Have you ever had a nightmare? 

A nightmare that feels so real you breathe a sigh of relief when you wake up? Some people dream of being trapped underground with no escape, being in the dark, or being alone in a scary place… But for these two Pekinese pups, the nightmare was real and there was no waking up.  

Their lives were made up of the stuff of nightmares. There was no sunshine; no joyful greetings or playtimes, even mundane activities like eating, drinking and sleeping were full of agony, terror and filth. Who can live a life like that?  

There were bars all around, hemming her into a tight cage. Even if she could get out, she could not imagine any place but this. This place was all she knew. She had never seen sunshine, never stretched her legs out on a lawn of grass, or even known what it was like to live free of bars and a cage.  

The Pekinese pup gingerly heaves herself up from where she lays in her own filth, wincing as her fur, matted with a lifetime of neglect, pulls at her skin. She tiptoes to her food and water bowl, also covered with feces, and laps up water from her bowl.  

Her neighbor, a male Pekinese, does the same. Together, they look out into a room crammed with cages. The cages are stacked, one on top of the other, and each holds a dog, caked with their own urine and feces. Each animal in this room shares the same fate: they all have never known a life outside of their tiny cage.  This place, this nightmare, is a puppy mill.

On June 16th, Helen Woodward Animal Center received two very special Pekinese dogs from our rescue partner, St. Francis Animal Sanctuary, located in Tylertown, Mississippi. These two Pekinese, “Fred” and “Ethel,” came from a puppy mill in Louisiana. The previous month, on May 29th, their owner died in a fatal car crash. The local authorities, trying to locate next of kin, found the victim’s home and entered: what they found horrified them.  

The breeder had animals in an assortment of pens, crates, and cages, in and around the home. Most of these animals had never seen the light of day outside, let alone taken one step outside of their cage. They lived in their own urine and feces and were never brushed, bathed, or petted. They were used for one purpose only: to breed puppies so their owner could then sell them for profit.  

After local authorities discovered the mill, they called St. Francis Animal Sanctuary for help. St. Francis, along with other local animal shelters and services, rescued all the animals on the premises including: dogs, miniature horses, and even goats. Our two Pekinese pups went with them. They were given an emergency medical check up and were shaved, freeing them from their neglected and filthy fur coats. Ethel was especially matted. An employee from St. Francis said as soon as Ethel was shaved, she began dancing and wiggling around; a real “dancing queen!” Fred and Ethel had minor skin irritations due to the fecal matter in their matted coats, but responded well to bathing, antibiotics and TLC. 

And so, they came to Helen Woodward Animal Center for adoption. They were given a thorough medical exam and even more TLC. Our staff is amazed that these two dogs, who came from such dire and deplorable circumstances, are as fun-loving and sweet as they are.  We were lucky to meet them, and happy they were free from their nightmare.

Fred and Ethel are recuperating well and waiting for their final vaccinations before they can strut their stuff at the Center. We can’t wait for their debut! They are looking forward to their second chance at life where they will be loved and appreciated their entire lives.