160 Puppy Mill Dogs Rescued

Best Friends Animal Society rescued 160 dogs from puppy mills in the Midwest this week.

“Puppy mills will generally kill, or put up for auction, dogs that are no longer profitable for them: retired breeding dogs, old dogs, or sick dogs,” explains Arianna Pittman, coordinator for Best Friends’ puppy mill transport initiative, Pup My Ride. “Local rescuers will save these, as well as all the dogs from out-of-business puppy mills, and contact us.”

The Utah-based organization then delivers the dogs to shelters in areas where there is a lot of demand. The 160 dogs in this case went to Adopt-a-Dog Inc. in Armonk, NY, because the rescued breeds are popular in and around New York City. They include: Yorkshire Terrier, Boxer, Papillon, Poodle, Tibetan Terrier, French Bulldog, and Maltese.

“There are a lot of great shelters in New York, but also many pet stores that get their dogs from puppy mills,” says Pittman. “We want to let people know that they don’t need to go to a pet store for a Poodle; the same type of dog is at the shelter.” One of Best Friends' goals is to educate the public about inhumane conditions in puppy mills, encouraging people to be a part of the solution and adopt.

The 160 rescued dogs include mothers used for breeding, adolescents, and puppies, most of which lived in wire cages without ever knowing grass, human affection, toys or treats. The challenge now is helping them learn to be dogs. “A lot of puppy mill dogs are only handled by humans when it’s time to be bred,” says Pittman. Pup My Ride volunteers know the dogs will be timid, to go slow, and to transport the dogs inside travel crates for comfort and safety.

Once in New York, Adopt-a-Dog, Inc. gave the puppy mill dogs medical exams, baths and a lot of cuddles. Volunteers were mobilized to pick the dogs up and give them temporary homes until they’re each adopted.

If you’d like to adopt a dog from this group, you can contact one of the rescue organizations that’s taking care of them:

• Adopt-a-Dog Inc., Armonk, NY
• Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Wainscott, N.Y.
• Monmouth County SPCA, Eatontown, N.J.
• Save A Pet, Long Island, N.Y.
• Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc., Oakland, N.J.
• The Husky House, Bridgewater, N.J.
• Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, East Hanover, N.J.
• Second Chance Pet Adoption League, Oak Ridge, N.J.
• All They Need is Love Animal Rescue, Thorofare, N.J.
• Kent Animal Shelter, Calverton, N.Y.
• Ulster County SPCA, Kingston, N.Y.
• Yorkie911 Rescue, Deer Park, N.Y.
• Animal Haven, New York, N.Y.

You can also contact M. Demarco at mdemarco@bestfriends.org to inquire about specific dog.

And don’t forget, dozens more dogs just like them are already available for adoption in local shelters and rescue groups, or by visiting Petfinder. Dogs and puppies of every breed, mix, age, color and size are looking for homes, including puppies and purebreds.