A Puppy Mill Dog and What it Really Means

Contributor Lisa Taylor – Local Hairdresser, Cosmetology Instructor, and Animal Advocate

Six years ago, I decided I really wanted a puppy. As a Hairdresser of 23 years, many of my clients volunteered their time in rescue and adoptions and shared their stories with me. I mentioned to one of my clients in particular that I was ready for a puppy. At the time, she volunteered with Lost Paws of Dallas at PetSmart (a pet store that only adopts rescue animals, unlike Petland). She said she would keep her eye out for me. I really had to have a hypoallergenic pup because my husband John has allergies.

By the way, the photos I chose to share here are of happier times. I didn’t want to share their before pictures and instead wanted to celebrate their lives and to show you what is possible even under the worst of situations. After reading our story, simply search “puppy mill animals” and then click images, and you’ll see the UGLY TRUTH that pet stores, namely Petland, don’t want you to see. This is where they get their cute and adorable animals.

Meet Khloe

One Saturday, my rescue friend called me at work and said she had the perfect pup for me! She said she had a Toy Poodle that they just rescued from a puppy mill. She was about 7 years old. She said she was very underweight and would need lots of love and rehabilitation. I had no idea what she meant. I was just thrilled she found a pup for me!

When we met at a nearby PetSmart, she took me over to a crate, opened the door, and out jumped Khloe right into my arms. It was love at first sight! Khloe clung to me for dear life, and we were inseparable from that day on.

Khloe, being from a puppy mill, needed a lot of rehabilitation. She desperately needed to gain weight because she only weighed three pounds. Can you imagine—a 7-year old dog weighing only 3 lbs? Of course, she was not potty trained—always a challenge with mill pups; however, I didn’t know any of this and didn’t care! I just knew I loved her and we would work through it. Khloe was a smart pup, but because of her mill life, I was never able to fully potty train her to only go outside. Placing her in a crate was not an option. Given her past, she would go into a full and complete panic mode. I would never do that to her again. Puppy pads were our best friends. Eventually, Khloe gained weight and she did great!

Next, I decided Khloe needed a friend. I talked to my friend at the rescue and along came Meadow.

Meet Meadow

Meadow was a Bichon Poodle. She was the smartest dog ever! I loved her so much! Meadow was rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri where they found over 2,000 dogs stuffed in cages with no water, no food, and left out in the elements. Meadow was about 10-12 years old, and it always amazed me that she had survived such a horrible life for as long as she did. She was in terrible shape, needless to say, and had many, many issues, bless her heart, but the minute I saw her we were bonded. I knew she was in bad shape and needed my help immediately! I didn’t care what it would take, I was going to help her!

Meadow shook uncontrollably from fear for days and nights on end. She was so traumatized it was incredibly heartbreaking. She was also infested with fleas and ticks and while we were at the Vet, she was diagnosed with probable Mammary cancer from overbreeding. The Vet gave her six months at the most to live. I had to make a choice. So, I took her home and I told the Vet it would be the best six months of her life!

Meadow’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder never fully went away. She was deathly afraid of storms, and eventually, she lost her hearing and most of her sight. Meadow did eventually get about 60% better. She gained weight, loved her sister Khloe, and would run around the backyard. Her progress was in baby steps, and like a child, every step filled my heart with so much joy! It was so rewarding to finally see her happy and learning to have a normal dog’s life. Her rehabilitation was long and difficult. I contacted many behaviorists, trainers, and nutrition experts—you name it, I called them! I had to help her in any way I could, I was her last hope, and I could read it in her eyes.

Despite the 6 month prognosis from the Vet, Meadow lived for 5 years! Unfortunately, last year in January 2019, the cancer took over, and I had to let her go. It was one of the worst days of my life. I still miss her so much and not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. She was such a success story and so special to me. We came a long way together.

Meet Molly

Saddened from the loss of Meadow, we adopted Molly. She too was a puppy mill rescue and in TERRIBLE shape. Molly was not even two years old and had just had puppies. She was literally a puppy having puppies. She was suffering from severe malnutrition and was literally skin and bones. Her paperwork said she was Toy Poodle but we couldn’t tell. Molly barely weighed 3 lbs and did not even know how to eat—not at all! What had she been eating??!! I couldn’t imagine?! How was she surviving? How was she feeding her puppies? What kind of evil person would be so cruel to this poor sweet puppy?! For months and months, I had to hand-feed Molly chicken and rice. Eventually, I taught her how to eat kibble.

Also, Molly had never seen or been outside. She did not know what grass was or anything else she stepped on. She was so scared to step outside! Everything was scary and unfamiliar. She had never seen anything but probably a dirty horrible crate. She was equally afraid of the dark. She would absolutely not go outside at night. I never knew they could tell the difference, but she was deathly afraid of the darkness. As we continued with her rehabilitation, baby steps for sure, it was incredible to see her progress. She would look around outside, and eventually she loved the outdoors. She was amazed at everything! From such a tortured beginning, she became the happiest little dog ever! When she would go outside, I could tell she was saying to herself, Bow WOW! What is this? This must be heaven! ♥️

What More Could I Do?

With Molly’s progress, it melted my heart and broke my heart all at the same time. I just kept thinking, how many more suffering dogs like Molly, Meadow and Khloe are out there?! How many more are still confined and living a tortured life? How many more need to be rescued?! How many are suffering in silence? I couldn’t bare to think of how many more and knew I had to do something to help them!

Together, my husband and I have been advocating to stop the sell of puppy mill animals in pet stores. Just this past October, 4, 2020, I organized a Petland Frisco rally and protest. With the help Frisco residents, PETA, and local pet advocates Frisco’s Pet Project and Stop Frisco Animal Mill Sales, we united in an effort to create more awareness about puppy mills, the sale of animals, and animal abuse of all kinds—right here in Frisco, Texas.

John Taylor, my husband and long-time Frisco business owner, recently spoke before the Frisco Mayor and City Council during Citizen Input on October 20, 2020. Many businesses in Frisco cannot condone and do not want to be associated with Petland Frisco’s morally ill business practices. We have seen this abuse first hand, and my husband and I will not stop being the voice for these helpless and voiceless innocent victims.

In Khloe’s honor, in Meadow’s memory, and in Molly’s name, and for all those forgotten souls that were a mere number, for all those that are crying in pain even today, for all those that are in cages and sitting in the dark, I will not stop. And with your help, WE will not stop being their voice!

What can you do? If you feel the same, to start, please write the Frisco Mayor and City Council and tell them you too want them ban the sale of retail animals in Frisco. The City is not convinced that a majority of Frisco residents want this abuse and neglect to end. Next, write your County and State leaders, and tell them this has to stop. In doing this, perhaps Texas will send a message to the Nation that puppy mills should be illegal and banned from ever doing business.