Puppy Mill Dogs Find New Homes Through Efforts of Save-A-Pet

Thanks to the efforts of in Port Jefferson Station, 20 adult dogs from the Midwest who had been used to breed puppies sold in pet stores will be placed in homes here on Long Island. Save-A-Pet worked with a Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society to rescue the dogs as a part of a program called "Pup My Ride."

The dogs came from what were "deplorable living and breeding conditions," according to a statement released by the rescue shelter. Best Friends picked up the dogs from puppy mills and then transport them in a truck to New York where Save-A-Pet was ready to receive them.

The dogs had to be nursed back to health by local veterinarian Mark Caporasso along with volunteers from the animal shelter. Once they are healthy and spayed or neutered, they’ll be put up for adoption.

According to Dori Scofield, president and founder of Save-A-Pet, the dogs would meet a tragic end if her organization and Best Friends didn’t step in to rescue them.

"Without this program most of the dogs would be killed as they are deemed useless by mill breeders," she said in an email interview with Patch.

Save-A-Pet and Best Friends Animal Society have worked together since 2008 rescuing puppy mill dogs and according to Scofield this is the fifth time they’ve joined forces, placing 180 dogs in homes through the program.

About half of the dogs from the current batch have been adopted with applications pending on the remainder.

In the past, Save-A-Pet has been involved with local pet shops that had been suspected of receiving dogs from puppy mills, including the now-defunct The Perfect Puppy in Stony Brook that was from the time it opened. In that case, the . Some of the dogs were sent to Save-A-Pet to be adopted.

"I can't impress upon people enough to stop buying dogs at pet stores," said Scofield. "They all use puppy mills as their source of puppies.  If the consumer doesn't buy them, then there will be no need for pet stores or puppy mills to exist."

Save-A-Pet is just one organization that has joined "Pup My Ride." While thousands of dogs are saved through the program, Scofield said that many more are not saved.

"Sadly millions die in puppy mills every year across the country," she said. "Beautiful dogs that will never know what it is like to be loved, touched and cared for."