Andrea Rosebrock 
I don’t remember much from the place I was born. It was cramped and dark and we were never played with by humans. I remember Mom and her soft fur, but she was often sick, and very thin. She had hardly any milk for me and my brothers and sisters. I remember many of them dying, and I missed them so.
I do remember the day I was taken from Mom. I was so sad and scared, my milk teeth had only just come in, and I really should have been with Mom still, but she was so sick, and the humans kept saying that they wanted money and were sick of the “mess” that my sister and I made. So we were crated up and taken to a strange place. Just the two of us. We huddled together and were scared, still no human hands came to pet us or to love us.
So many sights and sounds, and smells!! We are in a store where there are many different animals! Some that squawk! Some that meow! Some that peep! My sister and I are jammed into a small cage, I hear other puppies whine. I see humans looking at me, I like the “little humans”, they look like they’d be fun, like they would play with me!
All day we are kept in the small cage, sometimes mean people will hit the glass and frighten us, every once in a while we are taken out to be held or shown to humans. Some are gentle, some hurt us, we always hear “AW they are so cute! I want one!” but we never get to go with any.
My sister died last night, when the store was dark. I lay my head on her soft fur and felt the life leave her small thin body. I had heard them say she was sick, and that I should be sold at a “discount price” so that I would quickly leave the store. I softly whined to mourn for her as they took her body out of the cage in the morning, I wondered where they put her?
Today, a family came and bought me! Oh happy day!! They are a nice family, they really, really wanted me! They had bought a dish and food and the little girl held me so tenderly in her arms. I love her so much! The mom and dad say what a sweet and good puppy I am! I am named Angel. I love to lick my new humans!
The family takes such good care of me, they are loving and tender and sweet. They gently teach me right from wrong, give me good food and lots of “LOVE”. I want only to please these wonderful people! I love the little girl and I enjoy running and playing with her.
Today I went to the Veterinarian. It was a strange place and I was frightened. I got some shots, but my best friend (the little girl) held me softly and said it would be OK. So I relaxed. The Vet must have said sad words to my beloved family, because they looked awfully sad. I heard severe hip dysplacia, and something about my heart… I heard the vet say something about, back yard breeders and my parents not being tested. I didn’t know what any of this meant, just that it hurt me to see my family so sad. But they still loved me, and I still loved them very much!!!
I am now 6 months old. Where most of the other puppies are robust and rowdy, it hurts me terribly just to move. The pain never lets up. It hurts to run and play with my beloved little girl, and I find it hard to breathe. I keep trying my best to be the strong pup I know I am supposed to be, but it is so hard. It breaks my heart to see the little girl so sad, and to hear her mom and dad talk about, it might now be the time. Several times I have gone to the Veterinarians place. I just wanted to feel the warm sunshine and run, and play and nuzzle with my family.
Last night was the worst. Pain has been my constant companion now, it hurts even to get up and get a drink. I try to get up but can only whine in pain. I am taken in the car one last time. Everyone is so sad, and I don’t know why.
Have I been bad? I try to be good and loving, what have I done wrong? Oh if only this pain would be gone! If only I could soothe the tears of the little girl. I reach out my muzzle to lick her hand, but have to stop because of the pain.
The Veterinarian’s table is so cold. I am so frightened. My humans hug and love me, they cry into my soft fur. I can feel their love and sadness. I manage to lick their hands softly. Even the vet doesn’t seem so scary today. He is gentle and I sense some kind of relief for my pain. The little girl holds me softly and I thank her, for giving me all her love. I feel a soft pinch in my foreleg.
The pain is beginning to lift. I am beginning to feel a peace descend upon me. I can now softly lick her hand. My vision is becoming dream like now, and I see my Mother, my brothers and sisters, in a far off green place. They tell me there is no pain there only peace and happiness. I tell the family, good-bye in the only way I know how, a soft wag of my tail and nuzzle of my nose. I had hoped to spend many, many happy years with them, but it was not meant to be. The pain ends now and, I know it will be many years until I see my beloved family again. If only things could have been different.
“I am sorry,” said the Vet. “Pet shop puppies do not come from ethical breeders. I am so tired of putting so many of these kind of puppies to sleep.”
This story may be published or reprinted in the hopes that it will stop
unethical breeders and those who breed only for money and not for the betterment
of the breed.
Copyright 1999 J.Ellis
For more information on puppy mills; what they are and what you can do to help, please check out The Horrors Of Puppy Mills
I just read the story, i have now have tears running down my face. How can people be so crule and stupid . I have two dogs who i love very much, and they are my babies
Judie, it had the same effect on me as do so many of the writings about puppy mills. A friend of mine told me the same thing today, that she had read it and cried. I told her that I was sorry that it hurt and upset her but I hope it makes enough people open their eyes and see that I don’t care if it makes a million people cry… if it saves just a few lives and gets a few pups out of misery.
That’s the worst thing, that so many people really have little to no clue. They don’t realize where those cute little puppies in pet stores and on so many internet site come from. They don’t know that they are born to mothers who spent their entire lives in a tiny cage and who are so neglected and malnourished they live a life without hope and produce litter after litter of puppies who are most likely unhealthy too.
I feel the same way about my dogs, they are my babies, my kids and it breaks my heart that anyone could ever treat a living, breathing, feeling, intelligent creature like these puppy millers do!!
Hi everybody hope all is good with everyone .that is another sad story that brakes my heart and makes me want to hold my dogs to let them know that nothing bad like that will never happen to them .my dogs never want for anything but my dinner thats the way it should be .I don,t know if there is a thing called a puppys bill of rigths if not then it should be I think one of the worst thing people do when it comes to puppys is they take them from their mothers way to early because mothers show them social skills and so many other things I could go on and on but won,t you know its only june
here and the next few days its going to be in the high 90,s and I,m all ready thinking about the dogs tied out side to a box not a good thing at all if your doggie is outside please give them ice water they will be so thankful …jeffrey aka littledog
Everytime I read these stories I cry my eyes out…Why do people have to treat animals so badly? All they ask from us is a bit of kindness and a safe home, why do so many people just see them as ££££ and nothing else. The love you get in return from a dog is like nothing else! I am going to have to unsubmit to the newsletters from this site because I can no longer read any more heartbreaking tales, it makes me want to come to the US and stand up and scream out for the injustice! Thank God the Uk does not allow puppy mills or I think I would have been arrested a million times over!
The best thing we all can do is never buy a dog from a petshop or from the internet. 100% of the puppies in a petshop come from a puppy mill, no matter what lies the petshop manager tells you. Good breeders never allow their puppies in a petshop. In fact, good breeders give you an intense interview, make you sign a contract and will gladly refund your money anytime during the dog’s life if you ever have a problem. Get your dog from the local pound, the humane society or from a rescue group. Just two weeks ago a purebred bulldog under one years old was due to be euthanized at the Stark County pound if not adopted. So this young, male boy, most likely an impulse buy from a petshop, probable died, not because the pound is being cruel, but due to human irresponsibility. So adopt, don’t shop!! Then of course spay and neuter.
This puppy mill story is rather a tame version. Most people would not read the real, graphic stories. Ohio is the 7th largest puppy mill state and we have the largest concentration of puppy mills in Holmes County. For those of us who live in Stark County, it is only 30 miles away, our backyard! It makes me sad. It makes me mad. It makes me active. I hope this story stirs all of you, after your tears, toward action.
It is late on Sunday evening, and I am sitting here crying like a baby. I have transported many puppy mill dogs in my rescue career, and it is so sad that these dogs have no clue as to what the cool grass under their paws feels like, what it is to smell the flowers, sniff by some bushes or a tree. It does bring a smile to my face when a puppy mill dog feels the cool blades of grass beneath his paws for the first time in his life, then looks at me, as if to say “is this for real? is this okay?” All you can do at that point is let them smell, and explore. Their little tails are wagging like crazy, and it is amazing to see.
That is the only good side of rescuing a puppy mill dog. All these p/m dogs do have horrible health matters, that these pet stores actually lie about when they sell you a puppy, telling you that it is in good health. When people stop buying dogs from pet stores, it will help in stopping the p/mills. But then there are the p/m dog auctions, which are just as bad. Each of our individual states are looking at shutting down puppy mills, and making the laws much tougher to be a breeder. Even the reputable breeders must follow the new laws, or chance being shut down by the Dept of Agriculture.