Give Them The World...
On December 12th, 2015 an animal shelter in rural Northern Nevada seized 28+ Maltese from a puppy mill. Most of the dogs were kept in unfit conditions and neglected. Many severely matted, their long coats caked in their own feces and urine. Male dogs with significant urine burns from having bands of fabric wrapped around them to keep them from peeing and left on for long periods of time.
On December 20th, 2015 three of our volunteers traveled to the shelter to assess the dogs and determine how many dogs we could take. The number of foster homes and the financial resources needed to support each dog had to be taken into consideration. Reno Tahoe Rescue Society pulled a total 16 dogs that day. In addition to the first dog that was surrendered three months earlier from this same individual.
By definition, puppy mills are facilities or homes that breed puppies for sale in large scales for financial gain with no care for the dogs that are kept in inhumane conditions. They are often times kept in small, confined spaces for the duration of their life. Their main purpose is to create puppies. The smaller the dogs, the more desirable they become with no care or thought put in to how they get this way. This has resulted in poorly bred dogs with a multitude of health problems.
The dogs we pulled range in age from 3 months to 10 years. All of the dogs have required significant grooming, most needing to be completely shaved down due to the matting. None of the dogs received proper veterinary care and will need the proper vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries. A majority of the dogs have severe periodontal disease leaving their mouths full of rotting teeth. This will result in costly dental cleanings and extractions; several of the dogs will have the majority of their teeth removed. None of the dogs were properly socialized and it has left them extremely fearful of normal, everyday things.
The horror does not end simply with the neglect. Horrifyingly, some of the dogs have been inhumanely debarked in someone’s home. The cruel in-home debarking is done with a steel rod forced down the dog’s throat to destroy the vocal cords. This has resulted in damage and secondary health problems in some of the dogs. The inability to properly oxygenate has left a few of them unable to regulate their own body temperatures and one of them with neurological problems due to suspected lack of oxygen. It has left at least one (though we suspect more) dog with a sensitivity to anesthesia. During a routine neuter the aforementioned dog stopped breathing twice before the veterinarian aborted the procedure and determined the dog unfit for surgery.
The rehabilitation of these dogs will be lengthy. Each of them has been placed in a foster home, and these homes will be critical for them as they will learn what it truly means to be a dog. Living outside of a crate is an entirely new experience for these dogs. They will learn a routine and become properly socialized and acclimated to a home environment. Their new foster parents will become their liaison and advocate; documenting their potential health problems, noting their little quirks, and as the dogs learn, they too will learn everything there is to know about these dogs.
Please consider donating to the costly care of these dogs that were subjected to cruel conditions. Please follow their journey on our Facebook page. Take a stand against cruel puppy mills like this, and help us give them the world.