Danish Hovawart Puppy Mill Meltdown: A Future Ahead

Another day, and again progress. As I write this, the counter shows we reached our target of a 1,000 signatures. In just 4 days. How can I possibly even start to thank you for this? I am deeply grateful and in awe over your involvement in this case.

Pia, Merete and me will jump in the car tomorrow and deliver your signatures to the Chief of Police, Niels Danny Sørensen. Niels is the actual nr.1 person in Denmark that can push T.H.E. button for the final 33 dogs to get out now. Will Niels be my next best friend? We'll find out soon.

Thanks to the growing media attention we can show you this video of the first group of dogs - press play above - that were rescued yesterday. And please do press play, there is no scary footage, just dogs that celebrate their first day on the way towards a new future. The clip about the dogs is from about 30 seconds in, and around 2½ minutes long.

The video, shown on the network TV2 Øst, is in Danish. In short, you will hear Rikke Christenen-Lee, the veterinarian of the animal welfare organization "Dyrenes Beskyttelse", say: "Their fur hides a lot, but when you look closer you will first see the bad shape they really are in." Rikke continuous: "This is a very disturbing case of severe neglect, it is incomprehensible the police have not acted in this case and seized the dogs earlier". The dogs were not abused: "We cannot find any evidence somebody actually did try to harm them physically, they are in a bad shape caused by pure neglect".

Police Chief Niels Danny Sørensen was also interviewed, and on the question "Do you think you have responded to this case in good time?" his answer says it all "That's always something you can discuss, but we responded based on those standards we use and the statements of professionals we received." Stop. Did Niels just answered "No"?. It sounded a lot like "No, because our standards were not equipped for this, and our veterinarians were wrong".

Back to the dogs. There were rumors that they also still bred Golden Retrievers - originally they had two kennels, one for Hovawarts and one for Golden Retrievers - and the footage confirms this. There where a couple of Goldens among them, I have no numbers yet. But boy, I couldn't do anything else then smile when I saw this Golden on the right keeping his dog bowl in this mouth with an expression on his face like he landed in heaven.

And they did land in heaven. The staff of "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" are professionals. Vet's, behavioral experts, facilities. They are exactly in the place they need to be right now to have their "mental timeout".

Earlier today i talked with "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" about all of you that mailed me you would like to adopt one of the dogs or volunteer in the shelter.

They were so happy to hear that, especially because you all were experienced Hovawart owners and some of you had a dog with issues from the puppy mill before. It also warmed my heart, when you, some of you heartbroken about the issues you had with your pets from that place, directly opened that same heart once more to adopt, very well knowing what you are possibly getting into.

Dyrenes Beskyttelse asks for your patience:

"It will take time before the dogs are fully recovered. They each will get their own health plan, and have to be re-socialized, before we can go to the next step. Only our professional staff is working with them now. First when they are healthy and can function as family dogs, we will set them up for adoption."

When that goal is reached, and I am sure they will, all dogs will be set up for adoption over here, where you can apply.

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For the latest and how you can help, visit the page Stop Danish Hovawart Puppy Mill.