MySetterSam: The Ruff Report: Dogs and Rescue

105 terrified dogs rescued from putrid puppy mill;
one euthanized, several are caring for puppies

One-hundred and five dogs - many suffering from severe skin and eye burns from being covered in feces and urine, some nursing puppies in filthy cages and most "paralyzed with fear" from lack of human contact - have been rescued from a puppy mill in Oklahoma, but an older dog who was blind and had no jaw had to be euthanized.

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The dogs - mostly Chihuahuas along with some 10 Poodles, eight Golden Retrievers, six Golden Retriever mixes, a Pekingese, a Border Collie and a Schnauzer - are also suffering from severe dental problems, matted fur, worms, missing eyes, and flea and tick infestation, animal welfare officials say.

The frightened dogs - like Paco, a 4-year-old Chihuahua in photo from Bristow's PAWS - were kept in an old, rundown metal building that wreaked with the stench of feces and urine, according to Debbie Bingham, executive director of PAWS, which spearheaded the rescue and is caring for 45 of the dogs.

"There was feces all over the floor," Ms. Bingham told MySetterSam. "The ammonia smell was really strong from urine on the floor. ...The smell did gag you when you walked in."

The dogs were allowed to roam freely around the building and the adjoining yard, resulting in constant breeding because the males and females had easy access to each other, Ms. Bingham said. "The dogs were all running together in the building. There were no pens."

The conditions were particularly difficult for the poodles - like Claire, a sweet 11-month-old apricot female who is very shy at left in photo from Bristow's PAWS - because feces became entangled in their long hair, Ms. Bingham said. "Their hair had grown, and they hadn't been groomed. Their coats were nasty."

The breeder, located in Jones, Oklahoma, decided to close because of lagging profits and contacted Bristow's PAWS to take the dogs. Bristow's PAWS initially took all the dogs to its facility and then dispersed some to other animal welfare organizations, including You Chihuahua Rescue in Edmond, Oklahoma; Oklahoma Animal Alliance; and the Humane Society of Tulsa.

Barbara Siegrist, founder and president of Because of You Chihuahua Rescue in Edmond, Oklahoma, says many of the 10 dogs her organization is caring for have eye burns from being soaked in urine. "Most have swollen eyes and most had glassy coloration," she told MySetterSam.

Kiley Roberson, community outreach director for the Humane Society of Tulsa, says the dogs - like this one cowering in the corner of a crate at left in photo from the Tulsa Humane Society - will need rehabilitation to get them accustomed to life outside a breeding kennel. "We ... just work with them slowly (handling them) until they get use to people interaction," she told MySetterSam. The Humane Society of Tulsa is caring for 10 dogs.

Because of You Chihuahua Rescue has placed the dogs it is caring for in foster homes to help them recover from their fear of people, Ms. Siegrist said. "They are getting lots of handling, and we work on mending their broken bodies and spirits."

The rescued dogs get to interact with pets already in the foster home, which helps them adapt to family living, Ms. Siegrist explained. "They are getting used to us, and are liking good food; warm, soft beds; freedom to move around and go outdoors at will."

But one older male dog was less fortunate than the others who are now recovering, according to Shannon Adams, a rescue worker with Because of You Chihuahua Rescue. The dog - who was blind, had no bottom jaw and was sitting alone in a waste-covered pen - had to be euthanized.

"I took him with me, bathed him, gave him a bed and loving for a night knowing full well he would not be able to be saved," Ms. Adams told MySetterSam. "But at least he would have one good night in his life. What a sweetie he was."

The conditions at the breeding facility were deplorable, Ms. Adams said, with mother dogs and newborn puppies living in filth and dogs - like these above in photo from the Tulsa Humane Society - doubled-up and tripled-up in cages. "The whole thing is sad that people have to make money off of the misery of the dogs and that it continues at other places."

Many of the rescued female dogs are pregnant, so the number of animals that will eventually need homes will grow, animal welfare officials say.

One of the dogs, a Chihuahua named J J. - at left in photo from Bristow's PAWS - had six puppies - two females and four males - since arriving at Bristow's PAWS. "With so many dogs pregnant, the number of dogs we are caring for will be growing in the near future," Ms. Bingham said.

The cost is high for the dogs' rehabilitation and medical care - which includes blood work, shots, spaying or neutering, heart worm tests and dental work, according to Ms. Siegrist of Because of You Chihuahua Rescue. "Many of the Chihuahuas need knee surgery. They are prone to ... slippage of the knee cap."

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