Hello. This makes rather harrowing reading, you will be forgiven if you wish to skip this post, it is very upsetting. Copied and pasted from Facebook.
On Saturday evening I saw a facebook post from Many Tears Animal Rescue that they had been able to rescue 65 dogs from a breeding facility following the owners death. The post asked for help from anyone with grooming training to help as so many of the dogs were matted and in desperate need, also anyone who could to help with the sheer volume of care which was needed in such an emergency situation. As I am a groomer and only lived 2 hours away I volunteered to go the following day, taking my tools to give whatever assistance I could. I woke at 4am and was unable to go back to sleep just thinking about those poor little souls so walked my own dogs, packed up the car and set off to South Wales. Sylvia walked me through, showed me where I could unpack my tools and where to work from then she walked me to where some of the dogs were. Nothing could have prepared me for what was waiting in the rescue, I can only describe it as akin to seeing concentration camp victims, I don't say this to trivialise the human experience but rather to impress the sheer depth of horror at the torture that some of those poor creatures had been put through. Riddled with lice over every square centimeter of their skin, thin, matted and soaked and burned with excreta and filth. Many were poodles and I have my own poodle at home, the comparison between these timid and poor little dogs and my cheeky happy little girl brought me to tears at one point. I helped as many as I could and so much of the day is just a blur as I think that my emotions were so overwhelmed that they just shut down and pure instinct took over. The hope comes from the fact that there were around 100 amazing volunteers, several of them groomers who came to help and do anything they could. All of the dogs were freed from their stinking rotting straitjackets, bathed, loved and cuddled. I left around 6pm, I was stony for most of the drive home until 'Dont give up' was played on the radio and I had to pull over and break my heart crying. Two days later I am still reeling and I cant believe that I haven't seen any news articles or media reports about this. We cannot allow this to be business as usual, this was a LICENCED breeder, the council approved of the treatment of these dogs. The law is failing these dogs and it will fail thousands more. I have no idea where the rescue staff find the herculean strength to get up and do this day after day, they are true heroes. We must shout this from the rooftops over and over until no one would ever consider buying a puppy that isn't with its mother in a clean and happy situation, not over the internet, not from a pet shop, not without weeks of contact with the breeder, not as an impulse. We must make dog breeding NOT FOR PROFIT. I hope you will forgive me this rant, I hope you will help shout this from the rooftops
?why? is it still going on? Time to close them down and fine,imprison these 'breeders'.
ReplyDelete(Preferably treat them like they have treated the dogs/other animals!
I am with you 100%. If only people could get past the snobbery of having a certain breed. We have always had mongrels, always rescued, always been the perfect family dog (and very healthy too). If I do get another dog my local rescue center will be my first port of call. There are too many dogs needing homes for us to be breeding more for profit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this Ilona, I am about 30 minutes away from Llanelli. I will be ringing them in the morning to see what I can do to help. I am not a groomer but I can fill the car with food and deliver it, or buy industrial quantities of shampoo. My Ben will get lots of extra hugs for a little while.
ReplyDeleteI cannot understand how anyone can mistreat animals in any way. They don't ask for much, just food, shelter, walks and to be with a loving caring family (basic creature comforts). We've had dogs (Irish Setters) all our married life (45 years) and our last three have been rescue dogs. None were ill-treated with their previous owners, just needed a new home, and all three of them proved to be loving and loyal. Our present rescue dog is about 15 years old and was rescued from Crete where they are cruel to animals, particularly when it's coming up to holiday time and they put poison in the streets to get rid of stray dogs.
ReplyDeleteMy sister-in-law works in an animal rescue centre in Cyprus where she tells us of horrific cases. Maybe it's because of our dealings with the Greek Animal Rescue and my sister-in-law's dealings that I'm not surprised of the treatment of animals over there, but I'm ashamed when it happens over here, where supposedly dogs are a man's best friend.
Joan (Wales)
A long painful criminal sentence would still be too easy for the scum.
ReplyDeleteWhat can you say. So many thoughts running through my head but one thing stands out - we see Pop Stars and the like honored for their greatness when people who go to the aid of abused animals get nothing. Those are the heros to me. So much money is wasted on the glitz and glamour of celebrities when a fraction of that money given to animal welfare would put a stop to a lot of this animal cruetl and ensure the little defenseless darlings get the proper treatment they justly deserve and end up in loving homes, hopefully forgetting the abuse they have suffered at the hands of greedy people.
ReplyDeletePeople are having far too many dogs these days. Around my area we no longer see people walking just one dog, they seem to go out with whole packs of them. How the hell do they afford it, it costs a fortune just to maintain one dog properly with the food, the vaccinations, insurance etc., let alone three or more. Seems like it's an epidemic, a kind of status symbol to show how well off you are. I'm all for getting rid of these breeders.
ReplyDeletePlease don't always judge folk that have more than one dog. I have four not and altogether through choice, but they are the most well treated, cared for and loved dogs, as I'm sure are a lot of the dogs that you see being walked en-masse. It's the ones hidden behind closed doors that are suffering.
DeleteSome dog walkers walk several dogs at a time. They are doing it as a job.
DeleteHeartbreakingly terrible but all too common. Yesterday a kitten was found in a carrier bag at a local park.....WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?
ReplyDeleteive come across quite a few puppy farms on my travels , you really can tell those that are in it for sheer profit and those who genuinely care for theyre animals . It tends to be those breeding whatever is currently fashionable for the idiot market that are the problem and i have quietly reported a couple of these . Maybe a solution would be to limit the number of adult dogs allowed and make it better licensed and inspected as a whole
ReplyDeleteThank you for highlighting this Ilona AND also for the work that you do raising money for and finding goods homes for all the cats that you look after.
ReplyDeleteThere is a terrible abuse of animals going on at the moment, man's inhumanity to animals is even worse than his inhumanity to man these days, and that is saying something!!
I made my visit and came back stiff from sitting on a cushion on the floor, I had to be low enough for the little ones to get on my lap. I am back tomorrow, I went bearing gifts and came away with hope for the dogs and faith in the staff there. I will still be crafting but my efforts now will be in aid of Many Tears.
ReplyDeleteThat's very good of you Pam, thank you for your kindness. I read the report in the local paper, 65 dogs rescued. The council should be prosecuted for not doing regular checks on the place. Someone should be getting the sack for that.
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