Hi fellow Corgi people,
I’ve received an e-mail from reader Tavia Meares about the closing of a puppy mill and associated auction in Missouri at the end of October. I’m passing along this information as a courtesy to Tavia, for the welfare of the Corgis.
If you would like to participate or find out more, Tavia’s contact information appears further down in this post.
Tavia, who is the Middle Tennessee representative for Dogs Deserve Better, says there are nine Corgis among the 800 dogs scheduled to be auctioned at the mill on the weekend of 10/29 – 10/30. There are six females and three males in the group, with ages ranging from one to nine years old.
More information about the Missouri puppy mill:
http://www.fox2now.com/ktvi-puppy-mill-dirty-dozen-report,0,3239150.story
Tavia is trying to get the word out, in hopes of finding enough volunteers so she doesn’t have to drive the whole ten hours herself. “Also, anyone who’s local and has a truck, van, SUV, un-needed crates, blankets, etc. would be great.”
In addition to transport needs, Tavia says donations are needed for vet care/boarding, gas to make the trip to Missouri, and the cost of dogs at the breeder’s auction.
“Here’s the link where people can donate to the fund for all the vet care for the dogs: http://sscr.chipin.com/missouri-mill-dog-auction-rescue. If the dogs end up coming to me and someone wants to make sure their money goes to the Corgis only, I can work that out as well.”
image: Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project
“In order to get the dogs out, we have to have all nine committed to rescues. They can come here first to arrange transport, but then must be going to a rescue, and the lady that is going to the auction needs all the information about the rescue and if it is a 501(c)3 status, and what not.”
If you can assist in any way, please contact Tavia Meares directly. She can be reached via facebook, e-mail (tavstar1@yahoo.com).
Tavia notes: “I will answer everyones inquires as quickly as possible, but may not need their help at that moment; for logisitics reasons I am trying to stick the plan or organization-wise.”
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Editor’s note: If you don’t know anything about puppy mills, please take the opportunity to educate yourself. (Google “puppy mill” and go from there). The conditions for the dogs at many of these places are deplorable; truly, they are NO place for any animal to live anything resembling a decent existence.
Sadly, thousands of dogs are held captive at these operations all over the country and know nothing of life beyond their cages. They are simply living profit machines, bred repeatedly until they are no longer of any use.
Imagine your beloved fur kid confined 24/7, never knowing the freedom of frapping on grass, frolicking with other dogs, loving and being loved by people, and being free just to stretch out and be just who she is, without undue fear. Never, ever knowing the haven of of a home where she is wanted, where she brightens lives just by being there.
This is the reality of “life” for thousands of puppy mill dogs all across the country. It is a tragic waste, an ongoing nightmare for these intelligent, loving, animals.
By and large, puppy mill dogs are the ones who produce the puppies at pet shops. Please think twice about buying a puppy at a pet store! As a compassionate, informed person you CAN effect positive change with your choices. Educate yourself, use the web to find out what you can do, and share the facts with other people.
Together we can do for the dogs what they cannot do for themselves. We can be a voice for the voiceless.
image: Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project
If we don’t do it, who will?
Laurie, I know it's heartbreaking, but it's actually a REALLY BAD IDEA to purchase auctioned puppy mill dogs. You are NOT rescuing these dogs, you are buying them. it's just the same as buying them from a pet store.
The puppy millers don't care that the people purchasing the dogs say they're from rescues. They only care that they have an even healthier and better market for even their worthless adults. It's a complete win for the puppy mills and keeps them in business. The Wisconsin puppy mill project has determined that the puppy mills in that area are now breeding dogs specifically for the auctions, knowing they can get rescue groups to pay top dollar.
The only thing that will shut down puppy mills is lack of demand. That means lack of demand for older dogs as well as lack of demand for puppies.
Thanks for weighing in!
The reason I choose to share this information is I would like to see these 800 dogs get a chance at a better life than the one they've known so far.
What you say makes sense, but I couldn't stand in front of a single one of those tortured dogs and say "I'm not going to save you because this is where the buck stops and the system begins to change.
The system must be fixed using more than one approach, but I believe mercy for the victims must be delivered when and where it's needed.
(Yeah, I'm a softie.)
The huge problem is that when one "victim" is removed, three take her place. By buying one, you're not only leaving her space open for another bitch, you're encouraging the puppy miller to expand because there's now a market for his old bitches too.
It's not soft-or-not-soft; I am very involved in rescue and more than half of the dogs that have come through my house are puppy mill dogs. If their mothers cost the puppy miller money instead of making him money, he'll stop doing it. If puppy milling didn't make money period, he'd never have gotten into it. And I'd be looking at many fewer rescues.
It's not a rescue if you're putting money in the hands of the producer. It's a purchase. You're not "saving" them, you're buying them. It's not easy to leave a puppy in the pet store; it's doubly not easy to leave one at an auction in the hopes that the miller will have the worst sale of his life and say "Well, not gonna come here next year." But you MUST.
I hear you, Joanna. You have a lot of experience, and it's important for me to hear from the perspective of experience.
If I stop listening and close myself off to what others have learned, I might as well hang it up.
Thanks.
Peace,
Laurie
In my country we have many stray dogs , but we have not this kinda of Puppy Mill … When I see that on Animal Planet channel I pray …
for those poor dogs in puppy mills and I Thanks Give for having not this here.
I hope they find new and good families and have the chance to be happy dogs once.
Good luck!
Cintia
Has anyone ever asked a puppymill owner at an auction, what happens if the puppies don't sell? Who buys them? Another puppy mill? I hear alot of speculation, but would love to find out more facts on this.
Just out of curiosity, what does Joanna propose as the alternative?
I'm not an expert. I have only rescued a couple of horses and adopted all of my dogs and cats throughout my life…until, I saw my Corgi. When I saw my little Pembroke, I just had to have him. I hadn't heard much about Puppy Mills and the pet store had paper work that showed this family farm type breeder. It all seemed so great, especially for a horse person like me. Now, that I've read and seen a lot on the subject, I wouldn't buy another dog from a pet store again. In my world, we buy horses at auction to keep them from slaughter, paying money or not…that is a rescue. Saving and drastically improving a life, is a rescue. Sadly, people don't need encouragement to be greedy or cruel.
"What you say makes sense, but I couldn't stand in front of a single one of those tortured dogs and say "I'm not going to save you because this is where the buck stops and the system begins to change. " (Laurie)
I agree completely. We all have to work together to get the laws and rules on puppy mills changed but in the mean time there are 8 dogs that need help and that's what rescues are for. They will help these 8 get healthy, spay/neuter, learn manners and figure out their personalities so they can be placed in the best forever home out there.
The bottom line is we all care about the dogs and will each help in whatever way we can and are comfortable with and that's all it takes to make a difference.
I thought this puppy mill is closing down? and this is the auction for all of the dogs and puppies and no more will be raised there?
if it is closing down, then fine, adopt the puppies and dogs. but if this is just another auction, then the comments above are true to fact.
Anonymous,
Yes, this particular mill is going out of business. It's a "dispersal auction", they are selling off their breeding stock.
I HAVE TO donate…. now
Peanut, thanks! Your heart is as big as your ears!
🙂 The Daily Corgi
My little Corgi Savannah was rescued from a Missouri Puppy mill. She was picked up by a rescue group at a puppy auction and we flew her out to California. We are thankful that there are those that care enough to do this kind of work.