The following was found at: Graycen's Cause * Eliminating Puppy Mills through outreach and education
WHY GRAYCEN HAS A CAUSE
There appears to be a great division when it comes to pets. A great many people cherish their pets and treat them with love and respect. There are others who feel that animals were put on this earth to serve them and treat them no differently than they would a widget in a factory. Many of these people view dogs as a means for cash, otherwise known as the puppy mill industry. There are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills in the United States. A puppy mill is a place where dogs are manufactured on an assembly line of cruelty. They live with no human kindness or companionship, in cramped caging, then endure inhumane surgeries done right in the puppy mill, and have virtually no quality of life. They breed until they die. On March 27, 2008, these two worlds collided in a sequence of events that would change the lives of everyone involved.
On that date several rescue volunteers made the trip to Oklahoma to attend a dog auction where hundreds of dogs would be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Having been warned that what they would never be the same, they were still not prepared for the world they were about to enter. The volunteers went to the auction to bid on 42 French Bulldogs that were part of a going out of business sale. This might be the only time those dogs had a chance for freedom.
Prior to the sale the auction bidders walked the property to look at the animals and equipment before the auction began. Other than the small hand full of rescuers, the crowd was made up of puppy millers from Oklahoma and surrounding states. The rescuers were forced to walk along cages, looking at hundreds of broken dogs, knowing that they had limited funds and would not be able to save many. So how do you decide? The catalog had descriptions of the dogs like “Good breeder†or “Artificial insemination only due to vaginal prolapseâ€. The dogs were quiet, sad and scared. They had no names, only numbers chained around their necks. The heinous task of selecting the dogs to bid on began.
The rescuers entered the first building. One of the very first cages held two female French Bulldogs, number 165 and 168; they were sisters under a year old. Number 168 was clinging to 165 with all of her might. She was the smallest of the two and able to hide her face in her larger sister. It was 165 that watched the rescuers approach. She looked hopeless. She sat motionless and stared straight forward. The rescuers decided that they would bid on the sisters. There was just something in 165’s eyes, she had given up. There were many more dogs to see but the group kept coming back to the sisters who hadn’t moved and remained, huddled together.
When the bidding began the dogs were placed on the table 4 or 5 at a time. The highest bidder was able to select the dog they wanted. Once the dog was removed the bidding would begin again. The winning bidder had the choice of purchasing just one dog or all of the dogs. It became clear when they began auctioning French Bulldogs that the puppy millers wanted the pregnant dogs, the young females, and pied or cream color was preferred. The girls, 165 and 168, were on the same bidding table together and both had brindle coloring. The dogs were selling for more than the rescuers anticipated. As the bidding climbed the rescuers had to stop bidding. They assumed that the miller would select the young cream female, and they would start bidding again for the sisters. This was not the case as the highest bidder selected 165. The sisters would be separated. Not able to show emotion for fear of exposure, the rescuers began bidding again in an effort to at least save 168. They purchased 12 other dogs and had to walk away when they ran out of funds. Though they were elated for the dogs they were able to save, the destiny of the dogs left behind broke their hearts.
At the end of the auction Amish men and children carried the dogs to their purchasers and they were placed in waiting crates to be transported. The dogs were terrified as they were loaded into the rescuers vehicles. It was number 168, who was given the name Hannah, that was so terrified that she was unresponsive. She curled up in her crate, body tense and shaking, unwilling to move even when gently spoken to and stroked. Being separated from the only comfort she knew Hannah was grieving for her sister.
The rescuers drove the dogs back to Fort Worth, Texas where they were bathed, fed and introduced to grass, soft towels and love. They were given names, collars and beds to sleep in. All of the dogs seemed to respond to the kindness except one. It was Hannah that had everyone concerned. She was still unresponsive. Even during a warm bath she made no eye contact with the rescuers handling her. She even refused to eat.
Even with all the excitement the rescuers couldn’t stop thinking about 165. Where was she? Was she also grieving for her sister? Would anyone care? The rescuers did their best to move on, but the loss of 165 continued to haunt them. There were hundreds of other dogs that shared the same fate that day but there was something about the look in her eyes that made her unforgettable. Foster families picked up the dogs and the rescuers returned to their homes. The story of the sisters began to circulate.
One rescuer couldn't move on. Try as she might she was also grieving for the loss of 165. Those of us in the rescue community know there are life changing events that just can't be explained but are part of a bigger plan. So a plan was formulated, would it work? Who knows but we had to try. Could we unlock the secret world of the puppy millers and find one damaged little girl. Amazing things can happen when great minds come together. The husband of the rescuer, who is totally amazing and brilliant ,was able to get a phone number. He actually got the Amish miller to talk on the phone about the dogs he had sold. He then told them he had purchased #168 as a pet and his dog was grieving for her sister. The miller explained that "she would get over it". He then explained his wife couldn’t sleep and she wanted the other dog. There were many calls and lots of lying. The millers’ wife who thought everyone involved was crazy to care about how a dog felt finally gave in and told him where #165 had ended up. Someday we will write about how these puppy farmers actually view their product. Those phone conversations were very interesting.
For those of you who disagree with purchasing at auctions, please note, during this period, the rescuers contacted the IRS, and Ok State Tax Dept and reported the income made at the auction. We even supplied the auction catalog and estimated how much had been made at that sale. The Auction house had a website which bragged how much they had made at their last auction. An investigation was opened and although we have followed up, we are not privy to what is being done. We know that we at least got the attention of the Income Tax and Sales Tax Depts. Hopefully, the money spent not only saved a number of dogs but will ultimately end up in tax evasion charges for both the miller and the Auction House.
One week after the auction #165 was tracked to a puppy mill in Little Rock, Arkansas. We were so close but really so far away. The problem was that the puppy mill she was sold to was a start up puppy mill and did not want to sell her. Repeated calls regarding sad people and pets were laughed at. Finally realizing they had a commodity someone wanted, a price was given, it was much too high and well over 3 times what they purchased her for. A flat "NO" was given and the call ended. We decided to wait for a call back. It came, the price was lowered but they demanded payment in cash. It was clear that they were not going to report the income from the sale. This was actually the deciding factor. We would purchase #165 and then report the puppy miller to the IRS. A plan was made to bring the cash to Little Rock, Arkansas and pick up #165. She would be transported back to North Carolina. It was an elaborate plan with many people involved.
Two weeks after being sold in an auction from one puppy mill to another, #165 was freed. Her long trip went without a hitch. She arrived safe and sound in North Carolina. She also went into heat. Had she gone into heat 4 days earlier she would likely have been lost forever. She either would have been immediately bred by the puppy miller or her price would have gone up drastically.
As #165 began to recover in North Carolina it became clear that she was a very broken dog. She made no eye contact and was fearful of everything. She was named Molly, which would later change. Some days Molly would not even leave her crate and when she did it was only to run out the door to the back yard. She would cringe when touched and even the most delicious foods did not excite her. She would stare forward with a blank look when held or bathed. Molly did not know how to be a dog. As the other Frenchies in the household bounced and played, Molly stared blankly forward.
WHY GRAYCEN HAS A CAUSE
There appears to be a great division when it comes to pets. A great many people cherish their pets and treat them with love and respect. There are others who feel that animals were put on this earth to serve them and treat them no differently than they would a widget in a factory. Many of these people view dogs as a means for cash, otherwise known as the puppy mill industry. There are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills in the United States. A puppy mill is a place where dogs are manufactured on an assembly line of cruelty. They live with no human kindness or companionship, in cramped caging, then endure inhumane surgeries done right in the puppy mill, and have virtually no quality of life. They breed until they die. On March 27, 2008, these two worlds collided in a sequence of events that would change the lives of everyone involved.
On that date several rescue volunteers made the trip to Oklahoma to attend a dog auction where hundreds of dogs would be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Having been warned that what they would never be the same, they were still not prepared for the world they were about to enter. The volunteers went to the auction to bid on 42 French Bulldogs that were part of a going out of business sale. This might be the only time those dogs had a chance for freedom.
Prior to the sale the auction bidders walked the property to look at the animals and equipment before the auction began. Other than the small hand full of rescuers, the crowd was made up of puppy millers from Oklahoma and surrounding states. The rescuers were forced to walk along cages, looking at hundreds of broken dogs, knowing that they had limited funds and would not be able to save many. So how do you decide? The catalog had descriptions of the dogs like “Good breeder†or “Artificial insemination only due to vaginal prolapseâ€. The dogs were quiet, sad and scared. They had no names, only numbers chained around their necks. The heinous task of selecting the dogs to bid on began.
The rescuers entered the first building. One of the very first cages held two female French Bulldogs, number 165 and 168; they were sisters under a year old. Number 168 was clinging to 165 with all of her might. She was the smallest of the two and able to hide her face in her larger sister. It was 165 that watched the rescuers approach. She looked hopeless. She sat motionless and stared straight forward. The rescuers decided that they would bid on the sisters. There was just something in 165’s eyes, she had given up. There were many more dogs to see but the group kept coming back to the sisters who hadn’t moved and remained, huddled together.
When the bidding began the dogs were placed on the table 4 or 5 at a time. The highest bidder was able to select the dog they wanted. Once the dog was removed the bidding would begin again. The winning bidder had the choice of purchasing just one dog or all of the dogs. It became clear when they began auctioning French Bulldogs that the puppy millers wanted the pregnant dogs, the young females, and pied or cream color was preferred. The girls, 165 and 168, were on the same bidding table together and both had brindle coloring. The dogs were selling for more than the rescuers anticipated. As the bidding climbed the rescuers had to stop bidding. They assumed that the miller would select the young cream female, and they would start bidding again for the sisters. This was not the case as the highest bidder selected 165. The sisters would be separated. Not able to show emotion for fear of exposure, the rescuers began bidding again in an effort to at least save 168. They purchased 12 other dogs and had to walk away when they ran out of funds. Though they were elated for the dogs they were able to save, the destiny of the dogs left behind broke their hearts.
At the end of the auction Amish men and children carried the dogs to their purchasers and they were placed in waiting crates to be transported. The dogs were terrified as they were loaded into the rescuers vehicles. It was number 168, who was given the name Hannah, that was so terrified that she was unresponsive. She curled up in her crate, body tense and shaking, unwilling to move even when gently spoken to and stroked. Being separated from the only comfort she knew Hannah was grieving for her sister.
The rescuers drove the dogs back to Fort Worth, Texas where they were bathed, fed and introduced to grass, soft towels and love. They were given names, collars and beds to sleep in. All of the dogs seemed to respond to the kindness except one. It was Hannah that had everyone concerned. She was still unresponsive. Even during a warm bath she made no eye contact with the rescuers handling her. She even refused to eat.
Even with all the excitement the rescuers couldn’t stop thinking about 165. Where was she? Was she also grieving for her sister? Would anyone care? The rescuers did their best to move on, but the loss of 165 continued to haunt them. There were hundreds of other dogs that shared the same fate that day but there was something about the look in her eyes that made her unforgettable. Foster families picked up the dogs and the rescuers returned to their homes. The story of the sisters began to circulate.
One rescuer couldn't move on. Try as she might she was also grieving for the loss of 165. Those of us in the rescue community know there are life changing events that just can't be explained but are part of a bigger plan. So a plan was formulated, would it work? Who knows but we had to try. Could we unlock the secret world of the puppy millers and find one damaged little girl. Amazing things can happen when great minds come together. The husband of the rescuer, who is totally amazing and brilliant ,was able to get a phone number. He actually got the Amish miller to talk on the phone about the dogs he had sold. He then told them he had purchased #168 as a pet and his dog was grieving for her sister. The miller explained that "she would get over it". He then explained his wife couldn’t sleep and she wanted the other dog. There were many calls and lots of lying. The millers’ wife who thought everyone involved was crazy to care about how a dog felt finally gave in and told him where #165 had ended up. Someday we will write about how these puppy farmers actually view their product. Those phone conversations were very interesting.
For those of you who disagree with purchasing at auctions, please note, during this period, the rescuers contacted the IRS, and Ok State Tax Dept and reported the income made at the auction. We even supplied the auction catalog and estimated how much had been made at that sale. The Auction house had a website which bragged how much they had made at their last auction. An investigation was opened and although we have followed up, we are not privy to what is being done. We know that we at least got the attention of the Income Tax and Sales Tax Depts. Hopefully, the money spent not only saved a number of dogs but will ultimately end up in tax evasion charges for both the miller and the Auction House.
One week after the auction #165 was tracked to a puppy mill in Little Rock, Arkansas. We were so close but really so far away. The problem was that the puppy mill she was sold to was a start up puppy mill and did not want to sell her. Repeated calls regarding sad people and pets were laughed at. Finally realizing they had a commodity someone wanted, a price was given, it was much too high and well over 3 times what they purchased her for. A flat "NO" was given and the call ended. We decided to wait for a call back. It came, the price was lowered but they demanded payment in cash. It was clear that they were not going to report the income from the sale. This was actually the deciding factor. We would purchase #165 and then report the puppy miller to the IRS. A plan was made to bring the cash to Little Rock, Arkansas and pick up #165. She would be transported back to North Carolina. It was an elaborate plan with many people involved.
Two weeks after being sold in an auction from one puppy mill to another, #165 was freed. Her long trip went without a hitch. She arrived safe and sound in North Carolina. She also went into heat. Had she gone into heat 4 days earlier she would likely have been lost forever. She either would have been immediately bred by the puppy miller or her price would have gone up drastically.
As #165 began to recover in North Carolina it became clear that she was a very broken dog. She made no eye contact and was fearful of everything. She was named Molly, which would later change. Some days Molly would not even leave her crate and when she did it was only to run out the door to the back yard. She would cringe when touched and even the most delicious foods did not excite her. She would stare forward with a blank look when held or bathed. Molly did not know how to be a dog. As the other Frenchies in the household bounced and played, Molly stared blankly forward.
