"A State Of Misery" (The Puppy Mill Song), from Dog Dreams, the CD, by Steve Wood for The Dog Dreams Project.
ABOUT PUPPYMILLS
More often than not, the dogs sold in pet shops are provided by puppy mills. Because they are raising dogs with nothing but profit in mind, people who run puppy mills do not treat their dogs as you or I would. Often, they are housed in wire bottomed cages. This will cause a dog's feet to "break down". Their appearance is sort of smashed and flat looking. The cages are usually stacked one on top of the other, to fit more into the space available. The waste of the dogs in the upper cages drops into the cages below. This is not only unsanitary, it can cause urine burns, sometimes damaging the eyes of the dogs in the lower cages and even resulting in blindness.
The dogs are not handled except when being moved from place to place, and when their puppies are taken away - barely old enough to leave their mothers. Because of this lack of human interaction, most puppy mill dogs are hesitant to allow themselves to be touched. They simply do not trust that they will be gently handled.
The puppies also miss the important lessons in dog behavior their mothers would normally teach them. They can sometimes play too rough for even big dogs to handle. They tend to bite too hard in play, and to be "out of control".
Rescued mill dogs are often found to have health problems stemming from a life of neglect and poor food. They will lose many of their teeth during their first dental cleaning. Some lose all of their teeth and have nothing to keep their tongue in their mouth! Another, life threatening side effect of tartar build-up on teeth over a long period is kidney disease.
Amazing as it seems though, these dogs can be every bit as good a companion as any other, and seem to understand that they have survived Hell on Earth. But it takes dedication, patience and love to help them find joy in life as a pet.
Please DO NOT purchase a dog from a pet shop. Consider adoption instead.
For more information about the Dog Dreams CD or The Dog Dreams Project, please visit http://www.DogDreams.Org.
