A Puppy Mill Survivor

Unregulated Puppy Mills: An Abomination

“In puppy mills, mother dogs spend their entire lives in cramped cages with little to no personal attention. When the mother and father dogs can no longer breed, they are abandoned or killed. Due to poor sanitation, overbreeding, and a lack of preventive veterinary care, the puppies frequently suffer from a variety of health issues, creating heartbreaking challenges for families who should be enjoying the delights of adopting a new family member.” Humane Society.org

Love Is Best Served Free

My name is Lucy

and I am a puppy mill survivor.

Where I was born, I do not know.

Where I lived had bars and dirt.

What I ate was meager.

At 6 months I was raped til pregnant;

over and over again.

My puppies were taken and sold,

never knowing my love.

Life was lonely and painful.

I never had a friend.

The day I got too sick for a profit,

was the day I was dumped,

on a dusty desert road,

to die alone as I had lived.

I’ve had a sad start but a beautiful and redemptive ending to my plight. I was rescued by a wonderful and concerned couple who found me exhausted and frail on their front porch. I had been wandering for hours before I saw an oasis of homes and had chosen this one wisely. It just felt safe. My arduous journey with a new family, the Humane Society, and countless veterinarians, will be memorialized through our stories of kindness over cruelty and greed. One such story follows my heart-wrenching journey to find a home:

Epilogue: March 19, 2023

For the Love of Lucy

Story by Philip Carona

“It all began on September 11, 2022, when I went to take out the trash and found a scared dog lying on the front porch. Our three other dogs were not barking and did not make a fuss, so it was shocking to see her there unannounced. Serendipity I guess.

My wife and I knew immediately that she was a sweetheart but still were cautious around the other dogs. We posted her on our neighborhood watch as a “found dog” but no one claimed her. Our community-run dog rescue told us to take her to get scanned. We did but found she had no chip that identified where she lived or with whom.

Then we brought her to our local park and waited to see if someone showed up for her or wanted to foster her. One lady seemed interested but decided against the dog because she growled at her. Defeated in our efforts, we brought her back home.

I called the Humane Society and they told me to take her to the emergency animal hospital if she was hurt. At that time she was limping and very sluggish. We thought she was just tired from walking around. It appeared like she just had a litter of puppies because her nipples and vaginal area were swollen.

Once we got to the animal hospital they took her back and immediately told us she needed to stay because she was very sick. We kept in touch with the hospital and on October 4, 2022, the Human Society called us and said she was ready for a forever home. We brought two of our three dogs to meet her and they bonded immediately. Then we all headed home and named our new family member Lucy. We had no idea of what misfortunes awaited us.

My wife and I were told that Lucy had contacted Valley Fever, and would have to be on medication for the rest of her life. We had fallen in love with Lucy and agreed to see her through this heartache. However, shortly after bringing her home, Lucy started sneezing and coughing incessantly.

We again hurried her to the vet and had her tested for anything and everything. Not only did she have Valley Fever, but she also had Canin herpes virus, kennel cough, and mycoplasma. She was also malnourished and weighed under 40 lbs.

Part of us wanted to blame the Humane Society because they released Lucy still sick. Subsequently, our pug, Lexie, became deathly ill. She ended up in the hospital with a kennel cough that turned into pneumonia. There came a point when the doctor thought Lexie might die, but she pulled through like a trooper. All of our dogs ended up on medication and veterinarian care due to this oversight.

After about 2 weeks’ worth of medication, close observation, and over $8000.00 in vet bills, all 4 dogs seemed to be improving. Lucy is now a healthy, happy two-year-old Pitbull with a red nose, who loves to cuddle and lay in the sun. Lucy is still on medication for Valley Fever, but overall is an amazing and very much loved member of the family. Last check-up she had doubled her weight and is now a whopping 80 lbs! Our goal is to get her to her ideal weight of around 90-95 lbs. Lucy’s new brother and sisters who helped in her fight for life, are Lexie, a 4-year-old Pug, Jaxton, a 4.5-year-old Chihuahua, and Roman, a 4-year-old German Shepard. My wife and I are truly blest.” Phil Carona

* Heros are not born, but created by happenstance.

References

Humane Society.org
YouTube video: Puppy Mills Exposed
Lucy’s story written by Philip Corona *(hero)
My Name Is Lucy written by Paulette Martig