
It’s a journey that almost didn’t get started.
In November of 2009, 97 huskies were rescued from horrible conditions. With little food or water, the dogs lived in filth and inhumane conditions. They inevitably had to feed off their fallen brothers and the young to survive. No animal should live like that.
Of the 97 that were rescued, all of them were saved. And since that day in early November, 127 puppies have been born into welcoming arms. As of mid-January, all the puppies that were old enough have found loving families. It’s a sad story with a happy ending.
The owner of the huskies was once a respected breeder who was recommended by the local SPCA. He had 12 huskies that he took excellent care of. It’s unclear what happened, but most newspaper articles go out of their way not to criticize him. This suggests that he may have fallen ill or for whatever reason, was not able to care for them.
If he were a puppy-mill operator, his hide would have been pasted to the barn door and we would have known what he had for breakfast by the end of the day. The public hates puppy mills. Even worse, they hate the people who operate them.
So why does it happen so often in Quebec? The answer is simple: anyone can call themselves a breeder. There are no rules and regulations saying that you must provide this or limit your dogs to that or house them in this type of structure. No, in Quebec, anyone can buy a couple of animals and start breeding them.
Of course puppy mills wouldn’t exist without the many pet shops who grab up the healthy dogs. There are no regulations for pet shops either. Most of them turn a blind eye to the ways the animals might have been treated because they just see the healthy ones that are offered to them. But they know what goes on behind the scenes.
So in the end, the 97 huskies were rescued and all will find a home. And 13 of them already made their way to the suburbs of Ottawa in late November. Plenty of people with big hearts have stepped forward to open their homes and their hearts.
And as for the 127 newborn puppies, they are off to an excellent start.
Denton Fowler wrote this article for petpellbeing.com which offers prevention and treatment products for cancer in cats and Cushings Disease in dogs.
To learn more about the Huskies still available for adoption through BARK rescue, visit their website.

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