WEST OLIVE, Mich. — Harbor Humane Society will give a set of dogs a better life. The shelter recently partnered with Bissel Pet Foundation to rescue them from a puppy mill in Louisiana.
"They had not been groomed in years," says shelter manager Megan Winters. "It was difficult for some of them to walk, a lot of them had bruising and such from how tight the mats were."
More than 100 dogs were rescued from the puppy mill and 20 of them came to Harbor Humane. Winters personally went to retrieve the dogs and says the situation they were in was grim.
"They did not seem to receive any medical attention," says Winters. "A lot of them needed dental cleanings, teeth removed, a lot of them had ear infections."
But now that they're in good care, the dogs are ready to be loved.
"You can see that there is a glimmer of trust in them, they want to be social with people," says Winters.
The shelter has already adopted out a few of the rescued dogs, but is still looking for a good home for more than half of them. Winters says an ideal adopter will have patience while training the dog.
"Especially for the more skittish ones," she says. "They need a quieter household where there's not a lot of chaos going on."
And she always encourages adopting over shopping from a breeder, which can contribute back to the puppy mill problem.
"Without shelters and without people giving animals a chance by adopting them, these animals would never have a chance to make it out alive," says Winters.
Harbor Humane Society is open Monday through Saturday and encourages visits from prospective adopters.
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