Monday, April 29, 2013
The volunteers of CEBR are super duper excited to share with you a very important rescue in which 23 bulldogs made their way into the care of CEBR this past weekend! Yes, 23! And each is beautiful and perfect in our eyes! In addition to rescuing these bullies, we were able to help out 2 German shorthaired pointers and a miniature pinscher in conjunction with several other rescues.
Volunteers had to keep their mission as quiet as possible to ensure the successful release of these dogs. Along with the help of several hundred supporters who financially backed this mission with their donations, the volunteers were successful. Now we are happy to share the details of Project Mercy with you. We hope you will support CEBR as we strive to provide the best possible care to these neglected dogs that desperately needed our help.
Several CEBR rescuers and others in the rescue community heard about a livestock auction in which bulldogs and other dog breeds were going to be sold between breeders. Normally, we would not participate in this abhorrent practice, but because this particular notorious puppy mill was being forced out of business we knew that we had to help get these dogs out of this vicious cycle or they would be sold to other millers and continue a life stuck in breeding operations with minimal care and attention.
This particular breeding operation was one of the worst that many in the rescue community had ever seen. The owner had hundreds of dogs on her property housed in dilapidated buildings covered in filth. The stench of ammonia from unclean kennels and excess urine made many of the people on site physically ill. If the property itself was in this condition you can only imagine the care these dogs never received!
As this operation was going out of business (thankfully) all of her assets including her kennels and supplies, in addition to the dogs, were being auctioned off to others. The problem is that those that attend these auctions to purchase these dogs are typically other puppy mill breeders who are infamous for the terrible care and treatment of the dogs in their breeding operations. We knew we had to get these dogs out and into safety – not only for their sake but for the sake of their future puppies that likely would have ended up in this breeding business too.
All of the 23 bullies that we rescued were covered in grime and many with infection. Their ears were filled with years of crud and debris, their eyes are cloudy, their legs and paws are callused from standing on wire crates from years on end. Their legs are weak from lack of exercise. Their coats are dry and brittle. Almost all have urinary tract infections and some have hernias and tumors. One poor girl (Rhoda) is missing part of her lip and a few teeth after being attacked by another dog in those kennels.
Below are picture of the 23 Project Mercy dogs. We haven’t had time for glamour-shots just yet but over the course of the next week will have much more for you as well as updates as they blossom into the dogs they were always meant to be me.
Thank you to all of the supporter and volunteers who made this possible.
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