Meet Billy.
Until recently, Billy was used as a breeding dog in a puppy mill. When Billy became too old to be ‘useful’ to his owners, he was shut inside a cage, left with minimal and polluted drinking water and never allowed to stretch his little legs.
Billy became malnourished and dangerously underweight. And when he was finally freed by rescuers from the Humane Society – half of his bottom jaw had rotted away.
Thousands and thousands of dogs are kept in puppy mills around the world. They are left to live in cruel and tortuous conditions that no animal should be subjected to.
To help animals like Billy and help support raids like the one shown in the video above, you can donate to the Humane Society here.
Comments
16 Comments so far
I saw a special about puppy mills on Oprah a few years ago (by Lisa ling). It was really quite horrifying. We’ve never bought pets. All of them have been from suburban owners too careless/lazy to desex their animals that have then had to give kittens/puppies away. I wonder how many puppies/kittens are born that way too.
I know it costs, but the RSPCA does desexing etc at a reasonable cost. Don’t get a pet if you can’t afford the ordinary costs related to a pet. This includes desexing. All ours are desexed and it’s far easier knowing you don’t have to worry about them escaping when they’re on heat or can smell another animal on heat and the subsequent pregnancy.
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It’s also important to ask where your dog has come from. If it is from a pet shop than it is likely to have come from a puppy farm. If you are buying a ‘designer dog’ then go and see the breeder, reputable purebred breeders are more than happy to show you their kennels, it shouldn’t be any different if you’re buying a cross breed…or buy from a shelter.
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Puppy factories should not be allowed to exist, they are just for greed and cruelty and abuse!! When will people wake up DONT but from pet shops, off the internet, the classifieds or off places like Gumtree or back yard breeders, its just adding to the problem. Over 250,000 dogs are put down every year in Australia alone at shelters!! ADOPT DONT SHOP and support Oscars Law and make people aware, there is enough info out there now. People are so selfish and cruel!!
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Any awareness is good but why American footage?
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Why not American footage? The problem is a global problem and this story is relevant anywhere in the world. Who cares where the footage came from.
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I think it’s relevant when theres a link to donate to the Humane Society of the United States….
There are groups working toward stopping this in our country; their details should be listed.
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This really strikes a chord with me. When I was 12 we got our first (much longed for) dog from a rescue centre in the UK. The most sweet tempered caring gentlest chocolate labrador you could imagine. We wanted a family dog as had 4 young children in the family. We ended up taking my dog for a test walk to see how we got along with her. I fell in love with her when she sat down every couple of minutes to wait for my dad (not a big dog fan) to catch up with us.
She had been puppy farmed for her whole life (estimated to be about 5 when we got her). Kept in a tiny cage and just bred and bred and bred. She was overweight as never was allowed to exercise. She has sagging skin from all her pregnancies. She had been in the rescue centre for e long time as nobody wanted her because she was ‘too fat’. Since the day she died (about 6 months ago) she was unable to walk through doorways or narrow gaps by herself, it would take some serious coaching. She developed arthritis at a very young age as her joints hadnt been used – she couldnt walk up or down stairs for the last few years of her life, and in the last year or two her legs would literally fall out from under her as they were so weak. Angry mens voices made her tremble. When we first got her we gave her a puppy stuffed animal as she seemed sad. When we tried to take it away from her she went mad and wouldnt let us, they had obviously taken her puppies from her too soon.
Having said that, she got an abundance of love and attention for the last 10 years. She always knew when I was sad and would lay her head on my lap. She was so gentle that my mother took her around hospital wards to cheer people up. She saw snow, travelled across the world when we moved house, and grew up with 4 children.
The people who did that to her make me sick. I dont know what I would do if I met them but my anger is unbelievable. People who do this to poor defenceless animals should be treated like the evil people they obviously are.
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Thankyou thankyou thankyou Mamamia for this story! I didn’t know much about puppy farms until about 2 years ago. 18 months ago i adopted a 10 year old male dog who was a breeding dog and going to be shot because he was past his ‘used by’ date. He was rescued by a wonderful organisation and is now the love of my life. It took 12 months of solid rehabilitation to get him to a point where he wasn’t scared of everything, would play a little, occasionally bark (but then recoil in terror), walk through doorways, become fully toilet trained, allow anyone other than me to hold him, and generally live some kind of peaceful, happy existence. Life for these dogs is pure horror, and anyone who’s know one of these animals will know they’re almost like another species. PLEASE dont buy puppies from pet shops. Please adopt – you can adopt the most wonderful animals including pure breds, and you will love them with all your heart.
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i just cried like a baby!!!!
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I don’t understand why they don’t sell the dogs when they are past their ‘use by’ date. There are a lot of people out there who would happily take them, especially when faced with the alternative.
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CazDragon – unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of dogs are routinely killed every year due to over crowded shelters. There is an over supply of dogs, generally caused by people buying A dog on the spur of the moment from pet shops who parade the dogs like the latest gadgets in the shop windows. Pets should not be traded like fashion accessories. Ban the sale of pet shop dogs and start the solution.
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The issue is that not many people would want these dogs. I get your point but many of the females have had multiple litters – reputable breeders would really only do one a season and not the next and only for the a couple of litters in total.
And yes, overcrowding in shelters is a reality but more importantly many of these dogs wouldn’t and couldn’t be rehomed due to being unsocialised and may fail temperament tests.
I have the result of a backyard breeding for profit outfit. She was only four months when she was dumped into the AWL with both her undesexed and unsocialised parents and already she had behavioural issues.
Only last week the PIAA (Pet Industry Association of Australia) sent a press release telling media that people should not buy on impulse but instead buy kitten and puppies from PIAA pet stores — the very people that fuel this trade. Reputable, registered breeders don’t sell to pet stores. Some dodgey ones do but not under their names and whoever is breeding ‘designer dogs like OOdles’ is not a registered breeder.
My dog is now nine and very happy and still very much a puppy. But I have to be careful as she’s not good with other dogs and she’s very shy of small children. She probably would have been put to sleep if she was trying to live in a normal household where the owners couldn’t invest the time we have in working with her.
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When will people wake up and realise animals are not things. They are living, feeling beings with hearts and minds just as our own. They feel pain, abandonment, fear the only difference being they cannot voice their pain or seek out help. They have to wait for us to find find them and thank god there are people out there to help.
I have 2 badly abused cats that I adore but are very much changed little beings by what was done to them just as people who are abused are changed by their abuse. I love them with all my heart and am grateful they allow me love them and make their lives better and truly hope the same happens for all the animals rescued here
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Adam is truly a hero and little Billy is typical of our beautiful pets who seem grateful for food & shelter and a loving home.
We’ve mostly had cats in our lives and they’ve all lived long lives (15yrs – 22yrs)……..the two boys we have at the moment are “indoor cats” (for their & other creature’s protection)……we take them out into the garden each day to experience “outside” and the sun and to eat some grass……..they’re de-sexed and immunised and micro-chipped – everything we can do to help them live long, safe, healthy happy lives.
We love them to bits and I believe they know that……..
This little dog has finally been given the life he deserves – that EVERY animal deserves.
I would jail the owners of “puppy & cat farms” – they’re ugly, insensitive morons.
Please help this cause (yes it IS possible to care about several causes at once)……….There’s also our own RSPCA – which needs help desperately.
We drove an old journalist mate home from a Xmas “do” on Wednesday.
He has a major position with the RSPCA and he was called on his mobile to give advice (on radio) about the care of dogs (and other animals) in this terrible heat……
Basic things like – “If your dog is chained up, make sure he can get to shade and put out two large containers of water in case he knocks one over” – no-brainer stuff but it’s shocking how some pet owners disregard their beautiful pet’s safety.
We even put extra water out for our neighbour’s cats ……..
Go give your pet an extra cuddle…………xxxx’s
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Anyone touched by Billy should also get behind Oscar’s Law
http://www.oscarslaw.org
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I agree with you. Anyone moved by this story should read up on Oscars law and get involved you can donate to their foundation too. It really is a heart breaking but wonderful story. Adopt abused animals where you can they deserve a chance and shouldn’t be written off as with love and a caring environment they really come along in leaps and bounds.
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