.001-06:00

Did you know that National Mill Dog Rescue has a second kennel? NMDR proudly boasts a "Kennel 1" and a "Kennel 2." Well, sort of. Kennel 2 is only borrowed at this time.

NMDR's, main facility, "Lily's Haven" is located in Peyton, Colorado. It's heavily used, perpetually full of tail-wagging rescues and impeccably clean. The volunteers take great pride in how Lily's Haven has grown, continues to evolve and remains a place for puppy mill survivors to rehabilitate and find forever homes. If you've not seen Kennel 1 (aka Lily's Haven), photos of it can be found here.

Kennel 2 is on loan from an individual. At this time, due to funding and manpower issues, NMDR is not purchasing the second kennel, only borrowing it. The owner has been kind enough to let us use it, free of charge, for 6 months.

Kennel 2

Kennel 2 is only a few minutes away from Kennel 1, which is quite convenient. NMDR currently uses Kennel 2 for a staging area. When an emergency rescue has to happen, or when transport is offered by NMDR to other rescue organizations, the dogs arrive at Kennel 2 first. They are then either transferred or picked up by the other rescues or, stay with us and are given a proper NMDR intake at Kennel 1.

Veterinary room at Kennel 2

National Mill Dog Rescue works hand-in-hand with the HSUS on many of the previously mentioned emergency rescues. They help fund the expenses and we all work together to rescue dogs and transfer them to where they need to go, all through Kennel 2. We will continue to do so as long as time, funding and kennel space allows.

Kennel 2 remained empty for 4 years before NMDR began using it a few months ago. It was a mess. Weeds, dirt, cobwebs and dankness were abundant and had taken over the place. It took a lot of hard work on the volunteers part to clean up. Hundreds of man-hours were put in before Kennel 2 was suitable to bring dogs in.

Grooming room in Kennel 2

Although Kennel 2 is primarily used for staging, post-rescue and pre-intake, occasionally a few dogs will be kept there for a short while until they can move on. This may be due to space issues or the temperament and condition of the newly rescued dogs. Currently, there are four Labrador Retrievers at Kennel 2 now. They arrived from the HSUS in Missouri on the most recent rescue and have not had one ounce of socialization in their entire lives. They're tough cases and the rehab team and additional volunteers attend to them daily until they're ready to move to Kennel 1, be fostered or find homes.

A message from Susie Q... a very special Yorkie

2011-05-03T10:36:00.005-06:00

Hi there. My name is Susie Q. I'm an itty bitty Yorkshire Terrier girl who weighs in at a whopping 3 lbs. Before going any further into my story, you should know that tomorrow is my birthday. Yep. My breeder had my certificate accompany me and it says I was born on 5/4/2002. That makes me 9 years young tomorrow.

My story for 9 years has been a rough one.

To sum it up:

I was neglected. I was a breeding dog. All of it shows and the years of suffering have taken their toll on my tiny frame and my gentle soul.

The upside is:

With proper veterinary care, love, tlc, and someone who knows that a dog is a family member and not a commodity... I'm getting healthier every day.

When I arrived at National Mill Dog Rescue, my condition could easily be defined as "deplorable." The prognosis for a good quality of life was grim and I was immediately taken to a vet for a check up. It was discovered that I my lower jaw is rotten. And no, I don't mean that metaphorically. My poor little mouth had nothing but a few horrible teeth left due to a complete lack of dental care and proper food. The vet removed all of my teeth, and, although that may seem like a drastic solution, I feel SO much better. My rotten teeth were causing me unbearable pain. Once removed, the light and spark came back into my soft eyes almost immediately.

Additionally, I gave all the calcium in my little body to the pups I produced. I'm a proud momma and it's in my nature to give. And give. And give. So that's what I did. I didn't know any better. Having so many litters depleted my body and now my bones are terribly fragile. In the midst of my Yorkie pride, I hate to admit weakness, but I really do need to be handled with care from this day on.

All of the above puts me in a precarious situation in order to be adopted. I really can't be around small children because they don't understand that I need a gentle touch, 100% of the time. Additionally, if a rambunctious dog tries to play with me, I'll inevitably wind up in the 4-legged ER. If I'm going to be adopted by a family with another dog, they resident canine will need to be as fragile as I am.

That said, I have just such a "resident canine" in mind. That's my friend, Trina, with her little smiling face, in the photo on the left.

Trina and I find strength in one another and I'm beginning to need her.

Trina and I are currently in a foster home together and both of us are growing stronger every day. Trina weighs all of 4 lbs and was rescued from the same breeder as I was. On the same day. She's 8 years-old and makes me feel better because, whenever I get down on myself about missing teeth, she reminds me that she's missing a leg. Sadly, my dear little friend Trina was born with a "dead leg," so she really only has a partial front leg to work with. She gets around just fine and I only notice the leg when she tries to comfort me about my missing teeth.

If at all possible, I would love nothing more that to be adopted into a gentle, quiet, loving home with my friend Trina. We could spend our senior years in comfort with a kind soul who will hopefully need us as much as we need them.

Please spread the word about us and our need for a home. Share this post, email it, call a friend, whatever you think you can do. Due to our size, fragility and need for care, we're not the most easily adoptable pair on the planet. Trina and I know that. And, although we're doing well in our foster home, we really should find a permanent family soon so our foster mommy can continue to help more newly rescued puppy mill survivors. It's a great cycle and we'd hate to slow down the process.

That said, if you know of anyone who would be interested in giving a pair of senior Yorkies a chance at life outside of a puppy mill, Trina and I promise not to let you down.

Love,
Susie Q

Adopt Susie Q and Trina

We refuse to post the "dog of the week" this week...

2011-04-25T22:32:00.000-06:00

... because, she's been adopted!

The best thing ever is to have our bio team work hard to get the dog of the week's page together, but never get to post it. If we had our way, that's how it would go every time.

Please enjoy Smokey's original "dog of the week" bio, turned instant success story, below. As you read, don't forget that all of NMDR's adoptable dogs can be found on the Available Dogs page of the website. Also, if you know you will soon adopt a dog from National Mill Dog Rescue, but are not exactly sure which one... fill out an application anyway! Wouldn't it be great to already be approved and have your home check done when you find that special dog?

GREAT NEWS! I WAS ADOPTED TODAY!

I HAVE WAITED MY WHOLE LIFE FOR SUCH A GREAT DAY AND GREAT NEWS! Before I go home, I would like to tell you my special story. I am Smokey. Like my good friend Smokey the Bear who shared the important message of the dangers of forest fires, I too have a very important message to share. "Only You Can Prevent Puppy Mills!" Please pledge to put an end to the cruelty of the commercial breeding industry. Tell your family and friends about puppy mills and let them know that buying puppies at a pet store is wrong.

With heartfelt sorrow, I know how important it is to stop puppy mills, because I am a puppy mill survivor. I spent nine years of my life cruelly caged at a puppy mill. NMDR rescued me and brought me to their kennel, Lily’s Haven, for much needed care, healing and love. I am now very happy and healthy.

Maybe one thing I don’t have in common with my good friend Smokey the Bear is that I am a girl! I am a beautiful 9YOF Pekingese. I am very friendly, social and get along great with everyone at the kennel. In the morning, I politely encourage the volunteers to hurry-up with my breakfast with a friendly bark. I just love breakfast time, the beauty of a new day, attention, a good ear scratching, kisses and the volunteers – not necessarily in that order. I love to run and play at the NMDR doggie park, and visit with all my human and doggie friends. I have lots of friends.

Even though I may have a boy name, NMDR tells me I am one gorgeous little girl. I am gentle, have the most cheerful personality, and I WAS ADOPTED TODAY. Thank you for reading my special story. I am going home now to run, play, and make my family laugh and remind them it is a beautiful day! I am not available for adoption anymore but I have more great news! All my canine friends at the kennel still need a home. So what are you waiting for? Hurry! Tell all my friends I said, “hello” and “I am home!” Oohh -- And remember to tell everyone that you know that purchasing dogs from pet stores is bad!

Love, Smokey