Hog N' Dogs

Another Kind of Cheese--Colby Jack's Story

We have a new member of our family!

Before I tell you about him, I need to impart some background information.

Do you know what a puppy mill is? It is another term for a dog commercial breeding facility. It is where pet stores and online puppy sales usually get the puppies that they sell. The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers dogs just another type of livestock. They have rules that say their cages must be six inches taller and wider than the height and length of the dog. SIX INCHES. These dogs are not pets, and receive no attention or love. They are not handled at all, or when they are handled it is very roughly. The dogs receive no vet care whatsoever. The puppy mills typically only give up dogs that are no longer useful to them. By the time that happens, they are a hot mess physically and emotionally.

Enter National Mill Dog Rescue http://milldogrescue.org/. They rescue, rehab, and rehome these dogs that would otherwise had been destroyed when their usefulness was over.

Cheddar was our first puppy mill survivor that we adopted. He got lucky, and got out as a young dog. He also had been in a foster home for six months before we adopted him, so he had learned about living in a home and the joys of playing in a fenced yard.

Colby Jack is our newest adoptee. He is about six years old, and has never lived in a house or played in a big fenced yard. He freezes and plays "statue" when he is stressed or overwhelmed. I picked him up at Lily's Haven, National Mill Dog's kennel facility Friday afternoon. It is Sunday afternoon now, and we are seeing tiny victories already. The most astonishing was when we were all outside in the backyard, and my husband squat down and called Colby...and he came to him. He also put his little front paws up on my husband's leg. AWWWW! Such trust already!