As I sit here at my desk, with two pairs of dependant eyes following every move I make, relaxed on their favorite spot on the sofa… after scrubbing myself from the day’s contaminants, I am trying to put my thoughts in order.
Seeing is believing. Not that I didn’t believe all that I had heard or read, but maybe that should say “Experiencing is believing”, because what I experienced Wednesday was obvious truth.
Neglect:
1: to give little attention or respect to: disregard
2: to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
Plain and simple - neglect.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), along with United Animal Nations and PETSMART Charities (http://www.petsmartcharities.org/newsroom/news-listing.php?id=86&contact=1 ) had teams that pulled together with 48 hours notice for a Kaufman County puppy mill raid that seized 542 animals from deplorable (I mean truly DEPLORABLE) conditions Tuesday, August 11th, 2009. This is only an hour away from the suburbia in which I live.
Cindy messaged me on Facebook and said do you wanna go? And so I said why not?The puppy mill is Klassic Kennels in Kaufman County, Texas, which has been in business for 40 years (!). This particular puppy mill revealed hundreds of frail, emotionally stunted animals housed in filthy wire crates throughout a 10-acre property. Thanks to the collaborative work of many volunteers, 542 animals have been removed from a life of neglect and constant confinement and given a new start in life.
In the words of Scotlund Haisley, Senior Director of Emergency Services with HSUS, “Our team first concentrated on the vulnerable newborn puppies – removing several litters of day-old pups who had been living in pools of waste. Although these puppies were especially defenseless, all of the animals were at the complete mercy of their cruel owners. Like all puppy mill dogs these 542 tortured souls were denied even basic medical care or socialization. Even faced with the daunting task of rescuing nearly 550 mostly unsocialized animals our team held strong throughout the day, and managed to clear the property by midnight.”
I was one of the volunteers working with the “maternity ward” section on Wednesday, taking mom and puppies (many without even their eyes open!) to the 7 volunteer vets and their assistants that arrived to provide medical care. Infested with fleas and ticks, hard matted fur weighted by feces never brushed by human hands, toenails that were curled in a complete circle from having never been clipped, days-old puppies with urine blisters on their bellies from lying in their own waste, rotted teeth, missing teeth where tongues could only hang out of their mouths, mothers with bloody stool, and discolored milk… folks, the photos you have seen are REAL – this is REALLY happening, and these puppies are being taken from these conditions and sold in petstores and online as healthy animals – and they are NOT!
I was told by experienced volunteers that when I got home, the best way to prevent contaminating my own pets was to strip down in the garage, put all the clothes I wore in a bag and go straight into the shower to scrub the contaminants away and put the clothes in the washer with bleach - otherwise there was a chance that I could pass the diseases onto my own pets – just from handling these animals! So, can you imagine how easily the entire group of 542 can all be sick at one time?
This is the 3rd local puppy mill bust in 3 months… if you DO NOT buy from these stores, they will cease to breed so many, or, as in the case of this group, they cannot afford to purchase food for their dogs, and put out a request for donated food, and will get investigated by the police!
Ladies and gentlemen, if you are not allowed to meet the mother and the father of the puppy you are wanting, DO NOT BUY THE PUPPY! DO NOT BUY THE PUPPY from a Pet Store! DO NOT BUY THE PUPPY from the side of the road! DO NOT BUY THE PUPPY from Craig’s List or the Newspaper! PLEASE - ADOPT! DON’T SHOP!3-4 MILLION animals are euthanized every year in shelters, so there are plenty waiting for a good home!
Join us on our Facebook Group “Boycott Petland – Dallas, Plano, Frisco”, and join us every Saturday in front of these Petlands while we make a statement and help to educate the public about the secrets and lies of puppy mill breeders who sell to Petland and many other puppy stores in the nation.
Kids, do you need service hours? These guys will be needing volunteers for at least a week, if not a month! Go and experience this for yourself.
Please forward to all of your friends, post on your walls, do what you can to help educate as many as you know in your circle of friends.
Petsmart Charities had a semi truck there and donated EVERY SINGLE crate used for these animals, plus all the food, potty pads, and any other pet supplies needed – please support them!!http://www.petsmartcharities.org/newsroom/news-listing.php?id=86&contact=1
