Quick adoptions for rescued puppy mill dogs

Some of the dogs seized from a massive puppy mill near Shawville, Que., in September went up for adoption this weekend.

The Outaouais SPCA had 14 dogs up for adoption and said if all of them get new owners this weekend, it will bring more next week.

Five of the animals were spoken for within the first half hour at a Petsmart store on Merivale Road in Ottawa on Saturday.

Sue Deschamps already has three dogs but would like to add a fourth, she said.

When she heard the pooches seized from Paws R Us in Quebec's Clarendon Township needed new owners, she jumped at the opportunity to give one a new home.

"I want to rescue one. It's going to be a spoiled dog," Deschamps said.

More than 500 canines were seized in the September raid at Paws R Us, the biggest puppy mill in Canada. Some of those gave birth, and there are now more than 600 dogs being housed in a temporary shelter in Quebec.

The company's owners pleaded guilty last week to 17 charges related to animal cruelty.

Take adoptions seriously: SPCA

The SPCA wants the dogs to get new homes, but warned people to take the decision seriously, especially at this time of year.

"Really think about it, because when you adopt it’s for life. So it's for about 12, 15 years," Outaouais SPCA executive director France Dubois said.

"It's easy to fall in love with a dog, but if it's not a decision that you already thought it through, maybe it's not really a good time to adopt a dog during Christmas time — because you're not often at home, or there's a lot of people at home, so it's not a very good time to integrate a dog in a family."

Dubois added that some of the animals may have behaviour issues because of the conditions they were living under at the puppy mill.

"Usually they are kind of scared for a long time. They have a hard time to trust people…. So they can suffer from anxiety. But it's a work in progress."    

That's not preventing Jennifer Daechsel from getting one for her family, though. 

"A lot of people are a little leery about getting a puppy or a dog from a puppy mill, just because of the treatment they may or may not have received. And I think they deserve a second chance," she said.

All the animals up for adoption will be spayed, neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and de-wormed.