Because they are raising dogs with nothing but
profit in mind, people who run puppymills do not
treat their dogs as you or I would. They are
housed in cages, often with wire bottoms
(to make it easier to clean). This will cause a
dog's feet to "break down". Their appearance is
sort of smashed and flat looking. The cages are
usually stacked one on top of the other, to fit
more in to the space available. The waste of the
dogs in the upper cages drops into the cages
below. This is not only unsanitary, it can cause
urine burns, sometimes damaging the eyes of
the dogs in the lower cages.

The dogs are not handled except when being
moved from place to place, and when their
puppies are taken away - barely old enough
to leave their mothers. Because of this lack of
human interaction, most puppymill dogs are
hesitant to allow themselves to be touched.
They simply do not trust that they will be
gently handled.

The puppies also miss the important lessons in
dog behavior their mothers would normally
teach them. They can sometimes play too rough
for even big dogs to handle. They tend to bite
too hard in play, and to be "out of control".

Rescued mill dogs are often found to have
health problems stemming from a life of neglect
and poor food. They will lose many of their teeth
during their first dental cleaning. Some lose all
of their teeth and have nothing to keep their
tongue in their mouth! Another, life threatening
side effect of tartar build-up on teeth over a long
period is kidney disease.

Amazing as it seems though, These dogs can be
every bit as good a companion as any other, and
seem to understand that they have survived
Hell on Earth.

If you would like to learn more about puppy mills,
dog rescue or adoption, please visit:

Ratbone Rescues
www.ratbonerescues.com