For some time about eight years ago, when I was very heavily involved in pet rescue, a friend and I were going to “dog auctions”. These are auctions held at puppy mills, I mean, wholesale dog breeding kennels - usually to get rid of excess breeding stock, breeds they are getting out of, un-saleable puppies (like monorchid males), and old brood bitches. Some of the kennels were horrible, and the dogs were in awful shape.

At one auction, with some terribly injured and neglected dogs, we complained to the USDA inspector, who was on site. He laughed in our face, shrugged, shook his head, and turned away, saying, “I’ve seen worse.”

After what we saw at those auctions, it galls even worse when responsible breeders of my acquaintance were accused of being a puppy mill – breeders with champion show dogs who bred one litter a year – the puppies reserved before they were even born. Most of the people who yammer about puppy mills have no idea what they are talking about. Which is too bad, because puppy mills are horrible places and they do need to be put out of business. However, not every dog breeder is a puppy mill.

People with three or four dogs who breed a litter or two a year, are not a puppy mill. People who own 300 or 400 dogs and don't even know their names but have big tags with numbers on their collars - like cow ear tags - who just sling a few pounds of the cheapest possible dog food into the kennels once a day and provide no other care, no affection, no attention other than the bare necessities, who breed a bitch on every single heat, whatever her age or condition - these are puppy mills.

You probably think I am off subject. Not really.

After a few auctions, the auctioneer got to know us – and when an old brood bitch or a “worthless” puppy was put on the block – he would immediately look at us. These dogs went for the least amount of money. We could afford them. We’d usually buy them for under twenty dollars. Often in the case of the brood bitches they would be in bad shape. We’d nurse them back to health, and find them a good home for their remaining years.

Foxy was one of the very first elder bitches we purchased. That kennel was so bad that we were trying to pick up Foxy and get out as fast as we could, for we were both on the verge of tears. At one point, I had to go out to the car and sit inside and hide for a while the tears running helplessly down my face because we both knew if we bawled in public the other puppy mill owners at the auction would be “on to us” and we had no idea how far they might go.

Foxy was a pale buff Pomeranian bitch. I never got her papers (they were mostly likely used to register litters of puppies born later from unregistered bitches – a common trick) so I never knew for sure how old she was.

I do know that the first time I set her down on green grass – she looked down under her feet – terrified, and shifted from foot to foot. You see – she had never been on the ground before. She had spent her whole life standing on wire cage bottoms. Her little feet were horribly deformed as a result. She always walked carefully, as if her feet still hurt, and never really bounced or played.

Foxy wasn’t housebroken, and was a bit incontinent besides – probably from bearing litter after litter of puppies. I decided it didn’t matter early on. She liked to stay close to one of us – and so we just cleaned up her little dribbles as they occurred. Foxy is the only animal I’ve ever allowed to make a mess in the house like that – but I couldn’t bear to discipline her – and she probably couldn’t have helped it anyway.

She was so grateful for any show of affection. She didn’t yap or fuss with the other dogs or ever make any kind of trouble. She was just so happy to be inside, or out in the yard – on the grass – and for people who would pet her, hold her, and give her treats.

Foxy was not with us very long. But we have found memories of her sweet disposition and loving heart.

We rescued and homed other brood bitches and one puppy who was a monorchid male. There came a time when we simply couldn’t bear to go any more. I doubt the business has changed much, or that it ever will as long as the USDA is in charge of inspecting and licensing – the truth is, they do not care. Neither does the AKC (we complained to them, too).

The people who can put puppy mills out of business are you and I. When you purchase a purebred puppy, go to the breeders. See the place, see for yourself if they are hobby breeders with a couple of nice dogs, or show people with champion bloodlines with a few pet quality to find homes for. Or someone with 300 dogs who doesn’t even know their names and allows them to lay in their own filth in outdoor kennels.

There are a few pet shops that do purchase only from show or hobby breeders – and there are more all the time that work with rescue groups and humane societies to offer rescued pets. If you chose to buy a pup from a pet shop – question them closely, and ask to see the puppies papers if they say he has them. You can see the breeders name there, and perhaps you can contact them directly to see their facility.

I hate to tell you this – but pet shop employees can and do lie about where their puppies come from. After all, they want to make a sale – some are paid on commission. The bad part is then when a pet shop really is responsible, sometimes it is hard to believe them.

If we had not bought Foxy at that auction – she most likely would have been put to death. Probably not by a nice vet using Euthanol - that costs money. No, more likely just starved or whacked over the head. Worn out and “useless” - unable to have any more pups. For the sake of the many dogs like Foxy who don’t get rescued – think about it before you purchase a puppy.

And yes - there are two new Pomeranians to color at Color-Your_Own. One of them is Foxy - although I fixed her feet in imagination, as I wish I could have healed them for her in real life.

Blessedbe