Puppy Mills
For those that may not know, puppy mills are establishments that breed puppies for sale.
While it doesn't sound harmful in theory, puppy mills have been categorized as inhumane. Many of the basic conditions are terrible for the pups.
Neglected
At puppy mills, the dogs are often neglected and also live in small cages.
Many are left to starve and The Humane Society has spoken out against puppy mills. This also creates another huge problem.
Social Problems
Since the puppies are kept in seclusion and away from other pups, their social skills are often lacking.
When rescuers do finally save puppies at a mill they often don't adjust well to life as easily as other dogs. Still, animal rescuers continue to save dogs just like a poodle pup named B.B.
North Carolina
One day, animal rescue workers from the Humane Society of the United States received a phone call about a puppy mill.
The mill was located in Charlotte, North Carolina, so the rescuers headed out. However, they never expected what they would see.
B.B.
When rescuers got there, their attention immediately went to one tiny poodle named B.B.
The poor poodle was locked up inside of a tiny cage in the basement of a puppy mill. It was obvious to the rescuers that she had been kept there for years.
Never Leaving
Poor B.B.'s entire cage was filled with excrement and there was absolutely no ventilation in the basement.
She was just laying there in the cage, clearly upset and neglected. It was a horrific sight.
Bad Shape
B.B. was in such bad shape that the rescuers couldn't even figure out her age.
As they looked closer, they could also tell that B.B. had been forced to breed and nurse throughout her entire life. However, that still wasn't the end of it...
Her Body
B.B.'s body was so small and fragile that it was also pretty obvious that she had been kept in the small cage her entire life.
It was a horrible situation for any dog to be in. But what happened next?
Getting Out
The rescuers opened B.B.'s cage and pulled her out gently.
She was a bit nervous at first as she had never been taken out. However, she did look around quite curiously.
Hesitant
“She was very tiny, and she looked like this helpless creature,” Animal crimes manager at HSUS Jessica Lauginiger said in an interview.
“I put my hand up to the cage, and she’d come up and sniff a little bit. She was very hesitant for human attention, but she wanted it", she added.
Warming Up
Eventually, B.B. warmed up enough to Jessica and allowed her to fully remove her from the cage.
“I remember how tiny and frail she was in my hands,” Jessica said. “I pulled her close to my body, and she leaned into me.”
Big Rescue
The animal rescue group were able to save 150 animals from the mill.
There were not only dogs at the mill but cats and goats as well. They were all transported to Cabarrus Animal Hospital.
Going Home
Former CAH employee, Brenda Tortoreo, had the chance to meet B.B. when she was brought to the hospital. “B.B. was in a corner,” Tortoreo said.
Brenda added: “She looked pitiful. She was scared to death. She wouldn’t eat, she wouldn’t drink and I felt so bad for her. And I said, ‘That’s the one I’m going to take home.’”
Open Space
Since B.B. had spent a majority of her life in a small space, she had a hard time adjusting to so much open space.
“I put B.B. down on the floor, and she kept going in circles — not running, but walking,” Brenda said. “I guess that’s all she knew to do. I put her in the living room, and to go into the hallway, she would not cross that border.”
Confused
Not only did B.B. not know what to do in open spaces but she was also confused by the mere sight of grass.
She had also never seen the sun before. Brenda knew that she would have to work on getting B.B. accustomed to her new life.
Helping
Brenda's new mission was to get B.B. accustomed to her new home. She began by purchasing a bunch of comfort items and placed them around the home.
All she wanted was for B.B. to feel safe in her new surroundings.
Stuffed Animals
“She’s got three big baskets of stuffed animals,” Brenda said.
“She takes certain stuffed animals, and she’d bring them to bed, and she would line them up like she was nursing them, and she’d lick them, lick them and lick them. It was just so heartbreaking."
Getting Better
Each day, Brenda sees an improvement in B.B. She is so happy to have been given the opportunity to take care of such a sweet and innocent puppy.
She's even noticed something very amazing recently...
Licks of Love
B.B. has begun putting on healthy weight and Brenda has noticed something else amazing.
B.B. has been giving her lots of licks and showing her love and gratitude for her new mom. How sweet!
Heartwarming
It is so sweet to see B.B. doing better and flourishing in her new home.
Now B.B. will never have to worry about being neglected or abused ever again.