Missouri Puppy Mill Dals Need Your Help!

On September 8th, SCDR learned of a puppy mill in Missouri who was going out of business and took her entire breeding stock (including 20 Dalmatians) to an auction company in Missouri.  Luckily, through the efforts of many, all 20 Dalmatians were purchased (yes, we had to purchase them) by several rescue groups and the herculean task of getting them to rescue began.  Within 12 hours we had a plan in place and a volunteer (thank you Natalie) to help us get these boys out of the auction house and to Ohio ASAP.  By Tuesday night, all 5 were in Ohio and had received what was probably their first but much needed bath!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To date, we have spent over $3000.00 to get these 5 boys into our program.  We had to pay $315 for each dog; pay to fly a volunteer to MO and rent a van to drive them back to Ohio; crates for the transport; boarding for all 5 until we can get them moved to foster homes; vetting and neutering for all 5….we didn’t hesitate to get these Dalmatians out of the breeding system but now we need your help!  Please consider making a tax-exempt donation to our rescue by clicking on the ‘Donate’ button.

We will be updating our website and Facebook page regularly as they progress during their time in rescue.  Right now, they are very very scared as they have never known life outside of a 4×4 pen and with very little human contact.  They are very shut down but we know they have the capacity to learn to trust and love again, it will just take time, love and patience.

Benny – he is approximately 2 1/2 years old.  He is very scared but somewhat curious about his new surroundings.  However, it is heartbreaking to see him shake and flinch when you try to pet him.  He has likely not known the touch of a gentle hand but his past is just that and his future will be filled with nothing but love!

 

 

 

Billy is Benny’s littermate and is much more timid than his brother.  He too flinches at every touch but has never shown the slightest bit of aggression – he just tries to shrink down to as small as possible and look away.  He will take some time to learn to trust again and that people are not bad.  He keeps close to the ground and prefers to stay in smaller spaces

 

 

 

Markie is probably the most outgoing of the group (and that isn’t saying much, unfortunately).  He has shown the most curiosity so far and you can tell that he wants so badly to love, he just isn’t sure.  He will actually walk somewhat upright when on a leash although he does get a panicked look in his eye when in open spaces

 

 

 

Sidney – he is older, probably 5-6 years old.  When he came to us he was loaded with fleas and ticks, is overweight and fairly depressed.  A trip to the vet revealed a skin infection and ear infection.  Sidney is now on antibiotics and has been bathed to get rid of the fleas and ticks.  He is so sweet and will literally let people poke and prod at him without so much as a grumble.  He needs some encouragement walking in large open spaces and needs to be helped along.  Hopefully time and healing will help him gain some confidence

 

 

This is Porter – also about 3 years old and a liver boy.  He also has a panicked reaction when in open spaces – he just looks for a way to escape.  He doesn’t make eye contact but he will give you a quick lick then run away.  Like the others, we know he has the capacity to forget his former life and blossom into a loving dog

 

 

UPDATE:

10/25/2012: The Dals that we rescued from the Missouri Puppy Mill have now been in rescue for a little over a month.  And while the progress is slow, they are making slow improvement and learning to be real dogs! All of them are in foster homes with the exception of Billy but he is receiving excellent care at Hocking Hills Boarding Kennel.  Porter is now able to be outside in the backyard without being too overwhelmed although loud noises still scare him.  He is doing better on his walks and he is slowly learning to trust his foster family.

 

 

 

 

 

Sidney is learning that life outside of his crate isn’t so bad.  He no longer has to be coaxed out of his crate, he will come out on his own and go look for his foster dad.  He gets along well with his foster brother Freeway.  Slowly but surely, Sidney is learning that life in a real home is pretty good!

12/10/2012 Update: Sidney is now in his forever home!!

 

 

 

 

 

Markie is making the most progress by far – he has actually come a long way and is actually outgoing compared to the rest of the crew!  He is curious and oh so anxious to be a normal dog, he is still figuring out just how to do that.  He has discovered the comfort of sleeping on the cushy dog bed that is in the closet (he feels safe that way)

 

 

 

 

 

Benny is also doing well and is slowly adapting to his new foster home.  He likes his walks and seems to do better with other dogs who can show him the ropes.  Here he is with Markie after a walk together

12/10/2012 Update: Benny is now in his forever home!!

 

 

 

 

Billy is the slowest to adjust but he is making progress.  He recognizes his name and actually looks forward to his walks.  He is curious but prefers to observe things from a safe distance.  Baby steps but he is slowly coming out of his shell.  Many thanks to John for working with him until we find a foster home for him

12/10/2012 update: Billy finally has a foster home!

 

 

 

 

 

Many many thanks to the wonderful people who have taken these boys into their homes and let them into their hearts.  The rewards of seeing them progress and discover a truly new life is priceless and it is why we do what we do!

 

 

 

Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue

Established in 2004, Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization. It is made up of a network of foster homes and un-paid volunteers who work to rescue abused, abandoned, unwanted and homeless Dalmatians.

Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue does not have a physical location or shelter. We utilize foster homes: people who take the dogs into their homes where they become part of the family while they wait to go to their forever home.  Because we are all volunteers, many with full time jobs, please be patient when sending an inquiry, we will make every effort to respond within 48 hours.

We are always in need of foster homes! They only way we can continue to rescue the large numbers of Dalmatians in need is through expanding our foster home network.  We do not kennel or board the dogs who are in our rescue on a long term basis.  We believe the only way to truly evaluate a dog is to get them into a home environment.  This allows us to know as much as possible about the dogs in our program which helps ensure the best possible match when they are adopted out.  Due to the limited number of foster homes available, we focus on those Dalmatians who are in shelters and at greatest risk of being euthanized.  If you have a Dalmatian that you can not keep, please visit the Giving Up Your Dalmatian section of our website.  At this time, we can not accept owner surrenders due to limited space.  But, we will work with you to try to help you keep your Dalmatian.

Where are we? The majority of our volunteers and foster homes are in Ohio and Michigan.  We will take in Dalmatians from other states as room permits.  We have no physical location so our space is limited to the number of foster homes that we have.  When you make a donation, the funds go to help all Dalmatians in our program, regardless of their location.

Why Are Donations so important? Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue is a 501 C 3, tax-exempt, non-profit organization. We depend on monetary donations to help cover all of the costs of rescuing and caring for our foster dogs.   To see the average cost of a dog we take into rescue, visit The Cost of Rescue section.  We do not receive any federal or state assistance and we have no paid staff.  We incur an average of $25,000 in vet bills annually and we rely on donations on our adoption fee to cover these bills.  The rescue is run by a small group of volunteers dedicated to their love of the breed.  We have approximately 8 active foster homes and 20 volunteers who assist in transports, vet appointments, reviewing applications, attending various events, fundraising and the day to day operations.  Even our website is updated by volunteers!  So as you can see, any donation amount, no matter how small is appreciated.  If you would like to make a donation, please click on the button on the right. For more information on the benefits of donating, please visit our Help the Dals page.

You can contact us at: questions@gotspots.org

Mailing Address: SCDR 10908 Courthouse Rd Suite 102, Box 277  Fredericksburg, VA 22408

 

We are now a registered partner with Pets for Patriots!