Sunday, January 5, 2014

The Face of FREEDOM...

Berkely - Rescued from a Puppy Mill on Jan. 4, 2014
This is the face of FREEDOM! National Mill Dog Rescue Team (one of my favorite dog rescues) arrived home to Colorado yesterday with 52 dogs they had rescued from puppy mills in Kansas. The puppy mill survivors were held in loving arms for the first time and placed in clean, comfortable kennels with good food, clean water, and a warm bed. To learn more and see all of the faces of freedom from this recent puppy mill rescue, visit them on Facebook.  Please join National Dog Mill rescue in welcoming these dogs to freedom!

More faces of Freedom....
Hannah -  Rescued from a Puppy Mill on Jan. 4, 2014

Bean - Rescued from a Puppy Mill on Jan. 4, 2014

Lydia - Rescued from a Puppy Mill on Jan. 4, 2014

Tigger - Rescued from a Puppy Mill on Jan. 4, 2014
Curious about this amazing rescue group? Learn more about them (below) and read Theresa (National Mill Dog Rescue's Founder and Executive Director) letter to Lily's Breeder. Lily is the inspiration for National Mill Dog Rescue.

What National Mill Dog Rescue does and WHY they do it.....
National Mill Dog Rescue was established in February 2007, in honor of a forgiving little Italian Greyhound named Lily. Theresa Strader, NMDR’s Founder and Executive Director, rescued Lily from a dog auction in Missouri. Prior to that day, Lily had spent the first seven years of her life as a commercial breeding dog, a puppy mill mom. Determined that her years of living in misery would not be in vain, Strader started NMDR, giving a voice to mill dogs across the country.

During her years as a breeding dog, Lily spent all of her days confined to a small, cold wire cage in a dark, foul-smelling barn. Never was she removed from her cage for exercise or socialization. In her dreary confines, Lily was forced to produce one litter after another with no respite. Like all commercial breeding dogs, she was a veritable breeding machine whose worth was measured in only one way - her ability to produce puppies.

By seven years of age, Lily was worn out. Commonplace in the industry, she had received little to no veterinary care throughout her life, the result of which, for her, was terribly disturbing. Due to years of no dental care, poor quality food, rabbit bottle watering and no appropriate chew toys, the roof of Lily’s mouth and lower jaw, had rotted away. Her chest was riddled with mammary tumors and she was absolutely terrified of people.

Strader brought Lily and twelve others home from the auction and declares that even for a highly seasoned rescuer, the following months were the education of a lifetime in rehabilitation. That she would take up the cause for the mill dogs was never in question and National Mill Dog Rescue was promptly underway. In five short years, NMDR has amassed over 1,300 volunteers and has rescued over 6,300 puppy mill survivors.

Run almost solely by volunteers, NMDR has pledged to put an end to the cruelty of the puppy mill industry. Through widespread informative efforts, NMDR hopes to educate the public to acquire their companion animals through reputable breeders or better yet, from shelters and rescue groups across the country.

After her rescue, Lily spent the remainder of her life as a beloved member of the Strader family where she received medical care, warmth and companionship. In time, Lily found courage and her disfigured little body educated countless people about the horrors of the puppy mill industry. Lily died, at home, peacefully, in the arms of her loving dad with her family gathered around, in May 2008, fifteen months after she was rescued.

Lily - NMDR's Inspiration

Want to read the letter that changed it all? Click here for the letter that Theresa (NMDR founder and Exec. Director) wrote to Lily's Breeder. Here's Lily's story.

National Mill Dog Rescue has saved over 8,437 dogs and counting. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Freedom isn't free - please consider a donation today to help out this amazing rescue. Donate now! :-)

 “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” - Edmund Burke

2 comments:

Two French Bulldogs said...

Rescues rock!
Lily

Tweedles -- that's me said...

we are thankful for all those who rescue too!
love
tweedles