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These three "Labradoodle"
puppies were recently rescued from a puppymill auction. They
were bred in Illinois to be sold and shipped to pet stores
around the country, to then be sold for up to or more than $1000
each. For whatever reason, they were not sold young enough and
wound up for auction in early October, at around 7 months of
age. A Happy Dogs Rescue volunteer attending the auction
"purchased" these dogs for next to nothing, as there were no
other bidders. (It seems that the dogs in high demand that day
were the purebred toy breeds, and especially those primed to
produce more puppies.) Happy Dogs Rescue will now rehabilitate
these three Labradoodle babies and try to get them ready to meet
the public and be up for adoption. They will need vet care,
including their spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, wormings
and thorough examinations.
Labradoodles are the "dog du jour" now and are being
portrayed as "trendy" and "hip" by the media and by those
intentionally breeding these "mutts". In truth, they *are*
just another mixed-breed mutt! Supposedly the breeding of a
purebred Labrador Retriever and a Standard Poodle produces a
highly intelligent, friendly and outgoing, medium-to-large sized
dog. Some Labradoodle "breeders" claim that the dogs are
non-shedding and hypoallergenic, but we can tell you that THESE
DOGS DO SHED! Our three Labradoodles have a flat wavy coat that
is slightly coarse and wiry in texture, and they do shed.
While the Labradoodle is marketed as an outgoing,
good-natured dog, these three babies are incredibly shy and were
beyond terrified when we first brought them home. Before the
auction day, and before leaving in the safety of a rescuer's
van, they had probably NEVER known a kind touch or loving voice.
They lived their lives in cages, only seen as a commodity. When
we reach to pet them, they freeze up and disappear somewhere
within themselves, as if to put up a protective wall. Walking on
leash is probably weeks down the road! We are taking it slowly
and carefully in order to give them time to adjust to this new
life outside of the mill, and to learn that not all humans are
uncaring or cruel. They will be up for adoption once we feel
they can be comfortable meeting the public and making new
friends.
We believe that with a lot of TLC in foster care with us,
that they will come out of their shells and be wonderful loving
companions for the right families. Housebreaking may be a
challenge, because they were living in cages 24/7 since birth.
Please understand though that they CAN learn and will adjust, it
will just take time. They seem comfortable around other dogs
(which makes sense) but they have not been cat-tested yet. They
really are beautiful pups, with a scruffy-cute appearance and
soft brown eyes. Full-grown, they will likely be in the 50-60 lb
range. Linus (male) and Lindsay (female) are believed to be
littermates and their date of birth is late March 2004. Lambert
(male) is from the same "breeder" but is 2 weeks older, born in
early March 2004. Please see their individual webpages for more
photos of each dog and their own biographies.
While these guys are still puppies, they have not had a
"normal" life thus far. Therefore will need an adoptive home
that has dog-experience and a family with a lot of love and
patience to care for them. To learn about puppy mills and the
kind of place that Linus, Lindsay and Lambert "came from",
please visit these helpful websites:
http://www.nopuppymills.com
and
http://www.critterhaven.org |
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If you wish to help
us help these sweet puppies,
you can send a check to:
Happy Dogs Rescue
PO Box 161
Osborn, MO
64474
OR...
If you would like to help using PayPal
then click here.
Your help is needed and greatly appreciated.
Thank You! |
