Meet your potential adoptee before taking the dog home.
Puppy mills are large-scale, commercial dog-breeding operations that fail to meet a dog's basic physical and emotional needs. When a puppy mill is shut down due to legal intervention, the dogs often are euthanized because of health problems or aggressive behavior. As a pet guardian, you can help rescue puppy mill dogs from euthanasia or a life of torture. Rescue facilities vary in their specific adoption requirements.
Instructions
1. Call your local animal control or sheriff's office if you know that a puppy mill in your area has been shut down. The officers should be able to tell you the shelters and rescue groups responsible for evaluating, treating and finding homes for the rescued dogs.
2. Contact animal shelters in your area, including your county's humane society and any privately owned nonprofit animal rescue groups. Tell the staff members that you specifically are interested in adopting a dog from a puppy mill. Employees can tell you about the specific breeds, personalities, ages and medical conditions of rescued dogs in their care.
3. Visit the animal shelters in your area to meet your potential pet. Understand that a dog rescued from a puppy mill may have chronic medical conditions.
4. Talk to shelter employees about their organization's adoption process. Pet adoption typically involves filling out an application and require an interview by a staff member. The application will ask basic questions about your family, your ability to care for a pet, and your reasons for adopting a dog.
5. Bring your children and pets to the animal shelter or rescue organization to meet your potential pet. The shelter's staff members may not adopt a puppy mill dog to a family with children or other pets, especially if the dog exhibits aggression or extreme fear of the children or other animals. Some rescued dogs simply are not suitable for homes with children or other dogs. If the meeting goes smoothly, you may need to visit the dog once or twice more to ensure that he is a good match for your family.
6. Pay an upfront adoption fee or donation to the shelter that supplies your new dog. Although adoption fees may seem excessive, they actually compensate for only a small amount of the veterinary care, neutering, flea treatment, food and training supplied to the rescued dog.
7. Prepare for a follow-up visit or consultation from the animal shelter. The shelter's staff members will want to ensure that your dog does not exhibit any long-term physical or emotional disturbances due to his turbulent past. The staff members may want veterinary records to prove that your dog is receiving essential veterinary care.
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