National Mill Dog Rescue: Shelter+ Challenge Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The grant was used to provide veterinary care for newly rescued puppy-mill dogs. Since 2007, we have rescued more than 8,400 dogs from deplorable conditions in large-scale breeding operations throughout the Midwest and as far east as Tennessee. Our biggest expense is for veterinary care, because the rescued dogs are generally in terrible condition. Incoming animals are spayed and neutered and, at a minimum, receive heartworm tests, microchips and vaccinations. Most require extensive dental procedures; some have completely rotted mouths. Following is a sample of other conditions seen and treated: pyometra, injured and infected eyes, ears scarred from untreated infections, parasite infestation, parvo, leg and foot deformities, genetic defects, blindness, deafness, hernias, mammary tumors and other cancers. On average, the veterinary team treats 60 dogs a month at a total cost of roughly $14,400 or $240 per dog rescued. Veterinarians contracted to provide special care cost an average of $5,000 monthly. Every dog rescued is given every possible chance for survival and a good quality of life.
This grant helped to cover some of the veterinary costs associated with a puppy mill rescue in September 2013. See explanation above.
How many pets did this grant help?
This generous grant helped four dogs that required spaying, heartworm testing, microchips and vaccinations. As indicated above, the average cost for this basic services is about $240 per dog.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Among the dogs helped by your grant is Seri. She was 3 months old when rescued from a puppy mill in September. She couldn’t be sold to a pet store because of a strong heart murmur, so she was of no use to the mill and was scheduled for euthanasia. We rescued her and learned from her medical evaluation that she had a totally operable condition — but the surgery was expensive and she needed it immediately. The veterinary team at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., undertook the procedure on Sept. 24. Seri stayed at the hospital for a few days but then returned to her NMDR foster family. Very soon thereafter, the family decided to make her their own. Now a happy, healthy 6-month-old beauty, Seri is living life to the fullest — a life she would never have experienced without National Mill Dog Rescue.
