      
Patty's Story
 My
sad story starts when I was born. I sadly came into this world not knowing love,
humans or any kindness at all. I was a product of a puppy mill and sold to
another puppy mill because I am very small and my unusual wire-haired coat. I never
dared to dream I would have anyone to ever care about me or love me. That's right, I
was raised alone in a cage, never socialized or even brought outside from the
day I was born. I'm
ashamed to say I had my own litter of puppies before I was even one year of age. My
babies were taken away and sold off at 4 and 5 weeks of age even though they
still desperately needed me and each other. There was nothing I could do to help
them. They were all sick, very frightened and I had
no advise to give them. Nothing that mattered anyway, I had nothing but sadness. I thought this is what life
was all about. Of course, I
had heard stories from the dogs that came in from "out there" about beautiful
warm sunshine, green grass and even digging holes but I never thought those
stories were true. How could I even dare to think there was something other than
the life in the tiny kennel that I knew so well? My cage WAS my home. Or so I
thought.
Then came that fateful day last
March 2006. Suddenly, there
was lots of noise, TV cameras, and people were running everywhere.
 Dogs were barking,
puppies were howling and I was very petrified. I slunk into the corner of my cage and
tried to be small & hoped to go unnoticed. Then suddenly, I was whisked outside
still in my tiny kennel by the people from the
Animal Humane
Society. I cowered in the corner and whimpered.
I didn't dare open my eyes. I remember hearing the terrifying cries of my fellow
cellmates that fateful day too. What was happening? I thought we were going to
be thrown into the river or "disposed of" as I had heard through the dog-vine
had happened to others before me. The next thing I knew I was in the back of a
van, still in my kennel, headed off to parts unknown. Then I was carried into a
big building that smelled like medicine and lots of unknown animals. Someone
opened the door to my kennel and when they reached in to pull me out, I
resisted... I HAD TO! After all what was going to
happen to me once I was outside of my cage? I growled at them, after all I WAS
still a small dog and I was going to need all of my small dog attitude to
survive this I was convinced. I tried to bite the hand that came in my cage. Luckily, they already
knew I was going to be a rebel. Eventually, I was placed on an examining table and I had no idea were I was at or what was
about to happen to me.
 Strangely,
once outside my cage, I wasn't as frightened as before, I was surrounded by people who were talking nice,
petted me and tried so hard to comfort me but I kept my body as stiff as a board whenever they
touched me or picked me up. Who were these people anyway? Stay away. Then -
suddenly - Ouch!! someone poked me with
something, next someone had their fingers in my mouth, before I knew it I was
waking up feeling "funny" and boy did I hurt by my belly. I found out later I had been
spayed.
After a day of recovery, I was placed in a new cage along side some of my
cellmates.
 There had been
172 of us in all taken from the LeCenter
puppy mill. We were on the news that night. Some of us were Wire Haired Jack
Russell's, Some were Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and some were Smooth-Coated
Jack Russell's. Some of my friends had been at the puppy mill over 8 years.
Those dogs were especially frightened when taken away from any cage. Now we were all being
placed for "adoption", - whatever that meant. I had my new cage, food,
water and annoying people who kept trying to be my friend. Yeah, right...
The day I
was put up for adoption, a lady came along who ran over to me the
instant she saw me in my little cage.
There were maybe 6 or 8 of us from the puppy mill on the "Adoption" floor that
day. She carried me to a small room that stunk
like home, all poopy-like. With no words spoken, she laid down beside me on the
floor and tried to look into my eyes but I would have NO part of that! Staring
is a threat and who in the hell did she think she was anyway! I took my stiff as
a board position with her, I'll show her I thought. When she picked me up, I
could literally be turned over and stay STIFF. It's almost like rigor-mortis
setting in. I am VERY good at this.
Turn me over and - STIFF legs straight up in the air...... This lady stayed with me over an hour.
She petted me, she rubbed me and even talked to me in a soothing voice that I
liked to hear, Then she picked me up and
gave me back to the warden who put me back in the cage. HEY!! That lady was kind of
nice I thought. Wow, what's happening here? Then the nice lady went to the other
cages and looked at some of my cellmates. She was talking nice and rubbing them! It was now or never, I decided I had
to make a move. I really, really wanted to be with this nice lady. When the nice lady moved again towards yet another cage, I made
a movement from my cage. She didn't notice. Ok, I had to
get a little bolder. I put my front paws on the bars of cage and raised myself up. It
took everything I had and then some to do this and if she didn't come back now, I
didn't know what to do. She had been so nice to me and I desperately wanted her
back. PLEASE SAVE ME I HOWLED inside, can't she see I'm her dog???!!!. Then some other people with
KIDS were walking towards me, "PLEASE, PLEASE COME BACK NICE LADY" I was
crying inside! Finally the nice lady noticed the family eyeing me and she rushed
over and told the warden she was taking me home. She was taking a chance on me!
That was almost two years ago now and boy-oh-boy has my life changed. I
live on a huge farm with so much green
grass, and I have wonderful holes that I'm digging everywhere
(just ask my Mom) and the beautiful warm sunshine
is great. I share my new home with five Big Dogs but they already know who's boss.
(See my examples of THAT below.) Come on Big Guy!! Bring IT ON!!
I do have to say, that I totally LOVE my big DOGS, the big goons. Especially Diesel, my
VERY favorite. He's my mom's favorite too. ( OK, let me me clear here - Diesel
is my mom's favorite BIG DOG. I'm her favorite DOG - period.). My life could not
of turned out better. I do CONSTANTLY think about my brothers and sisters still
in a cage somewhere waiting for rescue. Where are they going? Will they ever
find a forever home? Please, Please contact the
http://www.animalhumanesociety.com
for more information. It's never too late. Just look at me...
At night, I
sleep with my mom & dad and sometimes an annoying cat, Simba. I was doing my
best to completely ignore him but he is so dang friendly it was hard to keep up
with the attitude. I AM still debating chasing him though...after all, he is a
darn cat!
 This
is me as the Supreme Ruler of my home. Looks like I've come a long way in a very
short time. (My mom is leaving this picture of me on the web site, it shows me
when I was still unsure of my new life. She says people can compare this picture
to my other pictures on the web site. It shows how far even the "worst" of us
can go. ")
I'm learning new things every single day. My mom takes me
absolutely everywhere she can to get me acclimated to my new life. So if you see
me out and about, take the time to approach me & my mom slowly and I will warm
up to you. My mom & I attend Wallflower classes ( she needs them and I'm there to support her.)
:)
 Stop
by from time to time to keep up with my new adventures and I'll be sharing new
stories with you. Also please, please, please take the time to consider adopting
a dog or puppy from the
Animal
Humane Society, you can click here to go to their site.
Love you all,
Patty
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