Understanding Puppy Farm Rescue Dogs
Roodewal Kennels was exposed as a large miniature schnauzer puppy farm empire. With a kingpin at the top doing the marketing with many other breeders contracted to supply miniature schnauzer puppies into the network. It has been shut down. Between Schnauzer Friends South Africa and the SPCA's 320 breeding ex Roodewal Kennel breeding stock schnauzers were rescued, sterilized, medically treated and rehomed into loving homes. These dogs were kept in horrific conditions outside with little human contact, while locked into the breeding cycle, without a voice of their own. Many were emotionally broken and need extensive rehabilitation. They now have a chance to be loved pets!
Puppy Mills or puppy farms are so well defined by "Best friend’s animal Society"
Chris from our rescue team says: "A puppy mill can be defined as any profit-centered breeding facility in which the number of dogs has exceeded the owner’s ability and/or willingness to meet the physical and emotional needs of all of the animals to a degree that permits the animals to have a decent quality of life"
Defining what we mean by “puppy mill” is crucial because many in the commercial breeding industry define “puppy mill” in a way that applies only to those facilities with deplorable conditions. They dismiss talk about the misery of dogs in puppy mills with “That’s not us.” They are even fond of proclaiming that they don’t want puppy mills any more than anyone else does, because puppy mills tarnish the reputation of the “licensed and inspected breeders” — that is, themselves.
When I walked the farm for the first time my heart stood still, my eyes flowing from one pen to another "so many dogs", at first I noted all the happy bouncy crazy schnauzers, the one's like we all have at home, full of lick's and kisses. Then I started noticing that some would not approach me, some sitting in corners cowering, the mommy with puppies in the shed that wets herself when you approach.
These are the forgotten guys, the guys that stayed behind on the farm, the guys that did not get to go to "adoption day". I cannot leave them behind and therefore we will be starting a special adoption opportunity for these "scratched souls". Most are not aggressive and will just need a stable home where they can recover from human crimes committed against them.
The time has come to help that dog that you have always wanted to."
Chris from our rescue team says: "A puppy mill can be defined as any profit-centered breeding facility in which the number of dogs has exceeded the owner’s ability and/or willingness to meet the physical and emotional needs of all of the animals to a degree that permits the animals to have a decent quality of life"
Defining what we mean by “puppy mill” is crucial because many in the commercial breeding industry define “puppy mill” in a way that applies only to those facilities with deplorable conditions. They dismiss talk about the misery of dogs in puppy mills with “That’s not us.” They are even fond of proclaiming that they don’t want puppy mills any more than anyone else does, because puppy mills tarnish the reputation of the “licensed and inspected breeders” — that is, themselves.
When I walked the farm for the first time my heart stood still, my eyes flowing from one pen to another "so many dogs", at first I noted all the happy bouncy crazy schnauzers, the one's like we all have at home, full of lick's and kisses. Then I started noticing that some would not approach me, some sitting in corners cowering, the mommy with puppies in the shed that wets herself when you approach.
These are the forgotten guys, the guys that stayed behind on the farm, the guys that did not get to go to "adoption day". I cannot leave them behind and therefore we will be starting a special adoption opportunity for these "scratched souls". Most are not aggressive and will just need a stable home where they can recover from human crimes committed against them.
The time has come to help that dog that you have always wanted to."
Resources to assist in adopting and fostering rescue dogs .......
Understanding our Schnauzer Friends Rescue Project Socialisation Categories......
These are three loose category definitions used by the Schnauzer Friends South Africa Rescue Team.
Category 1 - we are the sociable, happy go lucky guys and gals, we may have one or two traits but hey we are schnauzers, we will fit into your home fairly easily and will require minimum rehabilitation. We just need a little bit of love and "bang" we are all yours. (Anybody can adopt us)
Category 2 - we are scared and unsure of what life is about we are not aggressive, we are prepared to come out of our shell with adequate love and understanding, we will need some rehabilitation as we have not encountered much human love. We will not run away all the time, but will not approach you if we have not gained your trust. Lilly that Jacqui Chetty is looking after falls in this category and she has already made amazing progress!!!! (Anybody can adopt us but we will need special care in regards to rehabilitation as it may take awhile to know how to be schnauzers - Schnauzer Friends can be contacted to assist in this process and give advice.
Category 3 - we have been battered and bruised, our hearts are very sore, most of us are extremely scared and will run away until we gain your trust. One or two of us are angry and scared at the same time so might just nip you if you try too hard to fast. But we still have hope in our hearts that some humans are kind and caring. (We will need special humans to help us, humans that have previously worked with lost souls like ours, we have not lost all hope yet and there is still time to save us - Schnauzer Friends can be contacted to assist in this process and give advice.
These are three loose category definitions used by the Schnauzer Friends South Africa Rescue Team.
Category 1 - we are the sociable, happy go lucky guys and gals, we may have one or two traits but hey we are schnauzers, we will fit into your home fairly easily and will require minimum rehabilitation. We just need a little bit of love and "bang" we are all yours. (Anybody can adopt us)
Category 2 - we are scared and unsure of what life is about we are not aggressive, we are prepared to come out of our shell with adequate love and understanding, we will need some rehabilitation as we have not encountered much human love. We will not run away all the time, but will not approach you if we have not gained your trust. Lilly that Jacqui Chetty is looking after falls in this category and she has already made amazing progress!!!! (Anybody can adopt us but we will need special care in regards to rehabilitation as it may take awhile to know how to be schnauzers - Schnauzer Friends can be contacted to assist in this process and give advice.
Category 3 - we have been battered and bruised, our hearts are very sore, most of us are extremely scared and will run away until we gain your trust. One or two of us are angry and scared at the same time so might just nip you if you try too hard to fast. But we still have hope in our hearts that some humans are kind and caring. (We will need special humans to help us, humans that have previously worked with lost souls like ours, we have not lost all hope yet and there is still time to save us - Schnauzer Friends can be contacted to assist in this process and give advice.
Paws4udogs - Tips for Traumatized Dogs
https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2014/08/25/5-tips-for-traumatized-dogs/
In recent weeks, we’ve discussed fearful and brittle dogs. Some dogs can have the best start in life and still grow up with behavioral concerns. Other dogs missed out on critical socialization experiences as puppies, which impacted their development. But what about dogs who have had it even worse? How does trauma impact dogs?
Some of the dogs we take into our homes don’t just come from neglectful pasts but have lived with outright abuse. Sometimes this abuse has been due to mistreatment at the hands of a past owner, and sometimes it has happened in the current home despite to the owner’s very best intentions. Trauma has a lifelong impact on many dogs.
Training is still an unregulated field, which means that there are still many so-called trainers who use aversive training techniques to address behavioral problems. There’s a reason why the AVSAB, the organization for the premier experts in animal behavior, has a position statement regarding the use of punishment in training. Manufacturing fear or avoidance in an already panicked animal does not create an environment where critical learning can take place. I’ve heard of trainers shocking dogs who suffer from separation anxiety for barking in their crates, hanging dog-aggressive dogs by their neck when they lunged at others, and strapping electronic collars to dogs’ genitals in the name of behavior modification.
Remember that you are your dog’s advocate. If something doesn’t seem right to you, it is up to you to put your foot down and protect your dog. Even something as seemingly mild as squirting a reactive dog with a water bottle or gently placing a frightened dog into a fear-inducing situation (such as setting a dog who is afraid of slippery floors onto the middle of the kitchen floor) and preventing that dog from leaving can have long-lasting consequences. While you may have had the best intentions when you followed the advice of the trainer on TV or tried a technique that your coworker swears by, if your dog responded by panicking or shutting down and if you’ve noticed that your dog’s behavior has deteriorated since that time, it’s possible that your dog could be experiencing a canine version of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD.
PTSD is most well-known as a disorder frequently experienced by veterans, but any survivor of trauma may experience the symptoms. Little is known about why some individuals experience symptoms that can range from mild to debilitating while others who were present in the same event can emerge unscathed.
Extreme fear oftentimes results in altered perceptions of the event. Triggers associated with the fearful event do not engage the hippocampus, which is usually responsible for memory, but rather the amygdala, which is responsible for emotions. Strong flashbacks to the original panic state can be instantaneous, and are not under the dog’s conscious control. Just as you’re unable to control the contraction or dilation of your pupils when you feel strong emotions, a dog experiencing Post Traumatic Stress symptoms such as this is absolutely unable to stop feeling the way he does in the moment.
The triggers for this flashback state may not make logical sense. Scents, textures, certain movements, and even the time of day can all trigger this instant fear reaction. While some triggers are easily explained, such as Layla flinching and dropping to the floor the first time I carried a rolled up newspaper into the house or a previous foster dog slinking away if he smelled alcohol on a visitor’s breath, others are less easy to tease apart and may never be completely identified. A foster dog several years ago would occasionally yelp when he was touched, even after soliciting attention, but the vet could find nothing physically wrong and his quick fear reaction never manifested twice when the same area of his body was touched. Another dog that I’m working with right now will begin trembling for no apparent reason several times a week, hiding under the bed and occasionally voiding her bladder in terror. While her owners are keeping diligent notes, they haven’t been able to pinpoint the source of these episodes.
If your dog has a history of trauma, whether suspected or confirmed, here are some guidelines to remember.
1. The dog determines what’s traumatizing, not you. While you may not have thought that holding your dog down for a simple nail trim was that big a deal, your dog may have a different opinion. Watch your dog’s body language for signs of stress such as lip licking, yawning, slower or faster movement, freezing, and turning away so that you can intervene if a situation starts to go south. Pushing through such situations can almost guarantee that they’ll create new fear triggers in many dogs.
2. Create safe places. One of the reasons that mat work is so very helpful for so many dogs is due to its clear structure of safety. By making the mat a positive place where treats, relaxation, and massage take place, we can create a positive conditioned emotional response to the mere presence of this training tool. Once the mat becomes a safe place, make sure to keep it that way. Don’t let anything bad happen to your dog on the mat. You can create other safe spaces as well – places in your dog’s environment where good things happen and where there is no pressure placed on the dog.
3. Give your dog choices. One of the fastest ways to traumatize any mammal is to take away all of his or her choices. Manufacture opportunities for your dog to make choices about his or her environment, schedule, and care as much as possible. Whether you let your dog decide which way to turn at the end of the block, wait for your dog to offer a foot for nail trimming, play with nose work, or give your dog several different beds to choose to sleep on, choice is hugely important. Set your dog up to make good choices, then reward those choices to build the dog’s confidence.
4. Always try to end on a good note. Research has shown that people who experienced identically unpleasant procedures created very different memories of those procedures depending on how traumatic the final moments of the procedure were. While we don’t know whether dogs have the same cognitive recall abilities, it certainly doesn’t hurt to try to make the last few seconds of any unpleasant experience as pleasant as possible. For example, Layla is very concerned about having her feet handled. I file her nails instead of clipping them because this is more comfortable for her, and she is in control of how fast or slow nail trimming sessions go. She is also free to leave at any time if she gets too scared. At the end of every nail-trimming session, I practice simply touching the nail file to her toenails for less than a second, followed by a food reward. Because each session ends with these quick successes, she’s more comfortable allowing me to handle her feet when it comes time for the next session.
5. Your dog is not his story. If your dog has a history of trauma, it’s important to be aware of that past, but equally important to help your dog succeed in the present. Too often, we get caught up in the stories we tell ourselves about our dogs’ pasts, and forget to pay attention to the animal in front of us. While trauma can have lasting consequences due to its huge impact on the way the brain develops and processes information, patient behavioral modification and an environment of safety can have equally powerful effects. See your dog for who he is in the moment, rather than who you expect him to be. He may surprise you.
In recent weeks, we’ve discussed fearful and brittle dogs. Some dogs can have the best start in life and still grow up with behavioral concerns. Other dogs missed out on critical socialization experiences as puppies, which impacted their development. But what about dogs who have had it even worse? How does trauma impact dogs?
Some of the dogs we take into our homes don’t just come from neglectful pasts but have lived with outright abuse. Sometimes this abuse has been due to mistreatment at the hands of a past owner, and sometimes it has happened in the current home despite to the owner’s very best intentions. Trauma has a lifelong impact on many dogs.
Training is still an unregulated field, which means that there are still many so-called trainers who use aversive training techniques to address behavioral problems. There’s a reason why the AVSAB, the organization for the premier experts in animal behavior, has a position statement regarding the use of punishment in training. Manufacturing fear or avoidance in an already panicked animal does not create an environment where critical learning can take place. I’ve heard of trainers shocking dogs who suffer from separation anxiety for barking in their crates, hanging dog-aggressive dogs by their neck when they lunged at others, and strapping electronic collars to dogs’ genitals in the name of behavior modification.
Remember that you are your dog’s advocate. If something doesn’t seem right to you, it is up to you to put your foot down and protect your dog. Even something as seemingly mild as squirting a reactive dog with a water bottle or gently placing a frightened dog into a fear-inducing situation (such as setting a dog who is afraid of slippery floors onto the middle of the kitchen floor) and preventing that dog from leaving can have long-lasting consequences. While you may have had the best intentions when you followed the advice of the trainer on TV or tried a technique that your coworker swears by, if your dog responded by panicking or shutting down and if you’ve noticed that your dog’s behavior has deteriorated since that time, it’s possible that your dog could be experiencing a canine version of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD.
PTSD is most well-known as a disorder frequently experienced by veterans, but any survivor of trauma may experience the symptoms. Little is known about why some individuals experience symptoms that can range from mild to debilitating while others who were present in the same event can emerge unscathed.
Extreme fear oftentimes results in altered perceptions of the event. Triggers associated with the fearful event do not engage the hippocampus, which is usually responsible for memory, but rather the amygdala, which is responsible for emotions. Strong flashbacks to the original panic state can be instantaneous, and are not under the dog’s conscious control. Just as you’re unable to control the contraction or dilation of your pupils when you feel strong emotions, a dog experiencing Post Traumatic Stress symptoms such as this is absolutely unable to stop feeling the way he does in the moment.
The triggers for this flashback state may not make logical sense. Scents, textures, certain movements, and even the time of day can all trigger this instant fear reaction. While some triggers are easily explained, such as Layla flinching and dropping to the floor the first time I carried a rolled up newspaper into the house or a previous foster dog slinking away if he smelled alcohol on a visitor’s breath, others are less easy to tease apart and may never be completely identified. A foster dog several years ago would occasionally yelp when he was touched, even after soliciting attention, but the vet could find nothing physically wrong and his quick fear reaction never manifested twice when the same area of his body was touched. Another dog that I’m working with right now will begin trembling for no apparent reason several times a week, hiding under the bed and occasionally voiding her bladder in terror. While her owners are keeping diligent notes, they haven’t been able to pinpoint the source of these episodes.
If your dog has a history of trauma, whether suspected or confirmed, here are some guidelines to remember.
1. The dog determines what’s traumatizing, not you. While you may not have thought that holding your dog down for a simple nail trim was that big a deal, your dog may have a different opinion. Watch your dog’s body language for signs of stress such as lip licking, yawning, slower or faster movement, freezing, and turning away so that you can intervene if a situation starts to go south. Pushing through such situations can almost guarantee that they’ll create new fear triggers in many dogs.
2. Create safe places. One of the reasons that mat work is so very helpful for so many dogs is due to its clear structure of safety. By making the mat a positive place where treats, relaxation, and massage take place, we can create a positive conditioned emotional response to the mere presence of this training tool. Once the mat becomes a safe place, make sure to keep it that way. Don’t let anything bad happen to your dog on the mat. You can create other safe spaces as well – places in your dog’s environment where good things happen and where there is no pressure placed on the dog.
3. Give your dog choices. One of the fastest ways to traumatize any mammal is to take away all of his or her choices. Manufacture opportunities for your dog to make choices about his or her environment, schedule, and care as much as possible. Whether you let your dog decide which way to turn at the end of the block, wait for your dog to offer a foot for nail trimming, play with nose work, or give your dog several different beds to choose to sleep on, choice is hugely important. Set your dog up to make good choices, then reward those choices to build the dog’s confidence.
4. Always try to end on a good note. Research has shown that people who experienced identically unpleasant procedures created very different memories of those procedures depending on how traumatic the final moments of the procedure were. While we don’t know whether dogs have the same cognitive recall abilities, it certainly doesn’t hurt to try to make the last few seconds of any unpleasant experience as pleasant as possible. For example, Layla is very concerned about having her feet handled. I file her nails instead of clipping them because this is more comfortable for her, and she is in control of how fast or slow nail trimming sessions go. She is also free to leave at any time if she gets too scared. At the end of every nail-trimming session, I practice simply touching the nail file to her toenails for less than a second, followed by a food reward. Because each session ends with these quick successes, she’s more comfortable allowing me to handle her feet when it comes time for the next session.
5. Your dog is not his story. If your dog has a history of trauma, it’s important to be aware of that past, but equally important to help your dog succeed in the present. Too often, we get caught up in the stories we tell ourselves about our dogs’ pasts, and forget to pay attention to the animal in front of us. While trauma can have lasting consequences due to its huge impact on the way the brain develops and processes information, patient behavioral modification and an environment of safety can have equally powerful effects. See your dog for who he is in the moment, rather than who you expect him to be. He may surprise you.
Bestfriends.org
Best Friends is an organisation in the USA that is working hard to combat puppy mills, one of the major contributors to animal homelessness, through public awareness campaigns, legislative work, and encouragement of adopting rather than purchasing pets. Here are some great resources available on their website
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/Rehabilitating-Your-Rescued-Dog-Using-Positive-Gentle-And-Kind-Techniques/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/Help-For-Specific-Issues-With-Adopted-Puppy-Mill-Dogs/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/Understanding-And-Caring-For-Rescued-Puppy-Mill-Dogs/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/What-Is-A-Puppy-Mill/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/How-To-Be-Sure-Your-Next-Dog-Is-Not-From-A-Puppy-Mill/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/Rehabilitating-Your-Rescued-Dog-Using-Positive-Gentle-And-Kind-Techniques/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/Help-For-Specific-Issues-With-Adopted-Puppy-Mill-Dogs/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/Understanding-And-Caring-For-Rescued-Puppy-Mill-Dogs/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/What-Is-A-Puppy-Mill/
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/How-To-Be-Sure-Your-Next-Dog-Is-Not-From-A-Puppy-Mill/
Understanding and Caring for Rescued Puppy Mill Dogs
By Franklin D. McMillan
January 2014 (Source bestfriends.org)
http://bestfriends.org/Resources/Understanding-And-Caring-For-Rescued-Puppy-Mill-Dogs/
Commercial breeding establishments, or puppy mills, have existed for more than half a century, and in that time tens of thousands of the dogs held in these facilities for breeding purposes have been fortunate enough to escape their confined existence and make their way into adoptive homes. Over the years, it has been abundantly clear that a large proportion of these dogs show evidence of psychological harm in their behaviors and emotional responses to normal life.
At the outset, it’s important to clearly define what we’re talking about. Here is our definition of “puppy mill”: any profit-centered breeding facility in which the number of dogs has exceeded the owner’s ability and/or willingness to meet the physical and emotional needs of all of the animals to a degree that permits the animals to have a decent quality of life.
Defining what we mean by “puppy mill” is crucial because many in the commercial breeding industry define “puppy mill” in a way that applies only to those facilities with deplorable conditions (i.e., “those things you see on Oprah”). They dismiss talk about the misery of dogs in puppy mills with “That’s not us.” They are even fond of proclaiming that they don’t want puppy mills any more than anyone else does, because puppy mills tarnish the reputation of the “licensed and inspected breeders” — that is, themselves. (For an example of how large-scale breeders try to distinguish themselves from puppy mills, see this article from The Kennel Spotlight, the trade journal for commercial breeders: www.kennelspotlight.com/The_Never_Ending_Battle.pdf.)
With the extensive personal experience by those who find homes for these dogs as well as the adopters themselves, much anecdotal information has arisen and spread by word of mouth and in some written formats. This information has provided some useful guidance in trying to help these dogs overcome their psychological and emotional challenges. Until recently, however, there was nothing scientific to our understanding of these dogs’ psychological issues, the best methods for their rehabilitation and the outlook for their recovery. A science-based manual for the care of these special dogs was also lacking.
In a series of scientific studies undertaken by Best Friends in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, we have made great headway in advancing our knowledge about former puppy-mill breeding dogs. I have compiled all of this information in this publication. Detailed descriptions of many of the specific methods used and difficult issues encountered in the rehabilitation of puppy mill dogs, such as getting the dog to trust you, socializing the dog to other people and house-training the dog, are included in the companion publication entitled Help for Specific Issues with Adopted Puppy Mill Dogs.
Because puppy mills involve two different groups of dogs — the adult breeding dogs confined in the facilities and the puppies that come from puppy mills to be sold to consumers — I want to clarify that the puppy mill dogs we are referring to here are the adult breeding dogs. (The puppies are the subject of a different study that was recently published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.) One minor point is that many of the participants in the studies were fostering the dogs, so to avoid the wordy “adopters and fosterers” throughout, I will use “adopters” as shorthand for both.
The information I present is divided into these parts:
Part 1: Psychological and behavioral characteristics of rescued puppy mill dogs
Part 2: Rehabilitation and treatment methods for rescued puppy mill dogs
Part 3: The outlook for the dogs’ recovery and long-term well-being
Part 4: Adopters’ experience
Part 5: Advice for adopters
Part 6: Comments from adopters
PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL DOCUMENT.
Commercial breeding establishments, or puppy mills, have existed for more than half a century, and in that time tens of thousands of the dogs held in these facilities for breeding purposes have been fortunate enough to escape their confined existence and make their way into adoptive homes. Over the years, it has been abundantly clear that a large proportion of these dogs show evidence of psychological harm in their behaviors and emotional responses to normal life.
At the outset, it’s important to clearly define what we’re talking about. Here is our definition of “puppy mill”: any profit-centered breeding facility in which the number of dogs has exceeded the owner’s ability and/or willingness to meet the physical and emotional needs of all of the animals to a degree that permits the animals to have a decent quality of life.
Defining what we mean by “puppy mill” is crucial because many in the commercial breeding industry define “puppy mill” in a way that applies only to those facilities with deplorable conditions (i.e., “those things you see on Oprah”). They dismiss talk about the misery of dogs in puppy mills with “That’s not us.” They are even fond of proclaiming that they don’t want puppy mills any more than anyone else does, because puppy mills tarnish the reputation of the “licensed and inspected breeders” — that is, themselves. (For an example of how large-scale breeders try to distinguish themselves from puppy mills, see this article from The Kennel Spotlight, the trade journal for commercial breeders: www.kennelspotlight.com/The_Never_Ending_Battle.pdf.)
With the extensive personal experience by those who find homes for these dogs as well as the adopters themselves, much anecdotal information has arisen and spread by word of mouth and in some written formats. This information has provided some useful guidance in trying to help these dogs overcome their psychological and emotional challenges. Until recently, however, there was nothing scientific to our understanding of these dogs’ psychological issues, the best methods for their rehabilitation and the outlook for their recovery. A science-based manual for the care of these special dogs was also lacking.
In a series of scientific studies undertaken by Best Friends in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, we have made great headway in advancing our knowledge about former puppy-mill breeding dogs. I have compiled all of this information in this publication. Detailed descriptions of many of the specific methods used and difficult issues encountered in the rehabilitation of puppy mill dogs, such as getting the dog to trust you, socializing the dog to other people and house-training the dog, are included in the companion publication entitled Help for Specific Issues with Adopted Puppy Mill Dogs.
Because puppy mills involve two different groups of dogs — the adult breeding dogs confined in the facilities and the puppies that come from puppy mills to be sold to consumers — I want to clarify that the puppy mill dogs we are referring to here are the adult breeding dogs. (The puppies are the subject of a different study that was recently published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.) One minor point is that many of the participants in the studies were fostering the dogs, so to avoid the wordy “adopters and fosterers” throughout, I will use “adopters” as shorthand for both.
The information I present is divided into these parts:
Part 1: Psychological and behavioral characteristics of rescued puppy mill dogs
Part 2: Rehabilitation and treatment methods for rescued puppy mill dogs
Part 3: The outlook for the dogs’ recovery and long-term well-being
Part 4: Adopters’ experience
Part 5: Advice for adopters
Part 6: Comments from adopters
PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL DOCUMENT.
| understanding-and-caring-for-puppy-mill-dogs.pdf |
About Franklin D. McMillan, DVM
Dr. Frank McMillan, director of well-being studies for Best Friends, is a board-certified specialist in veterinary internal medicine. Before coming to Best Friends, he was in private practice in Los Angeles for 23 years and was a clinical professor of medicine at the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. McMillan lectures worldwide and has published dozens of scientific journal articles on the subjects of emotional health and suffering, stress, and quality of life in animals. He is the author of the textbook Mental Health and Well-Being in Animals, and a book for the general public titled Unlocking the Animal Mind.
Dr. Frank McMillan, director of well-being studies for Best Friends, is a board-certified specialist in veterinary internal medicine. Before coming to Best Friends, he was in private practice in Los Angeles for 23 years and was a clinical professor of medicine at the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. McMillan lectures worldwide and has published dozens of scientific journal articles on the subjects of emotional health and suffering, stress, and quality of life in animals. He is the author of the textbook Mental Health and Well-Being in Animals, and a book for the general public titled Unlocking the Animal Mind.
