May 16, 2013

Project Mercy. No Bully Left Behind... .

The volunteers of CEBR are super duper excited to share with you a very important rescue in which 23 bulldogs made their way into the care of CEBR this past weekend!  Yes, 23!  And each is beautiful and perfect in our eyes.  In addition to rescuing these bullies, we were able to help out 2 German shorthaired pointers and a miniature pinscher in conjunction with several other rescues.

Volunteers had to keep their mission as quiet as possible to ensure the successful release of these dogs.  Along with the help of several hundred supporters who financially backed this mission with their donations, the volunteers were wildly successful.  Now we are happy to share the details of Project Mercy with you.  We hope you will support CEBR as we strive to provide the best possible care to these neglected dogs that desperately need our help.

The Genesis of Project Mercy

Several CEBR rescuers and others in the rescue community heard about a livestock auction in which bulldogs and other dog breeds were going to be sold between breeders. Normally, we would not participate in this abhorrent practice, but because this particular notorious puppy mill was being forced out of business we knew that we had to help get these dogs out of this vicious breeding cycle or they would be sold to other millers and continue a life stuck in breeding operations with minimal care and attention. 

About This Breeding Operation

This particular breeding operation was one of the worst thaIowa Puppy Millt many in the rescue community had ever seen. The mill housed hundreds of dogs on the property dilapidated buildings covered in filth. The stench of ammonia from unclean kennels and excess urine made many of the people on site physically ill. If the property itself was in this condition you can only imagine the care these dogs never received! 

As this operation was going out of business (thankfully) all of the breeding assets including kennels and supplies, in addition to the dogs, were being auctioned off to others. The problem is that those that attend these auctions to purchase these dogs are typically other large scale commercial breeders. We knew we had to get these dogs out and into safety.

The Condition of the Bullies

All of the 23 bullies that we rescued were covered in grime and many suffer from various infections. Their ears are filled with years of crud and debris, their eyes are cloudy, their legs and paws are callused from standing on wire crates from years on end.  Many have weak and atrophied muscles from lack of exercise.  Their coats are dry and brittle.  Almost all have urinary tract infections and some have hernias and tumors. One poor girl (Rhoda) is missing part of her lip and a few teeth after being attacked by another dog in one of those kennels leaving her permanently scarred and damaged. 

Follow Their Journey

Keep up with the progress of Project Mercy at at http://www.ebullymatch.com/project-mercy.html or on our Facebook page. Plus, you can follow our events and the opportunities to meet the Project Mercy crew on our Meetup site at http://www.meetup.com/bulldogrescue. Please set up a profile (it’s free) and we will introduce you to these dogs on that site as well!

The shock of seeing the condition these dogs were living in makes us so grateful to have supporters that believe as we do that no dog deserves this fate.

Hence the mission.  Project Mercy.  No bulldog left behind……

Getting some TLC at 4:00am by CEBR Volunteers

Getting some TLC at 4:00am by CEBR Volunteers. These dogs will no longer
be just a number.