Apr 24, 2009 10:00 pm US/Mountain
Colorado Rescue Group Saves Puppies From Mills
Written by Karlyn Tilley
DENVER (CBS4) ―
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An image from CBS4's Thursday night report.
CBS
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An image from CBS4's Thursday night report.
CBS
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An image from CBS4's Thursday night report.
CBS
Armed with undercover cameras, our CBS4 crew went behind the scenes of puppy mills.
What goes on inside these large breeding facilities is not illegal, but many would argue it is immoral.
Theresa Strader with Colorado Mill Dog Rescue enlists the help of volunteers in what she calls saving lives.
"If we don't come, the dogs are destroyed," said Strader.
Nearly every month for the past two years, Strader and a group of volunteers traveled to puppy mills in the Midwest to rescue unwanted dogs.
"Just under 2,000 miles in 48 hours to gather up all the dogs and get them back home," said Strader.
Strader rescues dogs from across the country, but she said the highest concentration of puppy mills are in Southern Missouri.
Typical conditions for these dogs include hundreds of dogs kept in wire cages, exposed to the elements and walking around in their own feces.
Strader said it's the only life they've ever known. "Even though they're left in those cages year in and year out, all they ever want every single day is human contact."
The breeders trust Strader is not there to try to shut them down.
She just wants to take the dogs that would otherwise be destroyed.
Strader said the number of dogs offered to her is astounding. "People handing us dogs by the dozens, and us leaving dozens, actually hundreds, behind," said Strader.
She said she knows some of these dogs have a chance, so she fights for the ones that don't.
"When you see that little face in the cage, I challenge anybody to be able to walk away from that and not feel sick to their stomach. Knowing that that's it for them," said Strader.
The breeders send Strader lists of hundreds of dogs they want her to take, all with an expiration date.
"Once that list is compiled, there is almost always a deadline. And if we're not here by that day, then those dogs are destroyed," said Strader.
89 dogs were rescued on the trip with CBS4 crews.
"We walked away from 60 to 70 dogs at one place today, and you know, we can only take so many," said Strader, "I can't tell you what it feels like every time we walk away."
Some breeders wouldn't let us near their facilities.
Instead, they met us in back parking lots to hand over their discarded dogs.
For every one we took, there were hundreds left behind.
To meet the public's demand, puppies are often sold to pet stores at 8 weeks old.
If they're not sold and those dogs can't breed, they become an unnecessary expense.
Strader gives puppy mill breeders the opportunity to surrender their unwanted dogs, rather than kill them.
"We don't go to Missouri because we want to take dogs specifically from Missouri. That's just the state where the highest concentration of commercial breeders is," said Strader.
A 2001 report from the Missouri state auditor confirms that fact.
The report also called state inspections "ineffective" and that canines were "at risk for substandard care."
Most states classify dogs and cats as livestock when it comes to breeding.
From what we witnessed, that's exactly how they are being treated.
"The difference is they're not. They're not livestock, they're domestic companion animals," said Strader.
Dr. Kate Anderson with the Colorado Department of Agriculture confirms many dogs that end up for sale in Colorado come from similar large scale breeders in other states.
"Many states in the U.S. don't have currently any regulation at all for pet care facilities," says Dr. Anderson.
In 1995, a new law was put into place in Colorado to separate dogs and cats from livestock when it comes to proper care.
It's called the pet animal care facilities act, or PACFA.
Because of PACFA, Colorado laws are better than most, but even here there's no limit on how many dogs can be bred.
Dr. Anderson said quantity is not the issue, "it's not important necessarily to consider how many animals are in a facility but how well the facility's able to provide for the number of animals that they have."
In Colorado, there is a limit to how many dogs can be housed in a single cage.
Colorado breeders are required to keep dogs in an area which can be cleaned and sanitized, given access to food and water and proper shelter.
There are currently 150 licensed dog breeders in Colorado.
Dr. Anderson said her department has the resources to properly oversee those breeders, but there are still problems in Colorado.
"We don't have the large scale breeders like other states, but we do have problems with people who take on more dogs than they can handle," said Dr. Anderson.
Strader's organization, the National Mill Dog Rescue, or Colorado Mill Dog Rescue, does rescue dogs in Colorado, but she knows the even bigger problems are across state lines.
She said her efforts are just the beginning, "this is tiny. I mean, there are a couple hundred thousand of these dogs out there living like this and they're killed every single day."
Since it was founded about two years ago, the National Mill Dog Rescue has saved 1,671 dogs.
The 89 saved during our rescue mission made an amazing transformation when they were brought back to Colorado.
"This is the beginning of the life they've always deserved," said Strader.
Dozens of volunteers greeted the dogs with a warm welcome.
"Welcome to colorado" and "this is the first day of the rest of your life" were a few of the many comforting words spoken to the dogs.
Dogs who had never been picked up, kissed, cuddled or even named were treated like what they are, pets.
Most every dog is sick and some are deformed.
Now they have a chance to get healthy, become nourished and find a loving home.
"The dogs are so resilient, it never ceases to amaze me, they bounce back so quickly," said Strader. "They really are true examples of forgiveness. I'm proud of every single one of them."
Since the rescue, 60 dogs have been adopted.
Nine dogs are still in foster homes and 19 dogs were released to specific breed rescue organizations.
Unfortunately, one dog did not survive.
Strader's mission is not only to rescue dogs, but to also educate the public on this ever-growing problem.
Strader said it's important to ask before you buy. "People need to understand how to go about getting a puppy or a companion dog without supporting this industry."
The humane society of the U.S. suggests adopting dogs from shelters or going directly to a breeder to buy a dog.
Dr. Anderson said if you do plan to buy a dog from a pet store, there are questions you can ask to ensure you are not supporting the puppy mill industry.
- Research what type of dog would be best in your home.
- Research the place where you get the dog. The Colorado Department of Agriculture has records on every breeder and every seller in the state.
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- Ask for health and shot records, as well as any signs of health problems.
- Ask where the dog came from and ask to see paperwork. A pet store that knows exactly where the dog came from is typically a better bet than one who only has a general idea.
- Buy from reputable Colorado breeders when possible. If you get a dog from a state in the Midwest, you may be getting a dog from a puppy mill.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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