Like lots of other bad things, puppy mills can seem like a problem that happens somewhere else. But when a seven-year old dog whose had lots of litters arrives as the local shelter, she offers evidence that using dogs to crank out puppies isn’t some far away problem. Here’s a girl who served as a puppy factory, but now she’s out of there and ready for a good home. Meet Nellie:
At first she was so timid that sometimes it seemed she was most secure showing her friendliness when you were safely on the other side of her kennel door. (Take a peek!) But put in just a little quiet, soothing time, and she settles into feeling secure. Progress goes small steps at a time, but seeing her brief happy dances makes it worth the wait!
And those moments of joy provide evidence that she’ll adjust well to a loving home environment. Nellie might have found herself a home, but check out the other PHS dogs here: Potsdam Humane Society Adoptable dogs, or call the Shelter at 315-265-3199
Did you know? If you’re 60 or over and you’re interested in an older dog (7 and up), the adoption qualifies for the PHS “Seniors for Seniors“ program.
Eudora Watson 
Hi Eudora, The whole idea of puppy mills just breaks my heart. I can see, barely, a justification for breeding dogs for service positions. Other than that… I am fairly sure I know what you mean by closer than you think – at least the rumor I’ve heard is that there are Amish puppy mills. Holly
Hi Holly, I’ve heard the same rumor. Certainly, a breed that is popular with the Amish – sometimes called Cattle Dogs, sometimes called Red or Blue Heelers – have been showing up in numbers at the shelter. These are smart dogs that need a job, and it seems a good number of people who “fall in love” with a cute puppy either don’t understand the kind of work you need to put in to raising any puppy, or don’t understand the amount of work that needs to be done. I’ve worked with a number of dogs at the shelter who seem to have “bad manners,”but in fact respond quickly to short sessions of training. My hope is that more people who “love” dogs learn some basics of obedience training and come and practice it with the dogs at the shelter. I’d be happy to show them how! Eudora