TAS South is a bit low on dogs these days so here's a cross posting from Kismutt:

Hi There! I have been named Daisy, and I am a 6 yr. old Cocker Spaniel who has a very sad story to tell you.

I have never known a home. I have never had a soft bed to sleep in. I have never known love, and I have never even had a name until I was saved. I was a puppy mill dog.

I was rescued by Kismutt Rescue from an Amish Puppy Mill on June 5. I had Glaucoma in both my eyes so bad, that both my eyes had to be removed.

Glaucoma is a very painful eye disease, and the suffering I went through was horrendous. I was blind from the Glaucoma before my eye removals, but now that my eyes have been removed I am pain free and loving life again!

I am the sweetest dog you will ever meet.....bar none. I am such a smart girl too, as I have learned how to even climb stairs! I follow Kimberly around everywhere by the sound of her voice, and I know where she is. I love to putter around with you outside while you garden, I love to curl up beside you while you watch T.V. and I will sleep at your feet when you are working on the computer. I also love to sleep on your bed, and I don't move all night. I curl up and don't wake you up at all. The most amazing thing is that since I have come into rescue, I have never had an accident in the house! Puppy mill dogs are not house trained, but for some reason, I will only do my business outside! I have been spayed now, and I am all ready for my new home.

Do you have room in your heart and home for the most darling girl ever!

Kisses, Daisy.

For adoption information on Daisy, please check out her Petfinder profile here.



For adoption information on Daisy, please check out her Petfinder profile here.

Update (July 12): Here's a letter from Kimberley of Kismutt Rescue.

I know that Daisy's story is going to probably bring in many comments. What I want the public to understand, is that I have over 30 Amish Puppy Mills who surrender their sick, injured, old, non producing, or low producing dogs to me. I believe many of Fred's followers on this blog has seen them. I cannot keep up with the amount of dogs I take out of these mills, so I often send them to James McLean of TAS. I am the only person (other than pet stores and brokers) that are allowed in the barns of these mills in Ontario. Secondly, I want the public to know that Daisy's story is not unique. She is by far not unique. On average, I go to a different puppy mill 3-4 times per week getting dogs out just like Daisy. Each and every year I take between 500-600 dogs out of Ontario Amish Puppy Mills. This is my full time job. I rescue mill dogs full time. I do not work outside the home. And thank heavens for TAS who take in many of these dogs for me.

I have read on Fred's blogs over and over from concerned people asking the question...."Are these puppy mills charged?". The answer is no. The reason these mill owners are not charged, is that the Townships give them kennel licences. Example: one puppy mill can have a kennel license for 110 breeding adult dogs. These mills are zoned agricultural. The dogs are deemed as "livestock". Therefore, as long as the dog is provided with food, water, shelter, they are LEGAL. They are inspected once per year. This is the kicker...every single puppy mill gets a minimum of 21 days notice of their inspection date. Therefore, the mills have 3 weeks to clean up, move dogs to secondary locations that they would never want an inspector to see. Daisy's puppy mill, for example, was is in Township of Wellsley. Her puppy mill has a license for 90 adult breeding dogs. He passed his license again, just 3 weeks before I got Daisy. His brand new fresh license was posted inside the barn door. I got Daisy and 6 others on June 5th, in horrible shape, yet he passed his license not only by the Township of Wellsely, but by the SPCA. The Kitchener Humane Society Inspector (I won't mention his name) passed him again this year as he does with all 14 others he inspects that I go to.

The second question people always as me is "Is she reporting them?". The answer is..... report them to who? The OSPCA? They don't care. The Township? They give them the license! So who am I to report them to? The OSPCA's and the SPCA's will have the public belive they shut down puppy mills. That could not be further from the truth. Email Conny Mallory, the Chief inspector for the OSPCA, and ask her why she is not removing dogs from these Amish Puppy Mills. Mention my name if you want. She knows me quite well. Ask her why it is O.K. for these dogs to live in substandard conditions in barns in cages only large enough for them to stand up, turn around, and lay down. These dogs live in these cages 24/7, 365 days a year. Ask her how can these puppy mills pass inspection when there is no ventilation, no heat in the winter and no cooling in the summer? Remember, the Amish don't have hydro...therefore, no cooling, no heat. These are OLD barns. Ask her why is it O.K. that dogs never ever be groomed? Remember, no hydro, therefore no clippers. Ask her why is it O.K. that these dogs have their nails growing into the pads of their feet? Ask her why is it O.K. that dogs like Daisy who have severe Glaucoma and the pressures in her eyes were 36 & 37 and she needed both eyes removed, yet he passed his licence for another year? When I picked up Daisy, one of her eyes (pressure 37) had already burst from it's socket.

No hydro, no hot water to clean with..... just picture what their kennels look like. Ask Conny, how can these mills even pass the Canadian Kennel Code? I just picked up a Shih Tzu and 2 Shar Pei/Pug puppies 12 weeks old last night from one of my 30 mills and all three are bald. They got a skin scraping today at the vet, and they all have sarcoptic mange. I can guarantee that if 3 dogs in that mill have sarcoptic mange, so do 50 more. Ask Conny why this mill just got his license renewed on July 2nd? They didn't go bald and just get sarcoptic mange in the last 10 days!

I know for legal reasons, I can't post the names or addresses of these Amish mills, but I assure you, Conny knows their names and addresses. One of the pups had a huge Hematoma on his left ear which had to be drained today at my vets. The other pup had a huge abscess on the side of his face the size of a peach which had to be drained as well, she also has an ulcerated, perforated eye. I could go on and on, but I hope you share their stories. And I hope, that each and everyone of you will educate your friends, family members, your neighbours, your co-workers of what is happening on our dirt back roads of Ontario with these Amish puppy mills.

The OSPCA won't help. The Townships won't listen. Will you? Toronto passed a ban on puppies being sold in pet stores last September. Mississauga just passed it 2 weeks ago. My goal is get the ban right across Ontario for each city. Please email me if you would like to help me. Each and every one of your voices will count.

Kimberly Thomas www.kismutt.com