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Our Adoptable
Pet List
MILL DOG RESCUE NETWORK
On May 10th, CastOffCockers, and over 25 other local rescue groups, joined with Mill Dog Rescue Network (www.milldogrescue.org) to save 121 dogs from the horrific puppy mills of the midwest. We are so proud to have participated in this rescue effort. We took 29 of the dogs who were slated either for continued life of misery in a tiny wire cage or for brutal deaths as "excess inventory". These dogs will slowly become available for adoption, since they are still learning how to be dogs outside of a cage, and they will need very special homes full of patience and love .... but they will be well worth the effort.
Here is an account of the evening, written by one of the volunteers who participated .....and in the spirit of this rescue effort, we urge you never to adopt from a boutique or mall puppy store...for they come from, and support, absolute misery and suffering and death of those left behind! This account is reprinted with permission from Benji's Buddies, another wonderful rescue group who rescued 14 of the desperate doggies.
"Saturday night was one of the most wonderful, heart wrenching, things I have ever been involved with. I am still tearing up when I think of it. It was so very hard….but so rewarding. Everyone was struck by the emotions that overcame them. I am so touched by this experience. We waited all day for the truck to arrive since it had vehicle problems, snow in the mountains from Colorado, rain in the Midwest from the storms up near Missouri and so forth. We had all worked so hard for this night. 25 groups wound up being involved. 100 people waited in this doggie day care facility with 3000 sq feet filled with puppy pens, vet stations, groomers ready at the waiting. There were 6 vets,10 vet techs, donated medicines and vaccinations, everything we needed. People all assigned to duties to get the ball rolling for 121 little lost souls. The pens were filled with food, water, treats, toys and soft blankets and pillows. The media were there as well to document this touching event.
Finally, someone yelled out, “they’re here”. We had been asked to keep it quiet. They would be tired, traumatized, sick and in desperate shape, most of all frightened. The only crowd of people they had ever seen in their lives outside their tiny cages in windowless buildings were at auction blocks of other breeders. They were filthy, stinky…and pathetic. The large bay doors were pulled open. 100 people gathered round and watched as 10 or so volunteers carefully lifted out the carriers one by one and placed them on the floor. No one said a word. We had waited so long for these precious souls. Many had eyes filled with tears. Then, some volunteers opened the first few crates and almost reverently coaxed the little beings out of their tiny cages. They peeked out, but were so afraid. As each one was lifted out of their confines, they were swooped up in a loving embrace of a volunteer and brought to the pens with food and water. Volunteers reluctantly let go of them to go and get another. Then more began to take them out and the business of rescue work began.
I cannot tell you how much love there was in that room….more than I have ever felt in one room in my life. It was absolute and unconditional. Grown men and women, their eyes filled with tears, busily got to work. These pathetic creatures had more movement in their puppy pens than in their whole lives. Some ate and went to sleep…others just huddled in a corner…others looked to the gentle hands that reached out to them and responded. They “got it”.
They were watered and fed. As soon as that had taken place for all 121, the intake process began. Each volunteer took a dog through the whole process. From initial paperwork to the vet stations where 6 vets generously donated their time, expertise, equipment, medications, vaccinations, everything….to triage these dogs. One was brought to the emergency clinic, a little miniature pinscher…12 years old, pregnant and a large hematoma on her throat. She has survived. Another little min pin, old as well, bred until she had no more to give, died in the arms of a volunteer in a quiet corner….with others sitting nearby to comfort the dog and the grieving volunteer. So close to freedom only to die. It was pathetically sad.
Then, they were vaccinated, prescribed medication after a full exam, groomed and bathed, photographed, then into the other room for final disposition with the rescue groups designated to take them. It took about 10 hours even with all those people. Organized chaos. And while many tears were shed as we learned of the 30 that were supposed to come and the puppy mills opted to kill rather than to give them to rescue, we had to concentrate on the 121 there. It is a drop in the bucket of the thousands left behind…but these 121 are in loving foster homes now and learning what life is like outside of a tiny metal cage.
We took 14, two of which were severely crippled. But that didn't stop them from being bred. One was the last little dog that no other group took, a Shiba Inu (on the website listed as Jimmy). He sat on the floor alone as all the others were gone. He is hobbled from spending 5 years in a cage too small for him. He is currently running around his foster's yard, as best he can, so happy and free. He, and our other dear little rescues, will gradually be available for adoption on our website....when they are feeling more confident and comfortable with their newly found freedom. Right now, they follow their fosters around the house, never losing sight of them, for fear their good fortune might disappear. They will be more needy than most normal dogs, but the rewards of showing these precious angels the outside world for the first time will be wonderful!
One foster took her little fosters home at 3:30 am, when the whole rescue event was finally over, and was up until 5:30 in the morning out in the yard with them, giving their first taste of freedom and grass and love.
There are just no words to describe the overwhelming emotion of being there in person. It was wonderful….but I am still filled with tears at the thought of what they have lived through. Such heartless cruelty...for profit.
And on the other end of their journey, such absolute love."
These dogs were purebreds of every kind, from Great Danes and Golden Retrievers to Cocker Spaniels and Dachshunds. Each one of them were pathetic examples of life in a puppy mill. If you can spread the word never to purchase a purebred puppy from such places, we can kill this business. We can eliminate this cruelty and truly make a difference! And while Benji's Buddies welcomes every donation made to us, we encourage you to also go visit this website and read about the issue and contribute to Mill Dog Rescue Network as well. They are such a wonderful organization rescuing the most desperate of dogs who huddle in the dark corners of tiny cages their whole lives long, suffering in silence, waiting for a rescue that rarely comes. We are so honored to have been a part of this rescue effort involving so many in the Phoenix rescue community. We hope to do this again soon. Meanwhile, please help in any way you can! Go to www.milldogrescue.org .... and spread the word!
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Please visit
www.castoffcockers.org
and click on the adoption application button.
ANNOUNCEMENT: H.
We are planning another rummage sale for next month, sooner than we'd like but we need to raise funds. We can use any furniture,
clothing, electronics, tools, toys, etc.
Email us if
you can donate any items.
FEATURED
PET: Our featured pet is Your Pet; please keep your little fur-kids
safe this summer; NEVER leave your pet in the car! Even with the windows cracked, the temperature can reach 120 degrees within 15 minutes. Your friend will not survive that heat!
News...
We
are in dire need of volunteers to do home visits prior to adoptions. If
you are interested, we will be happy to train you on what to look for.
Email
us for more info.
News...
Health Watch: Please note all the following:
(1) there are two distinct Parvo seasons in AZ; spring into summer and
summer into fall. Please be sure your dogs are protected against this
killer disease, especially if you take your pal to public doggy parks.
(2) We are number one in the nation for new
cases of West Nile Virus; this should tell you how many dang mosquitoes
we have here. It only takes one bite from one infected mosquito to give
you pal heart worms. Please have your pal heartworm tested (it's cheap)
and give your dogs their monthly heartworm preventative religiously. We
prefer Heartgard; we advise against the multi-month injectible.
(3) MONSOON season means only one thing to
doggie folks: VALLEY FEVER! All that wind and dust and moisture kick
spores up into the air; once inhaled, each spore blossoms into a
hellacious fungal infection. Although there is not usually a cure,
early treatment is key . Please get your dog tested twice each year; in
September and in February (after the monsoons). Twice yearly testing's
a lot cheaper than treating a rip-roarin case of VF. Thank you!
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Who We Are
We
started 10 years ago as a one person rescue, quietly saving one cocker
spaniel at a time in honor of beautiful Simone La Bone. She was a
stunningly gorgeous and all-around wonderful red/white Parti Girl who
died far too young at age four. Over the last year, we have grown to
5-6 regular volunteers and 2 occasional transporters.
In Simone La Bone's honor, and to honor all
the doggies we have loved, we accept cocker spaniels and other small
dogs who, for whatever reason, find themselves homeless. We accept
doggies turned in by their owners when circumstances don't allow them
to keep their pets. We accept strays and doggies from the county
shelters and anyone given to us by the AZ Humane Society. We accept
doggies from out of state, even though we only adopt within the state
of AZ. Finally, since we are now whelping experts , we accept
pregnant small breed or small mixed breed dogs .
We will never refuse to accept a dog into our
rescue just because the owner cannot afford to give us a surrender
donation. Our funding comes entirely from adoption donations and our
own shallow pockets. Please note that we are not a 501c3 Non-Profit
corporation, so any free will donation you might care to make to our
dogs will not serve as a tax deduction for you.
Adopting a
friend
Our mission is to be sure that the dogs in our care
are never homeless again. Therefore, we exert our best efforts to
ensure a perfect match between the dog and the applicants. Home visits prior to adoption
are required and will be arranged after a completed
application has been approved by our adoption committee.
In some cases, the dog will accompany our home
inspection team to meet the applicant. We honor any clearly expressed
preference the dog may have for one family over another, all other
things being equal. If all goes well, an adoption may be awarded at the
time of the introduction.
Generally, we do not adopt to families with
children under the age of 10, for the sake of all concerned. Exceptions
may be made, depending on our knowledge of the dog.
We all work full time so please be patient and
allow us at least 24-48 hours to reply to your email. We're usually
quicker, but need your understanding if we can't be.
There is a nonrefundable adoption donation upon
adoption of $325.00 for adults and seniors and $425.00 + for puppies 13
months and under. This helps to offset expenses.
We make only instate adoptions and much prefer
Maricopa County; however, we have, when it was the most perfect match,
adopted some of our most beloved rescued doggies to folks residing in
more distant AZ counties.
We will never ship a dog anywhere, so please
don't even ask us.
We regret that we cannot "hold" dogs for you;
once your application is submitted, please be prepared to meet and
adopt the dog quickly; other homeless dogs, who might otherwise be
euthanized, are waiting for rescue space. We thank you immensely for
your understanding.
Please check out
www.flyingpaws.org
to learn how you can help this awesome volunteer enterprise save more
pets' lives. Planes and pilots in all areas of the country are needed
to transport animals in need of sanctuary, rescue or veterinary care.
If you are interested in fostering, please know that we provide all the
supplies your foster furkid will need; premium food, bed, toys, crates,
harnesses, leashes, training, bowls, medications, grooming, vet care,
and so on. All that's needed is your safe and loving home, a fenced
back yard, occasional transportation to and from appointments, and
participation on your foster kid's adoption committee; after all,
you'll know your foster doggie better than the rest of us!
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