Tucker Angel

Tucker Angel had an amazing first day with us after spending 4 months with his foster mom...who taught him how to love and trust humans. Tucker is a former puppy mill dog who, just 4 months ago, suffered extreme mental cruelty and deprivation. He was catatonic and covered with urine when purchased at a puppy mill auction. Lawrence and I are working to continue the efforts of National Mill Dog Rescue compassionate team of folks who rescue these dogs so they can live the rest of their lives as normally as possible.

Tucker is a quiet, gentle little cocker boy who has already endeared himself to many. KC is fine with our newest addition; Zoe, however, is not so sure....Tucker wants to lie by her so I think she'll come around in time. Tucker was with his foster mom, Barb for 4 months before he took a treat from her hand. Puppy mill dogs are so abused; they learn to mistrust humans, spending their lives in metal cages only to breed and make money for their owners. No vet care is supplied, a poor diet can lead to malnutrition and disease; dogs lie in their own feces and urine. I always knew puppy mills were bad; I just never knew HOW BAD! Lawrence and I are honored to have this beautiful soul grace our lives with his presence. We are looking forward to the day when he wags that cocker stub in happiness and believes he has nothing to fear from humans.

Anyway, I encourage you to become more informed and aware of this inhumane treatment of innocent animals by visiting their website and reading about Lily (search this blog for Lily to read the several posts about her incredible life and ultimate salvation). We hope it enlightens you and that you'll share this knowledge with others. There are over 10,000 puppy mills in operation in the US...they sell to pet stores, in newspapers, and online.

Ok, here we are 3 weeks, to the day when Tucker first joined our family. He’s making steady progress, albeit VERY slow progress. We’ve settled into a routine. Tucker began sleeping in a bed downstairs because he was afraid of going up to the bedrooms. He now runs up and down the stairs, but still won’t go into the bedrooms. He usually will pee outside (we have a doggie door which he eagerly learned how to use, but has some accidents when he cannot get outside). Some other “naughty” behaviors: he chewed a bit on my computer cord a few days ago and has dug a couple of small holes in the backyard. No, no punishment for now; he has too many other issues to overcome.

BUT, when you think about the lack of freedom and his horrible, traumatic early years, it’s a small price to pay for his rehabilitation.

Tucker was mute 3 weeks ago, but has begun to bark a bit, and if you listen ever so carefully, you’ll hear this soft whine that says, “I’m cute, come be with me; I know you MUST be really good people.” He will be sleeping peacefully, but let one of us stand up, he’s alert and ready to run (and sometimes does!). Other than that, he’s a sweet and adorable little guy. He’s now wagging his tail (or cocker “stub”) when I call him and will come close. We’ve only touched him 3 times in 3 weeks and he’s never been on a walk (cannot get close enough to him to put a leash on), nor will he allow us to pet him. We’ve chosen to allow him the freedom to heal in HIS time, not ours.

Three weeks ago, he was VERY afraid of any little noise and would startle and run for safety, always staying far enough away to NOT get trapped by a human. He’d circle around the furniture, the spa, the trees, anything that would allow him to stay in control of who’s coming close.

He’s slowing relaxing and now will lie on his side when sleeping nearby; we believe it’s an indication he’s becoming a bit more comfortable around us. He will take treats from our hands, but NO WAY will he stick around if that same hand reaches out to pet him! It’s hard to be so patient when we want to just love on him, but we know the life we’re providing for him is EXPONENTIALLY better than the puppy mill he came from.

Tucker is dependent on bonding with our other 2 dogs, a cocker, KC, and follows our Aussie, Zoe all over the house and yard. He’s made attempts to “play” with them, but still seems a bit unsure how to have a good time as a “regular” dog. His foster mom told me that rescue dogs like Tucker need a “pack” to show them how to be a dog and that they closely watch the behaviors of the other dogs. Is this not an inhumane way to make money? What kind of person inflicts this kind of severe trauma on an innocent, defenseless soul (or kills them when they no longer can serve their purpose)? I imagine that as rescue dogs heal, they go through behavioral stages as those layers and layers of pain, neglect, and abuse become a more distant memory.

Tucker now appears to be in a puppy stage (the chewing, barking, and house accidents), but I can tell that with time, patience, and love, this little angel will continue the healing process and one day, will enjoy being caressed and attended to by his loving human “pack” (At least, we HOPE that’s in the future for us and for Tucker). I would strongly suggest that if you’re considering adoption of a dog as severely traumatized as Tucker, listen to the good folks at Mill Dog Rescue.

They know the needs of each dog and will be ever SO grateful for your generous contribution through adoption. In our opinion, puppy mills should be shut down entirely and their owners prosecuted for animal cruelty. But, as long as people want less expensive dogs than reputable breeders charge, there will continue to be a need.

Please share this knowledge about the harshness of puppy mill life with your friends and family, coworkers and neighbors. Hopefully, we CAN make the difference it takes to apply the pressure for more humane treatment of these precious souls. These dogs NEED good homes, with patient, loving people and the necessary time for healing to take place. Lawrence and I are eternally grateful for the opportunity to help this one little dog. We’d be happy to answer any emails regarding questions that might arise. Thank you Mill Dog Rescue for your tireless work and constant heartache. YOU are the true angels!

Courtesy of National Mill Dog Rescue