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Mill Dog Update - as of 08/06/2006

The Story of “The Missouri Five”

REBEL | TREY | SKIPPY | NORA | LUCKY-SWEETS

 Late November, 2005

 Cheryl Collins, the Fox Terrier Rescue volunteer in Iowa, was contacted by group that pulls sick and injured dogs from Missouri Puppy Mills.  They told Cheryl of 5 wire fox terriers they had pulled – 4 gravely injured, and one small female who seemed fine.  Cheryl has a passion for Puppy Mill Dogs, and true to her character, she agreed to take all five of them, sight unseen.  Arrangements were made to move the dogs the next weekend.

 December 2, 2005

The day had come for the dogs now known as “The Missouri Five” to begin their journey to a new life.  It was known that the dogs had severe injuries and were in need of medical care, but no on expected how extreme the injuries were.  Jim Roggveen, a volunteer, offered to pick up the dogs from the Mill Rescue group and start them on their way to Iowa.  Jim had purchased new collars for each of them in what he referred to as “a first gift of love” so they would have something given to them in kindness.  Jim could not believe what he saw when he picked up the dogs.  He’d done many transports and overnight fosters for FTR, but never anything like this.

Jim drove the dogs to Kansas City where they were given to Dana Flemming, who was a member of Fox Terrier Rescue that lived in Kansas City. She had agreed to keep them overnight and try to clean them up.  Again, she had no idea what these dogs would look like, and was beyond shocked at their conditions.  At that point, they looked like large, matted, dirty sheep – nothing like fox terriers.  They were flea ridden and scared and smelled worse that she ever imagined.  She could see immediately that 3 of them were missing limbs, but the matted fur hid the true severity of their wounds.  One had his upper right lip and half of his nose missing. 

 Dana was shocked and traumatized by what she saw, yet she called Cheryl and updated her on the dogs.  Cheryl, in the mean time, was delivering puppies from the last puppy mill dogs she had taken in.  She begged Dana to do what she could to clean them up before Saturday when they were to meet and pass them on to Cheryl.  Somehow, with many tear filled phone calls and encouragement, Dana was able to cut the mats and filth from the dogs.  And then she saw the true trauma of the injury.  We told her she had to take pictures and document it all in case we lost any of them – we’d need evidence to turn over to the USDA and try to shut these mills down.

Cheryl contacted Kathy Lauer, of Minnesota Fox Terrier Rescue to fill her in on the Missouri dogs and also to let her know about the puppies coming into the world that night.  A storm was rolling in, and as Kathy drove through the beautiful falling snow talking to Cheryl, she thought of how poetic it seemed that 5 puppies were coming into the world  that night that would never know the horrors of living in a puppy mill because Cheryl saved their mother a week earlier.  And now 5 others were coming out of the death camps of Missouri – in a sense being born into a new life the same night.  All because a lady in a tiny town in Iowa has the heart and the love and endless energy to put the welfare of these poor animals ahead of everything.  It was the true meaning of love and Christmas.

December 3, 2005

Dawn broke to a very tired Cheryl looking out her window at a snow storm.  She checked on the new puppies, saw they were doing well.  Gave instructions to her family on what to do if anything happened with them and struck out with Cindy Johnson, also from Fox Terrier Rescue, for a long, scary drive to Ankeny, Iowa.  There they met Margaret Innes, who had picked the 5 up from Dana that morning and headed up to Iowa to meet Cheryl.  Cheryl saw a look of shock of Margaret’s face, but until she saw the dogs, she too had no idea how bad it really was.  Cheryl and Cindy loaded to dogs up and turned to head back to Waverly, Iowa, where Cheryl’s vet was waiting for them.

The five spent most of December 2005 at Avenue of the Saints Animal Hospital being cared for by Dr. Phyllis Frost and her very capable staff.  Dr. Frost ran blood work and did exams, deeming the dogs healthy enough to undergo surgery.  She had to re-amputate the legs that had been torn or chewed off on three of the dogs.  She fixed the luxating patella of the little female that had no external injury.  She wormed them, gave them shots, kept them clean.  Her staff taught them to walk on leashes and began work on potty training.  They taught them not to fear humans and how to play with toys.  Those girls were Saints themselves and went above and beyond the call of duty where these five dogs were concerned.  The gratitude we feel for everyone at Avenue of the Saints is beyond words.

 A fund drive was started by members of Fox Terrier Rescue – a website created showing the dog’s conditions, and asking for help.  Donations flooded in – little children giving their allowance, prior happy adopters sending  money in memory of their dogs, people from all over the country gave what they could to help these dogs get the medical care they needed.  The hope was that we could cover some, we never thought we’d get enough to cover all the surgeries required.  The kind and giving spirits of those who donated will never be forgotten.  These five dogs owe their lives to the kindness of others – many of who will never be fortunate enough to meet any of these wonderful creatures in person, yet they were big hearted enough to care.

 At the end of December, 4 of the 5 were set for the next big adventure.  The 4 known now as Skippy, Trey, Lucky Sweets, and Nora were loaded up in crates in a van one very foggy morning, and Cheryl and Kathy began the long (and FOGGY) trip to Grand Island, Nebraska where they were to meet Bonnie Guzman from Denver Fox Terrier Rescue and turn the four over to her for their next big adventure. 

 The dogs got baths that night at the hotel, the next morning Bonnie loaded them up in her truck and headed for Denver where they were met by their new foster parents, who were so anxious to meet these wonder dogs!  The dogs did amazingly well in transport and had no idea of their new life ahead of them.  It was a bittersweet day for Cheryl – she so wanted to foster them herself, but with the 5 puppies born in early December, and the litter that was due any day from another mill dog that had been rescued, she just knew it wasn’t possible.  Thankfully Bonnie had the resources and the kind people lined up to foster the four. 

 Cheryl and Kathy drove back to Waverly that day and picked up Rebel, the last one.  He’s the one that had so much of his face torn away.  Kathy was taking him to the University of Minnesota the next week to see if he’d be able to be helped. We were all worried that nothing could be done.

 Kathy went on her way back to Minneapolis with Rebel after dropping Cheryl off at home.  And that night, Cheryl was again birthing a litter of puppy mill dogs – this time SEVEN of them!  Seven more who would never know the horror of living in a puppy mill, who would never have puppies themselves, but would live their lives in good homes, with people who loved them.

A special thanks goes out to Dr. Judi Funk and the staff at Compassionate Care Animal Hospital in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.  Dr. Judi left a key for Kathy since she was getting home so late so she could put Rebel in a kennel at the vet clinic.  They cared for Rebel there for the next week and actually found his sweet personality behind his rather bad habit of “finger painting” in his kennel every day…  He also showed them how accomplished he was as a paper shredder.  They took wonderful care of him, and wished him the best when he left for his next journey a week later.

January 3, 2006

On January 3^rd, exactly a month after Cheryl got him, Rebel (short for “Rebel Yell”, because he has that Billy Idol sneer going) made a fateful trip to the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine to meet with Dr. Roberto E. Novo, the Medical Director and Head of the Department of Small Animal Surgery.  Dr. Novo doesn’t see patients, but when he saw photos of Rebel, he decided he wanted to take a look.  Kathy was so nervous, but Dr. Novo was so kind and friendly and positive in his outlook for Rebel, that she knew she had hit the jackpot with Dr. Novo.  He said he could do the surgery the next morning, so Kathy left Rebel and his stuffed Christmas Squeaky mouse with Dr. Novo and drove home. 

 The next day seemed like forever, but by 1:00, Dr. Novo called and sounded so excited – he was thrilled with the outcome, and said he’d emailed photos.  Dr. Judi also got the photos and called – amazed at what Dr. Novo had done.  The calls went out to everyone and we all prayed that Rebel would do well the first 48 hours.  Swelling and infection are always a concern, and Rebel had severe swelling that night to the point that they were actually considering using leeches to reduce the pressure.  Thankfully the swelling came down some over night, so that wasn’t needed.

Rebel quickly became a favorite among the vet students and techs.  Kathy would go visit him and every time, at least 3 people would stop by the visiting area to see him and to tell her how much they loved that brave little critter!  It seemed that everyone who met him fell in love with the tough little boy with the sparkling personality.

After a week, he went back to Dr. Judi’s for a week of recovery, and then Kathy brought him home to foster him and teach him about life as a pet. 

Where they are today

Rebel (severe facial trauma) is with Kathy Lauer in Minnesota.  His face is wonderful – he has a bit of a “smile”, and part of his nose is gone, but his personality shines through and you can’t help but fall madly in love with him.  He's a happy, social dog who loves everyone and other dogs.  He especially loves Kathy and follows her everywhere. He's got really severe separation anxiety, and they’re working on it, but he's got a long way to go.  He took First Place in his beginning obedience class and has now moved on to Intermediate and is doing great.  He's an amazingly fast learner and loves dog school.  He's quite unflappable even around the big Newfie and Doberman in his class, and he loves Saint Bernards!  He is sort of the "teacher's pet" - I think it's his smile.  Everyone that meets him is taken by his charm, and eventually you don't see the disfigurement as such - it's just part of who he is now.  Rebel's favorite pastime is shredding.  He shreds paper, cardboard, corn husks - anything he can get his mouth on.  His favorite is the cup carriers from Caribou Coffee - the 'Bou Box.  He grabs it, runs off with it and shreds it into tiny pieces.  No box is too big to try.  I've caught him with potato chip boxes, shoe boxes - and the Sunday newspaper ads are the best thing ever!

He’s still somewhat of a Celebrity at the U of M.  His case (photos, videos) are used by his surgeon, Dr. Roberto E. Novo, for lectures on sinus and facial reconstruction surgery.  Dr. Novo’s specialty is facial reconstruction, and he did a wonderful job with Reb.  There are so many people at the U of M who were either involved or met him while he was there, and some day I’m expecting him to sign autographs when he goes to visit.

Rebel's Photo Diary
Click on a photo to view a larger version

Rebel with Dr. Novo at the University of Minnesota, the day before his surgery. Our "Before" picture.	He was so happy just hanging out with his Christmas Mouse.  It was his first toy that was all his and we was very sweet with it.  Christmas Mouse stayed with him the whole time he was at the hospital.  He still has him, and he takes Mouse to Dog School with him now.	This is two days after surgery.  He didn't feel very well and I think he probably felt worse than he looked. He didn't know what was going on, but all the vet techs and students there loved him and took such an interest in him and took such good care of him, too! Thanks Joe Utrie, the Sr. Vet student who cared for him - and who has since graduated and is now Dr. Joe Utrie!
This is Dr. Novo, Rebel, and Kathy two days after his surgery. We were so happy with how he looked.  He just didn't care... his poor little face hurt and he just wanted to be cuddled.	The way we were carrying on about how good looking he was, you would have thought we had a movie star on our hands!	About a week after surgery, Rebel got to run in snow! He loves snow and runs and dives through it like it's the best thing on earth!  He'd never known such joy in his life in the puppy mill.
Rebel meeting his new step-sister, Tara.  Tara is 14 years young, and a very tolerant dog. She decided this funny looking guy was o.k., and to this day, she loves to play with him.	Tara and Hayley keeping Rebel company on his first day in a real home.  He had a bath, got to play in the yard, and discovered "sleeping on furniture"!  Ah what you miss when you live your life in a filthy cage...  Never again!	Rebel hearing a secret from his new girlfriend, Lola.  Lola is telling him "here is how to get those humans to do whatever you want... just look cute and..."
Snoozing on the couch... It's a good thing!	Rebel with Dr. Novo the day he got his stitches out.  What a handsome boy!  (I mean the dog, Novo! Don't be sending this to your mom!)	Now that Dr. Novo made him so handsome, he's aspiring to the ring at Westminster!  After all, look at the cute girls there!  He might have to ditch the diaper to make it with the chicks...
Who needs a pillow when you have Lola around to rest your head on?  The two of them share many sunbeams in the winter!	Sunday morning in the summer... warm sun, cushions to lay on, and the Sunday ads to shred!  Does it get any better than this?	Sittin' on the dock of the bay... (window) with Lola waiting for breakfast to be served.
Summertime with the crew... I think he likes it here.	Rebel celebrating his 1st place victory in Obedience School.  I was so proud of him, and it was as though he really knew he did something great!	One happy little dude!  I think he's worth the effort put into saving him.  Thanks to everyone who helped - I think this picture says it all!

Trey (male, missing front leg) was fostered by John Nesbeth and Craig Dyer. He learned to adjust to their other Fox Terriers and slowly but surely, started to come out of his shell. He now lives like a king with Charlotte Quincannon, in Grand Junction, CO and her two other dogs. He makes progress every day!

Skippy (male, missing rear leg) was fostered and ultimately adopted by Courtney Stoldt. Courtney also co owns Hazel, and Hazel and Skippy get along quite famously. He’s doing wonderfully and his a very happy and outgoing boy.

Skip's Photo Diary
(click on any photo to view a larger version)

Nora was fostered by Bonnie Guzman. She was the only dog without injury. Bonnie groomed her up and found a true diamond under that scruffy coated little dog – she is a beautiful and happy little girl.  She adapted very quickly to life in a real home and was the first to be placed with Jay Henderson, another Wire Fox aficionado. Jay loves her to pieces.

Nora's Photo Diary
(click on any photo to view a larger version)

Lucky Sweets (female, missing front leg) was the most traumatized of them all.  We really didn’t know if she’d ever make it.  She was fearful of everything and everyone - terrified of people as well as other animals, drooled constantly and tried to hide. Colorado Foster Mom, Kathleen Orozco, owner of Tucker, the Wonder Wire Fox, fostered and has permanently adopted Lucky Sweets. Bonnie has been able to visit her on a few occasions and the improvement, albeit slow, is remarkable. Losing a front leg is very traumatic for a dog yet Lucky is now running and playing with Tucker in the yard. She continues to shy away from new situations and people but under Kathleen’s guidance, she has made remarkable strides.  She will live out her life knowing she’s loved deeply, and Kathleen will take care of her every need.  She’s truly a remarkable dog.

Lucky Sweet's Photo Diary
(click on any photo to view a larger version)

THANK YOU!

100% of the funding for all 5 of the Missouri dogs medical care and transportation was from donations to FTR.  The list of generous donators who covered it all is at http://www.foxterrierrescue.net/Millstory.htm .  The extraordinary donations that were received from the general public allowed these dogs to get the care they needed, and also care for other mill dogs that have since come in to rescue.

 We can never thank you enough for your generosity in helping to save these dogs’ lives.

 And as I write this, Cheryl Collins is at it again – bringing in another 7 fox terriers (and one little rat terrier that nobody wanted…!) pulled from the terrible Amish puppy mills of Lancaster County, PA.  We’re ramping up again in the Midwest with cages found at garage sales, coming up with fund raising ideas, and hoping these 7 will go on to homes where they’ll be as happy and as loved as the Missouri Five.  Thankfully, these 7 appear to be in reasonably good condition, with all limbs attached! 

 Say a prayer for them, and for Cheryl, the lady who doesn’t know how to say “No” when it comes to fox terriers in need.  Her commitment to the cause is unparalleled, and I know it embarrasses her to hear this type of praise, but she deserves a standing ovation.

The Mills

 These dogs came from two separate mills. Nora and Rebel’s mill owner voluntarily shut down. The other mill in Ava, Missouri is in litigation, charged with Cruelty and Neglect.  The USDA fully expects to shut them down when the case is over.  We are in touch with the inspectors and will update everyone when we hear the outcome.

For donations to the General AFTR fund to help these and other dogs in the care of Fox Terrier Rescue, you can donate via PayPal using your Credit Card or send a check to: 

Fox Terrier Rescue
c/o Lee Eckholm
AFTR Treasurer
430 East Grant Street
Appleton, WI  54911

and Lee will send you a receipt for your donation.  We will be forever grateful.  Even the smallest of donations will help to begin healing these wonderful dogs.  For the direct care of Puppy Mill dogs, please mark on your check or in a note that you want your money to go directly to the care of Puppy Mill dogs.

Click on the link below to donate by credit card via PayPal.  Please send Lee Eckholm an email giving her your address information so she can send you a  receipt for your tax deductible donation.  Email Lee at leckholm@sbcglobal.net