Puppy Mill Experience Leaves Me Blue

I got a call about a week ago from a breeder who wanted to donate some poodle/lab mix puppies to our assistance dog organization. I talked with her for quite awhile on the phone and learned that she's donated dogs to other organizations, as well. She sounded like a winner. And then I saw her operation.

My first clue that something wasn't right was when I asked to see the parents and she hesitated. In fact, she wouldn't let me see the dam, citing kennel cough as the reason. She did let me see the sire, a standard poodle, and I was horrified! She let him out of his crate (which he probably rarely leaves) and he did nothing but cower and move in circles. He wouldn't approach me. His coat looked terrible, and he wasn't the only one. The entire garage was loaded with crates of adult dogs that looked neglected, to say the least.

Then I saw the puppies...all six litters of them. There were 5 week old doodles in a plywood whelping box with no paper, towels or bedding. They were walking in their urine. There was a pregnant dam, whose water had just broken. Once again, the plywood was soaked and there was no bedding.

She brought the puppies out from the litter she wanted to donate. They were 16 weeks old, and I'm not sure they had ever been out of their crate. The couldn't stand up straight. They wouldn't approach me.

What's crazy is that this woman lives in a very nice house. It was SPOTLESS! She works for a vet.

I didn't take the puppies, knowing that their lack of socialization couldn't be reversed. It was a depressing day.

I'm taking action on Monday.