By By KATHY HEMPEL / Niles Daily Star
ELKHART, Ind. – It is hard to believe Patrick and Latte have ever had a problem in the world. They scurry about their Elkhart home like the lively little pups they are, bringing joy to all who meet them.
Oh, they may not jump on the furniture like their older roommate Cinnamon. They can't.
Both Patrick and Latte are rescue pups, born with birth defects and brought into the life of their owner Betty Gillespie through the Second Chance Small Dog Rescue based in Elkhart, Ind.
Second Chance places dogs surrendered to the organization by owners or breeders throughout Michiana including Berrien and Cass counties. Mary Krause is a physical therapist by profession, who began Second Chance Small Dog Rescue with friend, Mary Grove.
At one time she thought of becoming a vet, but now is glad she kept it as her passion.
She began caring for dogs while volunteering to groom dogs at the Elkhart Animal Shelter. The need for an alternative to having to euthanize dogs no one claimed in time was obvious to her.
Krause is emphatic when she says, "Very few dogs are not redeemable."
Patrick and Latte are perfect examples of that belief.
Patrick, the 18-month-old toy poodle was born with no knee joints in his hind legs. Still he propels himself around the house at an admirable speed.
Latte, just a year old in July, is a Havanese. This is a Bichon Frise/Maltese mix recognized as a distinctive breed by the American Kennel Club in 1996. Latte was born with genetically defective shortened front legs.
Given their birth defects, the future for these pups as the purebred dogs they are, would not necessarily be bright, due to their being seen as unsellable. Given the fact each was rescued from a breeding operation commonly referred to as a "puppy mill," were it not for the Krauses, Groves and Gillespes of the world, any future at all would be doubtful.
When the call first came in to Krause to see if her group would be interested in taking Latte in, they were told that if not, the breeder had a neighbor who would probably take the dog in to breed.
"We rushed out to rescue her right away. We couldn't imagine how Latte would ever successfully carry and deliver a litter of pups. Her front legs would never support the weight and some of the puppies would certainly be crushed. But some people just don't see that as cruel," said Krause.
Animals are often fostered to loving homes when they first come into rescue. Those who have been used as breeders in puppy mills are particularly needy. Some have never seen life outside of the very small crates – often stacked several high – not kept in the cleanest condition.
One of the first things those who foster the dogs do is work to help the animals become housebroken. Accidents are common and lots of loving patience is a must.
Patrick was the first to arrive at Gillespie's front door a year ago. She already had Cinnamon a four-year-old Yorkie she had secured from a reputable breeder.
Like so many of the dogs when they are first fostered, "these pups were a bit backward. They don't know how to react to a home setting. Latte had to be taught to play," Gillespie said. "Just like people the better socialized they are, the happier they are."
Luckily, both Patrick and Latte adjusted well. Gillespie makes it a point not to cater to their handicaps and so both have compensated for what the defected legs with their good ones. They adjusted so well that she realized that she could not bear to part with them, so now they are permanently adopted into her home.
Looking for a dog to bring into your family is serious business. Second Chance Small Dog Rescue has a warning for those looking for the family pet.
"If the breeder or pet store cannot or will not tell you where the dog has come from, that should be a red flag. Many pet stores no longer carry dogs because so many of their animals came from puppy mills and although the animal was cleaned up for sale, many would be found to be malnourished or ill. Animal lovers have long protested the action of stores who buy their dogs from puppy mills. Now we do adoption events right at the pet stores. It has become a win-win situation," Krause said.
Of course she and the 25-30 members of Second Chance Small Dog Animal Rescue want you to know the advantages of adopting a rescue dog. They are many.
When adopting an animal from a rescue some are surprised to find there is a fee. This should not be surprising when one considers often the rescuers have to pay to get the dogs out of breeders' hands. Add to that the cost of fostering the animal, the vet bills each animal inevitably incurs for needles, heartworm, flea and tick treatments, spay or neutering, any health concerns and often dental work on top of the cost of feeding and maintaining homes for them.
Some of the more traumatized dogs can be in a foster situation for more than six months before they are ready to be placed. The fees charged are much less than that of professional breeders and when you get a dog from rescue you know it has been thoroughly checked out.
"We try to at least recoup the medical costs. On many dogs we don't even do that, on some we do a bit better. The funds we do collect all make it possible for us to rescue more dogs," Krause said.
She emphasized that the group will consider any animal that does not have a home, can no longer be supported by the home they do have and that has no major health concerns like diabetes which involves more cost than the small non-profit can absorb. The group can do what the overcrowded animal shelters that have to place deadlines on the length of time and number of animals they can keep, cannot.
One of the big victories Second Chance Small Dog Rescue has had is now one of the puppy mills they work with is surrendering the breeders a year or so earlier than in the past, to give the group an opportunity to find them a home as their hard days of breeding are over.
If you want to adopt a dog there is a strict procedure the group follows. An application must be filled out and approved. It will ask questions such as do you have a fenced in yard, other pets and who your veterinarian is.
Then very often an initial visit to choose and meet your potential pet will be arranged. Very often already being a pet owner is an advantage as another dog can help your new pet to settle in. You will appreciate that these animal rescuers want to interview you too. They know that their charges have already had a difficult time and their aim to find just the right match for both of you.
Think of Patrick and Latte and don't dismiss an animal just because it may have a disability. They may turn out to be just the dog that will return your love and care to you many times over.
Should you think you would like to learn more about fostering or adopting a small dog, call Mary Krause at (574) 295-7184. Second Chance Small Dog Rescue also welcomes those who might like to join the group which meets 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at Hunter's Place Restaurant at 2703 S. Main St. in Elkhart, Ind.