As anyone reading this blog should be aware by now, Zoey lived the first 10 weeks of her life in a puppy mill. They look something like this…
Not exactly the Four Seasons, huh? Oh, and the floors are usually made of chicken wire so pee and poop can be cleaned more easily. Food is served in bulk and is fought over and water is not always readily available, even in the heat of summer. In the cold of winter (remember that most mills are in cold weather states like Pennsylvania and Missouri), dogs are not provided adequate shelter from the frigid conditions.
Zoey still does double takes when she hears sounds that remind her of those first 10 weeks in Missouri, birds chirping, grasshoppers buzzing, etc. Fortunately, dogs don’t have very good long-term memories but we often wonder whether or what impact her experiences at the mill, in the truck on the way to NYC (another horror show) and at the store have had on her. Thank goodness she’s such a happy, healthy dog that’s so full of life — she’s managed to overcome the bad first few months. We intend to make all the rest of her years so terrific that they more than make up for what she had to contend with when she was first born.