We asked some of our adopters what made them fall in love with their puppy mill rescue dog. Below is Michelle’s story about falling in love with Anastasia.
I fell in love with Anastasia because she came out of the mill so emotionally broken and scars down her left front quarters ( no idea what from). She had zero front teeth, most likely from chewing on the mill crate to try and escape.
Her eyes were so sad and head hung for almost 3 solid weeks. She found her “safe” zone in my dining room and would only venture to the doorway if she smelled food but then quickly retreated when she heard dryer go off, TV sounds, or even the phone ring.
Through the entire process of her decompression I seen life come back into her eyes. Her backend would wiggle when I told her it was “ snuggle” time, and she started to wrestle with me after 5-6 weeks.
It was then that I got a second mill dog in who was shut down almost as much as Anastasia was. It was then that I watched her comfort that new pup and teach her that not all humans are bad. I knew then, that she was a special girl- one meant to be mine as I continue my journey helping other dogs get to safety.
There is not a single day that goes by that I don’t look at her and think “ I am soo lucky that you came into life hungry hungry hippo(my nickname for her lol)”
Mill dogs, from my experience, and so thankful for EVERYTHING you do for them and give them. Don’t get me wrong- she has learned some bad bulldog behaviors along the way too!
