Get them ALL out!

I am probably going to make enemies with this post but I don't really care.  I have had enemies before.

There has been a mad rush lately of people calling themselves rescuers. Sure, they go to the mills and pull as many dogs as they can.  Fine.  Now what?  Where do you dump them, and yes I mean dump.  Some rescuers really don't care what happens to the dogs once they are out of their hands. Some take them to shelters.  Let me explain the problem with that.

It may come as a surprise to you but some so called no-kill shelters euthanize dogs. How could they?  you may ask.  The definition of a no kill shelter is to not destroy any adoptable animal. Dogs coming from mills are normally terrified, may bite in fear, are sometimes sick and are in general not very friendly to people. Any one of those "faults" can classify them as unadoptable. So that leaves the shelter with 2 choices; 1. pass the dog off to another rescue or shelter or 2. euthanize it.  Do the people who pulled these dogs from the mills know or care? Probably not because they are already on their way to get more.

I am all for getting the dogs away from the commercial breeders aka puppy mills, but is it better to get them out only to be destroyed in a shelter? Or pull them from the mills to have them cower in the back of a kennel terrified, and have no one even attempt to calm or comfort them? I don't believe it is.  Yes, I want the mills closed but that will never happen.  I want the dogs out, but only if there are qualified places for them to go. A mill dog's life is horrible, but not as bad as being "rescued" to end up someplace worse.

I know first hand exactly what it takes to rehabilitate a mill dog. It is my life 24 / 7.  My day starts at 5 am and ends at 10 pm
. I acclimate the mill rescues, who are usually terrified the first time they hear a phone ring, or see the television. I teach them every day that there is nothing to fear in this big cage free world. But I am one person.  I care for 18-22 dogs, groom them, train them, teach them and yes, get bit by them. I lose sleep thinking about different ways I can help the fearful ones gain confidence. I work hard raising the funds to get them vetted, treat any infections and feed them. These "Rescuers" drop off their load of 25+ dogs anywhere they can and get a good night's sleep. For them, the work is done until the next mill run. They get the pat on the back for being the big hero, but isn't it supposed to be about the dogs?

Then there is the legal aspect. In PA  transporting more than 24 dogs per year is illegal without a state issued license. It is also illegal for dogs to be transported across state lines without a health certificate and current rabies vaccination. How many "rescuers" do you think actually do that?  Very few.

Yes, I am pissed. I am tired of cleaning up the messes made by these "rescuers".  Believe me, there are enough mills locally to keep Safehaven in business for years without being asked repeatedly to take in mill dogs that shelters are not equipped to handle.  If you can't deal with mill dogs, don't take them in and make their emotional state worse.  They are already fragile enough.