Today I met around thirty great reasons not to buy a dog from a pet store. I started volunteering at a fantastic organization called National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR), located in rural Peyton, CO. They rescue dogs that have spent their whole lives living in small cages at puppy mills. To their "owners", they are just a commodity. It was pretty heartbreaking to see how mistreated and neglected these animals were, and with fairly lax rules for breeders, most of it isn't even illegal. At NMDR, these animals are given love for the first time in their lives. The intake process starts by giving them a name, then they have a quick photo session to document their current condition. Next they are given a bath, and many years worth of urine and filth are washed away. Many of the dogs had infestations of flees and ticks. Those that need it are groomed. Some of the dogs were so matted it was hard to tell what breed they were (see the fifth picture). The last stop is a vet check. Most of the dogs had never seen a vet before. The bottom photo shows the vet inspecting a wound on a dogs leg where the string that was used to restrain her in her cage had actually embedded into her leg. The second to last photo shows a miniature pincher with a massive untreated tumor on his neck. Volunteer vets perform any surgery the dogs need, and if a specialist is needed, no expense is spared to nurse the dogs back to health. After years spent working for non-profits with great sounding missions yet fairly self-serving agendas, I am happy to give my time to one that actually is making a difference in this world.
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