“It’s these emotional wounds that can be the most debilitating and can cause needless euthanasia for animals. So that night we determined in June of 2010 that the ASPCA needed a space where abused animals can come and recover, and be dogs,” says Matt Bershadker, the president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey is the first facility ever dedicated to the behavioral rehabilitation of canine victims of animal cruelty, such as dogs from puppy mills and hoarding situations. These dogs at the rehabilitation center undergo treatments and behavior evaluations to make them more suitable for adoption.
Puppy mills are large-scale commercial puppy breeding facilities where profit is put before the well-being of the dogs. Only the breeding dogs stay here; the puppies are sold. The puppy’s parents stay there for the rest of their lives. Puppy mills can have as few as ten dogs to a thousand dogs. The breeding dogs typically live in minuscule cages. Dogs are often kept in cages with wire flooring which can injure their paws and legs. There’s usually no more than six inches longer than the dog in each direction, which is the shortest they can legally be. It’s not unusual for the cages of the dogs the be stacked in columns. This placement is extremely problematic, as urine and feces rain down on the dogs below. The water bowls are full of algae or have feces in them, so it’s not even drinkable. There is a severe lack of veterinary care because the breeders running these facilities want to maximize profit (make as much money as they can). Because of this, there are a lot of mange and skin disease which can be found in dogs in puppy mills. The fur on some of these dogs is so heavily matted that it can tear their skin; and overall, there are a lot of illnesses and general health problems that can easily be treated by a vet; however, these dogs never receive any veterinary care.
Female breeding dogs are bred at every opportunity with little to no recovery time between litters. Once the female breeding dogs reach the point where they can no longer reproduce, they are often killed. Dogs are often bred with little regard for genetic quality, so puppies are prone to congenital and hereditary conditions. Among these are heart disease, blood and respiratory disorders, epilepsy, kidney disease, musculoskeletal disorders, endocrine disorders, blood disorders, deafness, and eye problems. Puppies are also separated from their littermates and mothers at a young age, so they miss out on the critical socialization period for puppies. This time that they should be spending with their mom and littermates helps prevent animals from developing problems such as extreme shyness, aggression, fear and anxiety, and other behavioral problems. There is very little human contact, so dogs shy away from human touch.
The ASPCA estimates that there are around ten thousand puppy mills in the U.S., and Missouri has more than any other state. There are also high concentrations in other areas including Pennsylvania, Ohio and upstate New York. About 99% of puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills.
Another tragic background that many dogs with behavioral problems come from is hoarding situations. Hoarding is a psychological disorder. Hoarding endangers animals and frequently leads to their death. Hoarders are oblivious to the harm they are causing. In some cases, it may be hard to tell the difference between hoarders and people who are genuinely rescuing animals. Over time, a shelter that was once provided for homeless animals can become a dangerous environment. It’s not based on the number of animals on the property, but the quality of life they’re provided.
Many dogs from these backgrounds are so fearful and undersocialized that they can’t get adopted. The ASPCA Rehab Center takes these physically healthy, fearful dogs into their program and works with them to improve their well-being, healing their emotional wounds, and helping them become suitable for adoption. They work on their behavioral issues and assist them in getting used to situations they would likely face as a pet. These practices include exercises such as practicing walking on a leash, moving up and down stairs or thresholds. Many of the protocols run at the center are meant to help them overcome the fear of people, handling, and novelty or experiencing new things. More often than not, food is used to guide the dogs and coach them to get to do something. Sometimes the workers rehabilitating the dogs will use a ‘helper dog,’ who can help the dog recovering to gain more confidence, reduce its stress levels, and have someone to follow. After success in any of these areas that the dog is struggling in, the important thing to do is reinforce the behavior by repeating it over and over multiple times.
After many protocols and evaluations, the dogs have finally overcome the majority of their key issues and are suitable for adoption. Each dog may still have their quirks that their owner(s) will have to work on. The important thing is the progress they’ve made and found loving homes.
“I see them every day staring up at me from behind the kennel doors, and I wonder if this is the day, the day they will find their forever home. Our program is limited in the number of dogs we can work with, but if we take what we’ve learned here and share it with shelters across the country, I believe it will impact millions. The successes that I’ve seen here so far… I will ever forget. It’s been amazing and so rewarding to see these animals… finally enjoy life. Watching them go from suffering and terror to playing and having people touch them… and enjoying that. To see them become pets. I really have no words for how wonderful that is.” – Kristen Collins (Second Chance Dogs).
If you’d like to know more about this topic, visit ASPCA’s website or watch ‘Second Chance Dogs’ directed by Kenn Bell, which is available on Netflix. The film also has a site that you can check out at any time.
Grover Middle School's Jagazine 