The day an animal is rescued is, I would imagine, like being born again but with an awareness of a change and experiences of what none of us will ever know for sure. A rescued animal is one who has been saved from something life-threatening....left alone on the side of the road then found, given away because it was too old or worse, a rescued animal is one found in neglected condition, injured, hungry, scared or even sick. I'm sure all of you out there can add to this list just from what you have heard about, read about or even seen with your own eyes. It's a sad fact... living things get neglected, sometimes to the point that they do not survive. They exist in awful conditions many of us cannot imagine; used and abused then tossed away like trash. This suffering and irresponsibility happens to all living things unfortunately.

This post is to share a new story of hope about two recently rescued dogs. The dogs in the photos to follow came from a "breeder"...most certainly not a responsible or caring one by any means...and from this point on will be referred to as a puppy mill.

True breeders of dogs are dedicated to the health and welfare of the animals they raise, upholding ethical standards often above and beyond what is within legal requirements. A breeder often demonstrates a true love and dedication to a particular breed...and most certainly not the "mixing" of dog varieties to come up with some "cocktail breed" or "boutique dog". I have seen with my own eyes what an excellent breeder does for their animals....heated and cooled living space, freedom to move about, exercise, medical care, clean areas to sleep, eat, and play and a strong knowledge of the history of the breed....LOVE, RESPECT, and RESPONSIBiLITIY.

Puppy mills and those involved in them are anything but...they purposely purchase, mate and own dogs for the sole purpose of money. No care is given in any shape or form that could be deemed humane. Unfortunately, any animal in these type situations has no voice. They are caged, left to live in their own waste, and only used for the purpose of producing more animals to either be treated the same way or irresponsibly sold to sometimes unknowing customers. When the dogs in these situations have produced their share of litters, they are often killed or auctioned like livestock. No one knows their story or what they have witnessed and no one ever will. Yet some survive and get rescued like the two dogs you are about to see. Follow along as their rescue story unfolds. There will be no more talk after this post about their past...only what the future now has in store for them.

The left photo is of "Beau". The right photo is "Hope." Beau's head is kind of bumpy looking right? Well, that's the bones of his skull because he is very underweight. And the yellowish fur just below their chins and all along their bellies, legs and feet...it's supposed to be white. Their fur is stained from urine and their skin has burns on it from sitting in that urine. I took these photos just after their bath...the urine smell is going to take a while to go away...so is the stained fur.

Beau's back is shown on the left here and Hope is on the right. You can see from this side by side that Beau has some weight to put on and he is currently eating a few times a day and under 24 hour a day care by his rescuer. Hope goes for her spay soon as she is healthy enough for the procedure. Beau's will come in time when he has gotten stronger...his surgery is going to be much more involved as there are other issues for him in that area.

Both dogs were surprisingly social and enjoyed all the attention they got at the groomer this day. They tried moving about the floor at the groomers but they struggled with their confidence as they have not lived life with so much freedom to move about yet!

Hope's teeth are worn down to almost nothing. It is believed she spent a lot of time chewing on metal...most likely her cage.

This is all pretty mild compared to what comes out of puppy mills. But please, remember...these two were rescued...put out in public to be "purchased"...other dogs cannot be put out in public because then it would shed light on the puppy mill...so the dogs they've used to their capacity are disposed of so no one can see the shameful treatment they have endured. Puppy mill dogs is something you should search if you want to know more.

Their past is part of their story... but now they have been rescued and new stories and experiences is all we will share!  Please join their journey to rehabilitation and always report any animal abuse or neglect you have knowledge of. Also, if you obtain a dog from a breeder, do your homework. Visit the breeder...a few times. Talk often to them...you are most likely paying a lot of money...spend it as an informed, educated consumer.