Zachary and Jacob were rescued from a horrendous puppy mill situation in a collaborative effort between several individuals and rescue organizations who worked together to help them.  They had been living in filth and squalor along with approximately sixty other dogs and they were in dire need of veterinary care.

Zachary was one of the smallest dogs at the mill and he had spent years defending himself against the other larger intact males who were all fighting over the females and vying for food and space.  Zachary was almost totally blind as a result of untreated corneal abrasions and ulcers.  He was filthy, matted and completely toothless due to years of neglect.  Zachary was fearful and anxious and despite the fact that he was a senior, he was still being used for breeding right up until the time of his rescue from the mill.  After being rescued, Zachary was neutered, tattooed, vaccinated, de-wormed and his eyes were examined with fluorescein stain to ensure there were no acute corneal ulcers.

Zachary was then placed in a loving foster home so that we could spend some time getting to know him better while he recovered from his surgery.  As expected, Zachary needed confidence building, as well as some help with his housetraining and manners.  Despite his fearfulness, Zachary was sweet and loving and his foster parents quickly realized that they couldn't bear to part with him.  Zachary shared his foster home with his fellow puppy mill survivor, Jacob, and both dogs were officially adopted as permanent members of the family on Christmas Day.

Special thanks to Lynne for sponsoring Zachary and Jacob and assisting with their medical costs.

***An update from Jacob and Zachary's family:

"Jacob and Zachary are dearly loved members of our family.  Zachary, at 3.5 lbs, virtually blind and toothless, is as determined as they come.  He is highly intelligent, overly brave, and logical.  He relishes routine and believes he is the king of the castle.

His greatest fear is to be left alone.  If the house is quiet, he will seek me out, sniff my leg, and then go back and settle.  He does this several times in succession...just to be sure.  He is motivated to regularly check on my whereabouts...afraid he is alone again.

Fortunately, his hearing and scent recognition are excellent.  He is very comfortable in the house and yard, and while he takes very odd and long routes to where he wants to go...he always gets there!  Once the route is established...he emphatically will not change it...no matter what.  He is learning to relax better at sleep, but often still reverts to his "sleep sitting up" behavior.  He has many imaginary phantoms in his head and often believes he is under attack throughout the day.  Most of the time, he is alone in the room with me, but he perceives threats of all kinds and lashes out with hair standing up on end and a hissing noise equal to dinosaurs of old.  We call him "the Raptor".  Once consoled, he stops immediately, and goes back to rest, proudly believing he averted yet another disastrous attack.  It is both amusing and heartbreaking for us, at the same time.

Jacob is young and finding his inner child.  He is finally learning to be proud of himself for short moments, but too easily reverts back to being terrified of life itself.  Every day, we make efforts to build his confidence and make him believe there is no trouble here.  It has been in the last month that we can say...it is working!  He has worked his way from being extremely frightened of life to being very timid.  You can tell he wants so badly to join in, and he tries fiercely to come to our open arms, but at the last minute...he just can't help but turn and run.  He will try several times and then give up.  It is so painfully difficult for him to believe.

He is full of love, enjoys being cuddled, and hangs very close, but is always on guard.  He has made progress, but still wears his prior life.  We will never stop reassuring him and wait for the day when he can let go.  He doesn't stiffen now when we pick him up and is showing signs of joining in play with others.

Their coping skills could not be more different from each other, but we recognize they served their purpose, and we wonder if they will ever be able to let them go completely.  It is an absolute joy to share each day with them.  They have made us extremely important and necessary in their lives, and given us so very much back in return.  They remind us daily of why we do what we do, and reward us with all the love and courage they can muster.  They inspire us, teach and guide us through their world.  We love them beyond words, and are so happy with the level of contentment they have been able to achieve in this, their forever home.

PS: As I write this, they are both in my laundry basket, sleeping atop the clean clothes to be put away."