Lucy Blue ~~ A Puppy Mill Survivor's Story

Adopting a Puppy Mill Survivor

Puppy Mill Rescue Yahoo Group (network with others for support and guidance with your puppymill dog.

Puppymills (info on Missouri puppymills)

Prisoners of Greed (info on puppymills)

Lucy Blue arrived at Second Chance as a survivor of a “puppy mill”: a filthy facility where the “business philosophy” is to give breeding dogs as little care as possible in order to make as much profit as possible from their puppies. Puppy mill dogs often live out their lives in tiny cages, suffering from disease, injury, and near-starvation. Those who survive physically are often psychologically scarred: fearful, suspicious, frightened, stressed animals who alternately hide from, or lash out at, a world that they can’t understand.

When Sheltie Rescue took Lucy in, the obvious question was, “Who would ever want a dog like this?” The answer: Janice Mitchell. As Lucy began the long process of healing in body and spirit, Janice started a diary to record Lucy’s progress, to note information that might be helpful to other rescuers, and sometimes, by her own admission, “to keep from pulling my hair out!” This is the story of Lucy, the dog no one would ever want, and of Janice, the woman who never gave up on her.

Make check payable to: Second Chance Sheltie Rescue

Phone: 314-862-7838

Lucy Blue turned 10 January 5, 2006, and has lived with us for 7 years. She is spoiled rotten, flirts shamelessly with everyone she meets for attention, and absolutely loves life! When I ask her if she is a pretty girl, she will give her beauty queen wave. She loves wrestling with Luke and Katie every morning, follows me around the house, and loves belly rubs and butt skritches.

She is still cautious around Scary Gary, but is doing much better. Any other man she is fine with -- we’ve come to the conclusion Gary must remind her of someone in her past who treated her badly. She will come and sit with the other dogs when he is eating something, watches him from the dining room when he is fixing morning dog bowls for breakfast and races to her crate with the other dogs when he starts setting bowls down. He has even given her baths for which she forgives him for a cookie afterwards. Most of the time, she just ignores him.

Lucy wants to go with me anywhere I go, and runs to the front door hoping she will be the one chosen to go with me and do dog stuff. She still gets car sick, but I’ve learned to manage the car sickness with Bonine and no food before a ride. She enjoys walks around the neighborhood or the park, strolling through PetsMart sniffing the merchandise, and chasing squirrels or bunnies in the back yard.

Lucy has found her niche in Rally Obedience, earning her Rally Novice title in three shows in 2005. The next level of Rally is off-leash. Beautiful, off-lead heeling is what Lucy does best, and she is anxious to participate in the next level in 2006. We gave traditional Obedience another shot at the Sheltie National in the spring of 2005. I’d shown Lucy in the obedience ring only one other time, and she got up from her down-stay and walked out of the ring. My fear of losing her kept me from trying again. Once again, she did beautifully right up until the 3 minute down-stay -- she stood up half way through. I held my breath -- would she walk out of the ring like the last time? No! She very calmly started walking to me and sat by my side! That meant more to me than any title she could ever earn -- she chose to come to me! My eyes teared up, and everyone thought it was because Lucy broke her stay when she was so close to qualifying. The tears were because Lucy came to me! As we walked out of the ring together, Lucy received a hearty round of applause from all the people who had read her book and had gathered around the ring to watch her performance. I was so focused on Lucy while in the ring, I did not notice the crowd that had gathered in support of Lucy. What a heartwarming experience it was to look up and see so many people who knew her and read of her long, bumpy road to recovery from life in a puppy mill, cheering for her as we left the ring! All stopped by our Sheltie Rescue booth to meet Lucy, shake paws with her, skritch her ears, give her treats, and have pictures taken with her. Lucy was a very happy little Sheltie girl with all the treats and attention she was getting!

Lucy also earned her Certified Therapy Dog title with Love On A Leash (www.loveonaleashstl.com) since the book was first published. My mother, the original Lucy, for whom Lucy Blue was named, is now in a nursing home and not doing well. Lucy , along with my other two certified therapy Shelties, visit my Mom regularly to cheer her up. She loves seeing her furry grandkids, and they always bring a smile to her face!

Lucy Blue received the honor of being chosen by Purina’s Rally to Rescue Magazine (www.rallytorescue.org) to be the cover girl and feature story in their March 2006 issue! A professional photographer came to my house and took some beautiful pictures of her and my other Shelties.

When I come home, she gives me the cutest greeting. She has this little happy dance she does around me with a swishy-swishy tail (more than just a wag, her whole body goes into it), and an adorable Sheltie smile. She won't stop until I bend down, touch foreheads with her, and give her a kiss between the ears -- the Sheltie Mind Meld. Lucy has trained me quite well hasn’t she!
I never in my wildest dreams would have believed the little catatonic puppy mill rescue I reluctantly agreed to foster could or would ever progress as far as she has. Lucy has taught me patience, and to never give up on the shy/unsocialized Shelties-- they can progress if someone has the time and is willing to help them. They might not progress as far as Lucy, or they may go farther and surpass expectations -- there is always hope. The road to rehabilitation is a long, slow journey, but the joy in your heart to be able to watch your dog play and learn to love life is priceless. Lucy Blue inspired me to educate myself as much as possible on canine body language by reading, attending seminars, and helping other people with fearful rescued Shelties like Lucy. It never ceases to amaze me that one little pitiful bundle of fur not only changed my life but my direction in life.

From DogWise.com: "Never before has canine body language been so thoroughly documented with photographs and text! Hundreds of images in this almost 400 page book illustrate the incredible variety of postures, behaviors and situations that the typical dog either manifests or encounters in his day-to-day life. There isn't a dog trainer or behaviorist who won't learn something new in this incredible volume. And there isn't a dog owner who won't welcome the new insights they will gain into the behavior of the family dog."