Shih Tzu sisters Alix and Kelly, age 3, were rescued by National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) in late May. The canines had spent their whole lives being bred in a puppy factory in the American Midwest. Everybody and everything in the refuge frightened them.

They would flee to the furthest corner of their kennel and hide beneath the mattresses if someone tried to approach them.

Kim Lehmann, the director of kennel operations at NMDR, said that the puppies had lived in really appalling conditions despite the fact that the NMDR team is unable to disclose much information about this puppy mill.

Kelly Adopted | NMDR
Life was considerably better for Alix and Kelly when they arrived at their shelter: they now shared a large kennel with luxurious beds and with abundance of food and drink. However, they were still quite disturbed from their time in the puppy factory, and they spent the most of the day hiding beneath his bed.

Kelly Adopted | NMDR
Kim stated:

Years spent confined in a cage have an impact. They had no human interaction, were totally isolated, and were unaware of the sights, sounds, and scents of the outside world. So when they are taken out of that environment, everything is fresh. and occasionally they just lack the skills to deal with it.

Kelly Adopted | NMDR
Kim stated:

“Dogs frequently conceal themselves in nooks or beneath beds, as these two females did. We just offer them love, time, and patience, and we see how they change once they understand that we won’t harm them. At that point, they’re in a pretty nice position.”

About two weeks went by during this conduct, but the volunteers never lost up on Alix and Kelly. The canines gained increased self-assurance with people since they were visited frequently in their kennel. After that, they stopped hiding under their beds and even let workers at the shelter carry and cuddle them.

Kelly Adopted | NMDR
Kim stated:

“They began to unwind, and that was precisely the time where they felt at ease socializing with strangers.”

They were able to locate their permanent families after they realized they could trust others. Since the dogs were not very close, Kelly was adopted in June, and Alix was adopted in August. Kim and the rest of the NMDR staff are overjoyed.

Kelly Adopted | NMDR