Please Help; I have a Heartbeat

I like it when people try to get the word out. I know its hard. I know that there are a lot of tears shed when people hear the truth about how I live.

The bark alert was sounded yesterday around 3:00pm in Lancaster County. Apparently some guy, Bill, who founded Main Line Animal Rescue was on this show, Oprah. He visited us last month; he visits about once a month and is given the puppies that won’t be sold and mother’s that get too old to have any more litters. We always try to tell him, he acts like he hears our cries – now we know he did.

There are a lot of people who wouldn’t watch the show. I say “Boo on Ya”. But I know its hard to endure, so I understand. I heard some dogs talking about the segment on the euthanizing part. I closed my ears for most of it. It plain sucks the way we have to live. The people out here see us as a ‘cash crop’. They don’t realize we have hearts, we breathe, we feel. (And while I’m speaking that, I’ll mention – so do the cows, horses, chickens, cats!). To them, we are just there to raise money.

It felt good to hear about Bill’s rescue efforts, and the people like him. Main Line Rescue sponsored four billboards around Harpo Studios hoping Oprah would be curious enough to look further, “Oprah, Please do a Show on Puppy Mills, the dogs need you”. She did! The whole show was about us.

I’m sorry that there were a lot of tears shed. I hope that people learned though. Did you hear the two people saying there is greater than a 90% chance that if you buy a puppy in a pet shop they came from a Puppy Mill? I was hoping we were the only ones living in rabbit hutches. The green stuff on the ground looks so cozy to set paw upon – I haven’t ever experienced anything other than metal grates below my feet.

My nipples are swollen. I hope my puppies can still get milk. It hurts when they do, but I would do anything for my babies. I wish there was a way I could end my life, but the puppies with me now need me. And I tend to be the encourager to the other Mom’s. There are about 50 where I live. I’ve been a Mommy most of my life. I had my first litter before I was even grown up – and have had two litters every year since then. I love my puppies, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like a machine.

At least I don’t have to run around in wheels like hamsters. My friends down the road have to do that. Even when they are ready to burst with puppies pregnant they have to run the wheels. And I think *I* have it hard.

Please spread this around. *****DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY A PUPPY***** Meet the breeder, visit the breeder, trace the heritage. Educate your friends and family. Please. For our sake.

Here is a link to Oprah’s Show that Lisa Ling did.
Here’s another on the Cash Crop mentality.

Sometimes Love is Painful. I didn’t want to watch the pain of the animals on the show. But I had to. I had to so that I get the message again to spread the work and speak out. I believe education is what I have to do. I don’t think people know these places are right around the corner about 10 minutes from my home. It hurts. If you know of someone looking for a pet, please inform them. Warn them. Help them find sources. I’m thankful for finding Paris, our 4 yr old Cockapoo. It wasn’t easy finding a puppy that I knew (cause I checked) wasn’t from a Mill. They are too common. (Rescues wouldn’t talk to us cause we had a child under 5yrs old and we didn’t have a fence [although stated we were willing to install one] ). Do your homework!