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Puppy Mills Leave Deep Emotional Scars

Dogs who come from puppy mills carry emotional scars that can last for years, even after they’ve been rescued and placed in good new homes.

That’s the result of a study conducted by three veterinarians.

“This study gives us strong evidence that the dogs kept in these large-scale breeding facilities don’t just suffer while they’re confined there, but carry the emotional scars out with them for years,” said Frank McMillan of Best Friends Animal Society, who conducted the research with James Serpell and Deborah Duffy of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. The study is to be published in Applied Animal Behavior Science.

In a follow-up to the research, McMillan asked people who have adopted puppy mill dogs how they helped their pets to adjust to their new lives. Most of them said that patience is most important. Many of them added that having another dog in the home is important – especially a well-adjusted one.

Read the full article by Sharon Peters at USA Today.