(US) Vick case brings attention to abused puppy-mill dogs

The Michael Vick case has prompted outrage among animal lovers everywhere. But many people do not realize that dogs are abused every day in what are known as "puppy mills."

A local rescue group just returned from the midwest with about sixty dogs.

When you go to buy a dog, you may find a litter of cute, healthy puppies. But what you don't see are their parents-- abused and neglected animals who've been turned into breeding machines.

Theresa Strader is the founder of Mill Dog Rescue Network. She said, "The parent dogs get no care, no veterinary care, they eat the worst food on the planet, by the time they're four or five years old they've literally been bread almost to death."

At that point, she says they are usually shot, drowned, or sold at auction. "Is not anybody's fault if they bought dog in a pet store," she said, "but what you need to know is, behind all that, this is often where they're coming from."

One dog was likely kept in the dark his whole life, according to Helen Freeman of the Rescue Network. "This is probably the first time he's ever set foot on land," she said.

But despite ten years of torture, he's as loving as he can be. Strader says that is typical.

"Most of them get the memo right away. They know something's different, somebody cares," she said.

Of the more than sixty dogs they've rescued up to now, only two were unable to be adopted. But they aren't for everyone. Some simply aren't housebroken. Others are so deformed they can barely eat.

"If they're ready to take on a challenge and get a lot of love in return, that's who these dogs need to go to," said Freeman.

Image: http://www.openrescue.org/

Reference: http://fox21news.com

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