Welcome home, Otto.
Twelve years ago, our house had four energetic dogs and two cats under its roof. There were pet shenanigans occurring at any given time of the day or night. Over those years, we said goodbye to those four sweet dogs and one amazing cat. Though three of them lived for 18 mostly healthy years and one for nearly 16, each loss sent us reeling.
Three months ago, our last dog passed away, and the collective grief from all of the losses was compounded. I swore I wanted to wait two years until adopting our next dog. My family would do some in-house dog-sitting, travel without the expense of a dog sitter and experience the freedom that comes with being dogless. Three months of quiet, if you don’t count the rowdy 8-year-old human, was divine.
On April 4, we saw a Facebook post about 70 dogs that had been rescued by Zoe’s House Rescue two weeks prior. The dogs all came from local commercial breeders. Puppy mills are big business, and Lancaster County has the highest concentration of operating puppy mills in the United States. These operations can produce several different breeds of dogs simultaneously, putting litters up for sale at the same time. They are like manufacturing plants where mother dogs are forced to birth litter after litter, year after year, with little to no veterinary care, human interaction or any comforts.
When they’re old enough, the puppies are groomed to look adorable and sold to unsuspecting consumers who don’t realize the abuse that the mother has endured. In a best-case scenario, when the mother is no longer productive, she might be relinquished to a rescue like Zoe’s House, where she can be treated by a veterinarian and get a chance to experience life outside of a cramped, filthy cage with no temperature control. When her puppies don’t sell, they might also be turned over to a rescue to make room for brand new pups – if they are lucky.
Facebook pictures of these rescued dogs were heartbreaking. There were puppies and adults with dirty and matted hair, urine-stained fur, bald patches, overgrown nails, severe dental disease and malnourishment. These dogs looked fearful and broken. Their eyes told a story you wouldn’t want to hear. In contrast, the photos of the volunteers caring for the dogs told another story of compassion, tenderness and hope.
Then, on April 5, my family and I saw a Zoe’s House poodle mix puppy available on Facebook. His name was Otto, and his soulful eyes spoke to us. Any plan we had for waiting was cast aside, and we immediately submitted an application. It turns out that 5-month-old Otto was one of the 70 dogs they had just rescued in the prior weeks.
Three days later, we got the news from his foster mom that we were chosen to be Otto’s new family. She had provided a loving home after his difficult first four months of life. He came home with us a week after we applied for him, and we are in love. Otto is home, safe and loved beyond measure.