Animal rescue groups prepare for adoptions
News 14 | 24 Hour Local News | Triangle | Animal rescue groups prepare for adoptions
video available online & if scroll to bottom of page previous video on these babies
also online links to rescues that are helping place the dogs
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. – It's been three weeks since animal control officers rescued nearly 300 dogs from an alleged puppy mill in Wayne County.
Rescue groups from all over the eastern United States, including several here in North Carolina, now have custody of the dogs and are getting them ready for adoption.
Jo Priestley’s family grew by one on Friday. She adopted a yorkie from the SPCA of Wake County that she named Sampson. “He's just a really cute, cuddly, loving dog and these are the best kind because they're so thankful,” she said. “He was just lovable from the very beginning. We played a little bit. I sat on the floor with him and when he was done playing, he just curled up in my lap.”
Friday evening, Sampson was still curled up in Priestley’s lap, this time in his new Youngsville home. But he hasn't always lived in the lap of luxury.
Sampson was one of nearly 300 dogs animal control officers said were neglected at a puppy mill in Wayne County. Many of them were covered in feces and needed medial attention when they were rescued.
Animal experts said because of the conditions the dogs lived in, they now need extra attention.
“He does need to have his teeth cleaned,” Priestley said. After leaving the SPCA Friday afternoon, she took Sampson to the Vet for a physical.
“They gave me some medication for his ears because they said he has a yeast infection and he was itching,” she said. “Sometime you really can't tell if he has ear mites, but the medication they gave him will take care of the ear mites.”
“It was just sad,” she added. “Some of these dogs had never seen daylight.”
Sampson is the only puppy mill dog that has been adopted out from the SPCA of Wake County. The other dogs are mothers still nursing their young puppies, and being socialized for human interaction.
“You could tell these puppy mill dogs were not used to interacting with people,” Mondy Lamb, a spokesperson for the SPCA of Wake County, said. “One important thing that SPCA foster care volunteers did for these puppies is provide them with socialization, with a routine of being fed by people, a lot of hands-on care to get these animals ready for adoption.”
Sampson was a quick learner, and he’s now ready to finally live the good life.
“He'll be very well loved,” Priestley said with a warm smile.
Lamb said the SPCA of Wake County has received adoption applications for all of the puppy mill dogs.
Friday night, Tir Na Nog Irish Pub held a fundraiser to benefit Pawfect Match, an animal rescue group based in Holly Springs that also has some of the rescued puppy mill dogs.
Both groups said donations and volunteers are essential for them to be able to care for animals in need.
They also have plenty of others who need good homes as well.