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The White Van
A message from a 7 year old Corgi rescued from a puppy mill. Her name is
Shelby and this is her story.
I lived inside a cage for seven long years. I have given birth to more babies
than I can remember. Many of them died within hours of being born. Those
that didn't die were taken from me before I even had the chance to clean
them.
I often wonder what fate had in store for them.
Were they destined to be breeders?
Were some of them sold off to the brokers and the dealers that frequented
the farm?
Were some of them destined to die in the summer heat or the winter's cold?
I had seen that often enough. In my lifetime I have lost too many crate mates
because of the terrible heat and cold we are all exposed to. I have seen
dogs literally freeze to death and I have also seen the dogs that died from
dehydration brought on by excessive heat and lack of fluids. I can only hope
that the babies pulled from me were able to escape mill life.
I have been in this mill for too long. I have seen more in 7 years than most
people have seen in a lifetime.
I have seen dogs shot to death and drowned. I have seen dogs that were
still alive as the farmer tossed their bodies onto a burn pile. I have watched
as the farmer turned his back when the screaming from these innocent
victims became too much for his ears. I have seen the paws that jut out from
the burn pile after the fire has ended and the ashes smolder. I have smelled
the acrid odor of burning flesh and hair. I have even witnessed several dogs
trying to escape from the burn pile - only to be pushed back with a pitchfork.
I have seen babies born with deformities that were unacceptable to the
farmer and I have watched as the farmer choked them to death with his bare
hands. I have heard their cries and I have witnessed the silence that
follows.
I have had much more than a front-row seat to the infamous debarking
practice implemented in these mills. I had a metal pipe shoved down my
throat and I have felt the pain and tasted the blood as the pipe was twisted
and my vocal chords were severed.
I have seen agricultural chains that were so severely embedded in the necks
of the dogs that the dog eventually died from the severe infection created by
the chain. I have seen other mothers die during botched c-sections
performed with kitchen utensils and I have seen the babies ripped from their
wombs before the body turned cold. I have seen more than I ever wanted to.
When I was born I thought that I would eventually get off this farm. I dreamed
of playing on the grass, running in fields and chasing a ball. These are the
things that all puppies want. This was not meant to be for me. I was hand
selected by the farmer to be a breeder. I remember when he chose me I felt
proud to be the one selected. I felt special. I didn't know what I was in for.
Looking back now I realize that being chosen as a breeder meant that I was
sentenced to a lifetime of abuse and neglect. I would die in the same cage
that I was born in. Never to run on grass, never to play with a ball, never to
have a family to call my own. I was a prisoner in a puppy mill.
Yesterday the farmer came through the barn. He had his son with him. They
would look into the cages and make comments. Sometimes they would stop
at a cage and pull a dog out. These dogs were placed in a plastic crate. I
watched in fear as they came to my cage. They reached inside and yanked
my crate mate from the cage. I could tell that she was terrified. She didn't do
anything to stop them. She just trembled in fear and allowed them to place
her into the plastic crate. I could hear them talking. I knew that my friend
and the other dogs were going to be destroyed. I knew that they were
chosen only because they weren't giving the farmer "good puppies" any
longer. I watched as my friend was carried out of the barn. I followed her
eyes. They seemed to tell me that she was okay. That death was a much
better option than life on this farm.
I expected to hear the all-too-familiar sound of gunshots and the awful sound
of the hammers that were used when the bullets missed their mark.
I waited in my corner knowing that when the farmer and his son finished with
this batch, they would be back for me and others. I already knew that my
time on earth was limited. The farmer had made it all too clear that I was
going to be put down. He had already stopped feeding me and many others
inside the barn. This was always an indication that we were no longer of any
use to him. We could no longer make babies. And profits.
This was my last day on earth. Part of me was thrilled to be freed from the
pain of living. Part of me was sad to have lived life without ever really living.
The barn was oddly quiet as all of the remaining dogs awaited the sounds of
death and the silence that followed.
After several minutes of waiting, I ventured over to the edge of my cage and
looked out the barn door. Off in the distance I could see a large white van.
This was a familiar sight. Dealers and brokers usually showed up in these
vans. But as the van pulled onto the dirt slope in front of the barn, I noticed
a new face behind the wheel.
As the door of the van opened I watched as an older, chubby woman
stepped down from the van. There was something different about her. She
didn't have that nervous energy the brokers and dealers had. She talked
very kindly to the farmer but the whole time she talked, her eyes were on the
plastic crate and the dogs inside the barn. I saw the back door of the van
open and two more women stepped down. They were both smiling as they
held out their hands to shake the farmer’s hand. They introduced
themselves as Teresa and Cheryl and they told the farmer that they were
thrilled to be taking some of his dogs. I assumed they were here for the
puppies.
Then something happened that I had never seen before. The farmer
reached down and picked up the plastic crate that held my cage mate and
several other dogs. He handed the crate to the two women and they placed
it gently into the back of the van. The farmer then led the ladies into the
barn. I watched in fascination as they took dog after dog from their cages
and carried them gently to the van. I watched as they placed each dog into a
clean crate and offered it water and a blanket. I noticed Cheryl and Teresa
placing new collars on each dog before they closed the crate doors.
This was really different. Normally the dealers throw 10-15 puppies into
each cage and don't bother giving them anything, not even a second look. I
watched as these 3 ladies and the farmer made their way through the barn.
Eventually they stopped at my cage. The farmer asked the driver of the van
if she would have any use for me. She assured him that her group could
use as many dogs as he was willing to give. She then reached into my cage
and gathered me in her arms. She carried me to the van. The entire time we
walked she whispered in my ear.
She told me that I was free, that I would never be hungry or thirsty again.
She told me that I would never live outside in the elements again. She told
me that I was beautiful and she told me that there were a million people in
the US who already loved me. She told me that I would never be neglected
or abused again. She told me that The Freedom Van was here and it would
carry me to a new life.
I wondered what this freedom van was and, as if she read my mind, she told
me. The Freedom Van was a gift from two of the most beautiful women she
had ever met. She told me that their names were Kathy and Beth. She told
me that Kathy and Beth owned a restaurant and that when they found out
about the dogs in the puppy mills they were determined to do something to
help. They enlisted the help of all their friends and employees and within 3
weeks they had donated this beautiful van to rescue all the dogs living in
puppy mills.
I wondered why anyone would want to give me anything. The farmer had
already made it very clear that I was not worth anything. He had never given
me anything more than a few morsels of food each day and the occasional
bottle of water.
Once again it was as if the driver read my mind. She looked down at me and
said: "Kathy and Beth know that you and all the others have never had
anything and now, they want to give you everything. They sent us to free
you and they have given us the means to do it."
I looked up into her face and wondered why anyone would do anything for
me. Reading my mind once again, she told me:
There are angels in heaven and even greater angels on earth. Kathy, Beth
and all their employees and friends are Earth Angels and they did this simply
because they care.
Epilogue
Shelby was rescued from the puppy mill - she was taken to a vet for
complete veterinary care - she was placed into foster care and eventually
was placed into a loving furever home.
Shelby was lucky. Sadly, hundreds of thousands of dogs are currently living
in deplorable conditions inside the puppy mills of Pennsylvania and many
other states in this country.
Please share Shelby's story with everyone you meet. Tell them that we all
need to work together to end the suffering in the puppy mills. No dog should
be forced to live in a cage its entire life. No dog should go to bed hungry or
thirsty. No dog should ever be deprived of exercise, food, water and
veterinary care. Every dog should be able to run in the grass, play with a
toy and lick the faces of the humans who love them. Every dog should have
a clean bed, a warm home and a human to adore.
Please help us in our efforts to end the insanity and the greed of the puppy
mill industry. Help us find a way to put the white van out of action. Help us
save lives - one dog at a time.
©A Tail to Tell, Inc.
Do not copy or distribute without authors' permission.
A message from a 7 year old Corgi rescued from a puppy mill. Her name is
Shelby and this is her story.
I lived inside a cage for seven long years. I have given birth to more babies
than I can remember. Many of them died within hours of being born. Those
that didn't die were taken from me before I even had the chance to clean
them.
I often wonder what fate had in store for them.
Were they destined to be breeders?
Were some of them sold off to the brokers and the dealers that frequented
the farm?
Were some of them destined to die in the summer heat or the winter's cold?
I had seen that often enough. In my lifetime I have lost too many crate mates
because of the terrible heat and cold we are all exposed to. I have seen
dogs literally freeze to death and I have also seen the dogs that died from
dehydration brought on by excessive heat and lack of fluids. I can only hope
that the babies pulled from me were able to escape mill life.
I have been in this mill for too long. I have seen more in 7 years than most
people have seen in a lifetime.
I have seen dogs shot to death and drowned. I have seen dogs that were
still alive as the farmer tossed their bodies onto a burn pile. I have watched
as the farmer turned his back when the screaming from these innocent
victims became too much for his ears. I have seen the paws that jut out from
the burn pile after the fire has ended and the ashes smolder. I have smelled
the acrid odor of burning flesh and hair. I have even witnessed several dogs
trying to escape from the burn pile - only to be pushed back with a pitchfork.
I have seen babies born with deformities that were unacceptable to the
farmer and I have watched as the farmer choked them to death with his bare
hands. I have heard their cries and I have witnessed the silence that
follows.
I have had much more than a front-row seat to the infamous debarking
practice implemented in these mills. I had a metal pipe shoved down my
throat and I have felt the pain and tasted the blood as the pipe was twisted
and my vocal chords were severed.
I have seen agricultural chains that were so severely embedded in the necks
of the dogs that the dog eventually died from the severe infection created by
the chain. I have seen other mothers die during botched c-sections
performed with kitchen utensils and I have seen the babies ripped from their
wombs before the body turned cold. I have seen more than I ever wanted to.
When I was born I thought that I would eventually get off this farm. I dreamed
of playing on the grass, running in fields and chasing a ball. These are the
things that all puppies want. This was not meant to be for me. I was hand
selected by the farmer to be a breeder. I remember when he chose me I felt
proud to be the one selected. I felt special. I didn't know what I was in for.
Looking back now I realize that being chosen as a breeder meant that I was
sentenced to a lifetime of abuse and neglect. I would die in the same cage
that I was born in. Never to run on grass, never to play with a ball, never to
have a family to call my own. I was a prisoner in a puppy mill.
Yesterday the farmer came through the barn. He had his son with him. They
would look into the cages and make comments. Sometimes they would stop
at a cage and pull a dog out. These dogs were placed in a plastic crate. I
watched in fear as they came to my cage. They reached inside and yanked
my crate mate from the cage. I could tell that she was terrified. She didn't do
anything to stop them. She just trembled in fear and allowed them to place
her into the plastic crate. I could hear them talking. I knew that my friend
and the other dogs were going to be destroyed. I knew that they were
chosen only because they weren't giving the farmer "good puppies" any
longer. I watched as my friend was carried out of the barn. I followed her
eyes. They seemed to tell me that she was okay. That death was a much
better option than life on this farm.
I expected to hear the all-too-familiar sound of gunshots and the awful sound
of the hammers that were used when the bullets missed their mark.
I waited in my corner knowing that when the farmer and his son finished with
this batch, they would be back for me and others. I already knew that my
time on earth was limited. The farmer had made it all too clear that I was
going to be put down. He had already stopped feeding me and many others
inside the barn. This was always an indication that we were no longer of any
use to him. We could no longer make babies. And profits.
This was my last day on earth. Part of me was thrilled to be freed from the
pain of living. Part of me was sad to have lived life without ever really living.
The barn was oddly quiet as all of the remaining dogs awaited the sounds of
death and the silence that followed.
After several minutes of waiting, I ventured over to the edge of my cage and
looked out the barn door. Off in the distance I could see a large white van.
This was a familiar sight. Dealers and brokers usually showed up in these
vans. But as the van pulled onto the dirt slope in front of the barn, I noticed
a new face behind the wheel.
As the door of the van opened I watched as an older, chubby woman
stepped down from the van. There was something different about her. She
didn't have that nervous energy the brokers and dealers had. She talked
very kindly to the farmer but the whole time she talked, her eyes were on the
plastic crate and the dogs inside the barn. I saw the back door of the van
open and two more women stepped down. They were both smiling as they
held out their hands to shake the farmer’s hand. They introduced
themselves as Teresa and Cheryl and they told the farmer that they were
thrilled to be taking some of his dogs. I assumed they were here for the
puppies.
Then something happened that I had never seen before. The farmer
reached down and picked up the plastic crate that held my cage mate and
several other dogs. He handed the crate to the two women and they placed
it gently into the back of the van. The farmer then led the ladies into the
barn. I watched in fascination as they took dog after dog from their cages
and carried them gently to the van. I watched as they placed each dog into a
clean crate and offered it water and a blanket. I noticed Cheryl and Teresa
placing new collars on each dog before they closed the crate doors.
This was really different. Normally the dealers throw 10-15 puppies into
each cage and don't bother giving them anything, not even a second look. I
watched as these 3 ladies and the farmer made their way through the barn.
Eventually they stopped at my cage. The farmer asked the driver of the van
if she would have any use for me. She assured him that her group could
use as many dogs as he was willing to give. She then reached into my cage
and gathered me in her arms. She carried me to the van. The entire time we
walked she whispered in my ear.
She told me that I was free, that I would never be hungry or thirsty again.
She told me that I would never live outside in the elements again. She told
me that I was beautiful and she told me that there were a million people in
the US who already loved me. She told me that I would never be neglected
or abused again. She told me that The Freedom Van was here and it would
carry me to a new life.
I wondered what this freedom van was and, as if she read my mind, she told
me. The Freedom Van was a gift from two of the most beautiful women she
had ever met. She told me that their names were Kathy and Beth. She told
me that Kathy and Beth owned a restaurant and that when they found out
about the dogs in the puppy mills they were determined to do something to
help. They enlisted the help of all their friends and employees and within 3
weeks they had donated this beautiful van to rescue all the dogs living in
puppy mills.
I wondered why anyone would want to give me anything. The farmer had
already made it very clear that I was not worth anything. He had never given
me anything more than a few morsels of food each day and the occasional
bottle of water.
Once again it was as if the driver read my mind. She looked down at me and
said: "Kathy and Beth know that you and all the others have never had
anything and now, they want to give you everything. They sent us to free
you and they have given us the means to do it."
I looked up into her face and wondered why anyone would do anything for
me. Reading my mind once again, she told me:
There are angels in heaven and even greater angels on earth. Kathy, Beth
and all their employees and friends are Earth Angels and they did this simply
because they care.
Epilogue
Shelby was rescued from the puppy mill - she was taken to a vet for
complete veterinary care - she was placed into foster care and eventually
was placed into a loving furever home.
Shelby was lucky. Sadly, hundreds of thousands of dogs are currently living
in deplorable conditions inside the puppy mills of Pennsylvania and many
other states in this country.
Please share Shelby's story with everyone you meet. Tell them that we all
need to work together to end the suffering in the puppy mills. No dog should
be forced to live in a cage its entire life. No dog should go to bed hungry or
thirsty. No dog should ever be deprived of exercise, food, water and
veterinary care. Every dog should be able to run in the grass, play with a
toy and lick the faces of the humans who love them. Every dog should have
a clean bed, a warm home and a human to adore.
Please help us in our efforts to end the insanity and the greed of the puppy
mill industry. Help us find a way to put the white van out of action. Help us
save lives - one dog at a time.
©A Tail to Tell, Inc.
Do not copy or distribute without authors' permission.