Puppies!

Last week our zoo had a new visitor. We dogsat our friend Jaci's toy fox terrier while she was out of town. Roxy is a very special dog. She was rescued from the New Albany, IN puppy mill bust of last spring. Her very short life has been filled with pain and fear. She was forced to give birth to a dangerous number of puppies. She was locked in a small cage, never seeing the sunlight or running around. The only human touch she experienced was painful. Subsequently, she is a very skittish, frightened little girl. Jaci and her husband have hearts of gold for taking care of her!

Puppy mills are a an awful phenomenon to be sure. But the people who run them often don't think they're doing anything wrong. Often, they are running a family business in a town where other job options are limited. If there wasn't a demand for popular puppy breeds, their mills wouldn't be lucrative. The best way to combat puppy mills is to stop buying dogs in pet stores. There are many dogs available at your local animal shelter or rescue. If you have your heart set on a particular breed, check the paper. Many people are selling or giving away dogs because they're moving or can't handle the responsibility of pets. Finally, make sure if you do bring a pet home, you're ready to make your house their "forever home!"

Apparently, it's monsoon season in Indiana. We've been getting a lot of rain, which has kept me inside. I'm starting to go stir crazy! Fortunately, we had some sunshine today. The rain has my garden looking great, but means lots of lawn mowing.