Welcome to Canine Rescue Heroes

For as long as I can remember, I have loved dogs. My first dog Moriah was an Old English Sheepdog who slept on my twin bed. I have had a dog living with me for most of my last 45 years. I currently have a cairn terrier, Gizmo and a yorkie, Bubba. In 2008 I began volunteering for a no-kill shelter, Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary, patterned after Best Friends in Utah. Animals at HEA are guaranteed a home if an adopter can't be found. Some have issues that make them "hard to adopt" but they have a life and it is not taken from them just because they have been abandoned by humans. In fact, the humans who care for the HEA dogs are totally committed to giving them the best life they can provide under the circumstances. They try very hard to find a forever home or make them feel as if they are in one. Those who stay are treated with respect and love...more on HEA later.

I currently have two dogs, Gizmo, a cairn terrier Bubba, a yorkie.



I have had the good fortune to foster two dogs who found homes. Bernie, a pom shown below, was  a possible puppy mill dog who came from a hoarder situation and it took 3+ months to get him to let me touch him.  He now lives happily with a family.
















I also had Benni, a poodle/shih tzu, seen here with Gizmo lounging at the pool. He was recently adopted by a great retired couple who live close by.  He visits often.

Princess is a current resident.  She's an old gal who is completely deaf.  She was surrendered to HEA when her elderly owner went to a nursing home.  She's my first "girlfriend".  I also currently have Shadow, a schnauzer mix, whose picture will be posted soon.

Reggie and Carol are my friends. Reggie comes over daily for social time with all of us while Carol works.





I signed up for an internet group related to stopping puppy mills in Wisconsin which led to another group, Auction Dog Rescue. I signed up just wanting to read some of the posts to find out more about the group. I came in right in the middle of a great plan undertaken by rescue groups all over the country who are attempting to "pull" as many dogs as possible from 800+ canines who will be auctioned due to the closing of a puppy mill in Missouri on Oct. 29 and 30. The mill is being voluntarily closed (sort of) by the millers Herman & Bonnie Schindler who are notorious for repeatedly violating the rather loose Missouri regulations.

On November 2, Missouri voters will have the opportunity to vote on Prop B which more strictly regulates commercial breeders. It is hoped these regulations will put more breeders out of business. But, now for the business at hand.

After reading a lot of posts and grappling with the reality that I can't provide a home for a puppy mill dog (I already have two small dogs and 2 foster dogs from HEA), I felt a strong desire to do SOMETHING to help with the rescue that will happen at the end of Oct. I got in touch with a rescuer, Carolyn Hadley,Something Special Castaways, Missouri-OTRA Transport. Carolyn and her partner Susan have been in touch with rescues all around the country and have made arrangements to "pull" about 170 dogs from the auction by bidding on them for other rescues. They are coordinating their transport to new locations for foster, shelter, adoption and rehabilitation. Carolyn has allowed me to "tag" along and has answered my questions about many of the posts on the group. She has also agreed to meet me at the auction and let me chronicle my experience with finding out what happens at a dog auction/rescue.

I will blog about the preparation for the auction and my trip to MO and try to describe the issues and concerns of the rescuers. Missouri has the most puppy mills in the country. Dogs are treated like livestock. Many are bred continuously until they are no longer able to produce. Their puppies are sold on the internet to shipped to unsuspecting buyers who the breeder never even met. The breeding dogs are kept in substandard conditions that are pitiful. Many are sick and in desperate need of regular hygiene such as grooming, bathing and nail clipping. Wire crates cause feet to become cut and splayed. Eyes are lost when poked by sharp objects inside the crates. I hope this blog will inform people about the horrors of puppy mills, but more, I want to inspire with stories of the rescuers, those selfless animal lovers who advocate and help those who can't help themselves. Puppy mills have no place in a modern society.