Short Mugs Rescue Squad

Adoption Fee $500

Hope was found with her companion Faith in an abandonded apartment left to starve to death. She is very emaciated weighing only 12 pounds. She was dehydrated and anemic. After many tests including, x-ray, ultrasound and blood work we found out that she had a metal object in her intestines. She was unable to walk at first due to lack of nutrition and her legs are bowed from under nourishment too. She had poor anal tone and leaked fecal matter. With wonderful care she has physically come a long way on the road to being a recovered frenchie. 

Since Hope was so severly neglected her spirit is somewhat broken. She has many attributes of a puppymill dog. Every mill survivor is different.  What works on one might not work on others; the only thing that is consistent is that she will need lots of patience, understanding, love, and probably most importantly, unconditional acceptance of what they are and what her limitations may be.

We would love to say that every puppy mill survivor only needs love to turn it into a wonderful family pet, but that would be a lie.  Love is definitely needed in large amounts, but so is patience.  The damage done during the years in the mill usually can be overcome, but it takes time and dedication.  It takes a very special adopter for one of these dogs. It is not uncommon for a mill dog to drop their bellies to the floor when they know you are going to pick them up. This is a submissive move on the dog's part. Encourage the dog to come to you by sitting a few feet away and calling them.  The most common posture we see in mill dogs is the "freeze;" the dog will initially try to escape you, but when they realize there is no escape, they simply freeze up--rigid, like a statue--and accept their "fate."  A puppy mill dog spends its entire life soiling its living area. When housebreaking a puppy mill dog you are UN-teaching them something that they have already learned is acceptable.  A regular schedule, constant reinforcement, praise, and commitment on your part are musts!  However complete potty training success may never be achieved.

Hope is a very special girl that has come far, but still has a long road a head of her. She will only go to a home that  can devote the time needed to help her continue to overcome her past. We will be very selective with her applications. She may never be potty trained or come to you and want to be picked up. Her crate is her safety area and she likes to spend most of her time in it. When she does potty outside it is usually on concrete because she does not like the grass. Some of these things may change over time and some may not.

A note from her foster mom: "Hope has come so far from emaciated frenchie found in the apartment. She tries every day to learn new things. She is so sweet, but has many quirks. She will need a very special person to be her forever family."