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"How much is that
doggy in the window?' Ever wondered where that cute little puppy in the pet
shop window comes from? The sad reality is that it could very well come from
one of the many disgusting puppy mills throughout the country.
On Tuesday 10 February Wet
Nose Animal Rescue Centre's Inspector Wynand le Roux accompanied a team from
Jacaranda 94.2fm to one of these alleged puppy mills in Haakdoringboom,
Pretoria North, with the aim of exposing this shameful practice and to allow
the media to see first hand just what goes on behind the scenes. What
they came across will not easily be forgotten by the team or anyone else who has
seen the photos and the video footage taken and is now available on the
Jacaranda 94.2fm Blog website!
Rotten chicken carcasses
littered the plot, feathers were all over the place, cow's udders were lying
around to be eaten and the stench was unbearable. Flies were feasting on dogs
ears causing big open wounds while a three- legged pot in the middle of the
room where the puppies are born was crawling with maggots!! Dogs were being
housed in dilapidated shacks all over the plot and they had to fight their way
through long grass to find some of the dogs which were being housed in camps
that were completely hidden amongst the mess and the bush!
No animal should have to
live under these circumstances. Most of the dogs are free to roam around
as they wish. This means that they come on heat and fights break out amongst
them. One poor little dog had deep gashes in her back as a result of these
fights. Her wounds had however remained un-noticed and un-treated! It is
a case of who covers who, no-one would know, and YOU are the one that
ends up paying for a "pure bred pedigreed dog", when that is not what
your hard earned money or love for the breed expects. The cute little
bull dog that you have paid in excess of R5000.00 for, looks quite the picture
but as she/he grows up, you notice you have a bulldog cross boxer.
On Monday 16 February Wet
Nose returned to the plot together with a Health Inspector. Mr van Aardt
arrived shortly afterwards insisting that his dogs were in good condition and
that there was nothing wrong with the conditions in which the dogs were being
kept. After what seemed like forever, the negotiations in the hot sun were
resolved and Mr van Aardt signed over forty four of his dogs to Wet Nose Animal
Rescue Centre to be re-homed.
Thirty five of the dogs
were immediately transported to Wet Nose and the remaining nine will be
collected during the week. The dogs were checked for injuries and sicknesses
and some are currently under veterinary care. They have all been bathed, which
was a traumatic experience for them as they are not at all used to water,
despite the filth they were living in. Some seem not to have had much contact
with people and are terrified to be approached or touched.
Having taken in so many
dogs has put Wet Nose under a lot of strain as there are now almost two hundred
dogs in their care. Being a "Right to Life" organization means that
none of the dogs will be put down, but will instead be housed, fed, medicated
and loved until the day that every one of them gets a home. This is a
monumental task to take on and Wet Nose is appealing to all animal lovers for
donations of food, bowls, funds and a "for-ever Home" for these
orphans saved from a living HELL.
So, next time you see that
cute little puppy in the window, make an extra effort to find out where it
comes from!
Don't breed or buy while "Homeless Animals Die"
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