STANLEY AND THELMA
From a Horrific Puppy Mill to a Forever Family
By Deb Dempsey
Photo by Heather Green
I try not to let my mind wander and think about the living conditions that Thelma and Stanley endured in their past life. Both were breeder dogs in a puppy mill in Iowa, one of the country's largest puppy-producing states. The dogs were kept in small quarters in cold, dark, filthy 6' x 10' chicken coops. They were dependent on heat lamps for warmth in the Midwest's extremely cold winters. When a litter of pups were born, the mother was then cordoned off within tiny 2' x 2' boxes in the same coop to nurse her puppies for a few weeks before they were whisked away and sold. Puppies from this mill were sold through newspaper ads and notices on bulletin boards at supermarkets.
Thelma (my toothless, gray-haired, older lady) was bred continuously for 11 years. Her rescuers told me that the mill owner never missed a breeding cycle. By conservative estimates, Thelma was forced to produce more than 20 litters of puppies during her incarceration.
Stanley was a stud in the mill for 8 years. He had never been groomed, and when his rescuers found him, his hair had grown into his mouth and around every tooth. The stench that emanated while the vet patiently removed all his rotten teeth was apparently almost unbearable.
Stanley and Thelma's rescuers bit their tongues years ago and developed a relationship with the puppy mill breeder; with the intent on saving her "retired breeders" from certain death. The mill owner regularly turned over a handful of dogs that were no longer producing puppies, instead of disposing of them via shotgun behind the chicken coop. When this mill owner died, they got a phone call from her family and raced to the mill to pick up all of the unwanted dogs. The puppies were noticeably absent; they'd probably been sold for a quick profit. A kind-hearted couple, the rescuers set up an assembly line in their home and spent countless hours grooming and feeding these helpless, scared dogs who had never seen daylight or grass before in their lives. They received thorough vet exams, including dental and spay procedures, all paid for privately by their rescuers.
I heard about these dogs through a very impressive rescue group called Baxter's Buddies Rescue, listed on Petfinder.com. This grass-roots group is run on a shoestring by an impressive young veterinary technician named Heather. She coordinates with foster families all over the state of Iowa and spends her free time transporting dogs from foster homes to forever homes.
Stanley and Thelma are some of the lucky ones. Most retired breeder dogs never get a second chance at life. Yes, those puppies in the pet store are darling, but I always look at them and wonder about their parents. When people buy a puppy, they are committing those parents to yet another litter so that puppy in the window can be replaced with another.
We have enjoyed watching these two slowly emerge from their shell. They eat home-cooked, organic food; sleep on down pillows between my husband and me in our bed every night; and have even learned how to use the dog door to experience sunshine whenever they feel like it. Their hollow-eyed, scared-to-death stares have now being replaced with bright-eyed wonderment and curiosity. These two deserved a chance to live out the rest of their lives being showered with love and attention. And we are thankful for every day we have with them.
