Here are Molly and Priscilla, two blind Poodle sisters who arrived today from Fort Worth, Texas. These two girls are so incredibly sweet. They came to us in a round-about way from the same folks who sent us Creighton the blind Lab puppy.
While we were working out Creighton's trip to Montana, Debbie L., who runs Southern Paws Standard Poodle and Small Breed Rescue in Vicksburg, Mississippi, mentioned that she had also taken in two blind Poodles and wasn't sure she would be able to adopt them out because of their disability. Debbie had one of the Poodles, Priscilla, and the other, Molly, was in foster care with Jennifer H. in Tallulah, Louisiana, across the state line from Vicksburg. We offered to take the girls if they didn't think they could place them.
Molly and Priscilla had originally been rescued by a lady in Dallas/Forth Worth named Mary S., who had rescued several Poodles in the past. Mary received an email back in January from another woman who told her about two matted, filthy female Poodles who had been turned in to the Fort Worth Animal Control shelter. They were about to be euthanized, and this woman was trying to get them out before that happened.
Mary told me in an email, "I picked them up the next day and even though she had bathed them once, their smell of urine was so strong -- I could barely have them in my car. They were so horribly matted and nasty -- ears infected, kennel cough, about 15 lbs underweight. But they were so docile and happy to get out. I don't think they had ever been on grass -- I think the puppy mill where they must have come from had just kept them in cages and let urine and feces sit in their cages and pile up till it just saturated their bodies. When I got them to my vet, he discovered that they were both blind due to them bumping into every wall and door."
This is what they looked like at the Fort Worth shelter. Can you imagine what these poor things had gone through to look like this?
Well, Mary got them groomed and fixed up, and after a month of caring for them at her house, she found Debbie who agreed to take them into her Poodle rescue. So Mary had them transported from Dallas/Forth Worth to Debbie in Vicksburg.
Because of their size, the girls needed giant crates to fly to Montana, so Jennifer ordered the crates and we sent a check to her to pay for them. But there was no way we could fly them out of the nearest airport in Jackson, Mississippi, because the airlines were only flying smaller regional jets there and these crates were too big. That meant the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.
After hearing that the Poodle sisters were going to Montana, Mary offered to bring them back to her house and keep them until we could get flights arranged, and then she would get them to the airport. On Monday this week, Mary met Debbie and Jennifer in Marshall, Texas, for the "Poodle hand-off," and she drove them back to Dallas/Fort Worth. The girls had made a round-trip via Mississippi and Louisiana!
This morning at 6:15 a.m., Mary dropped Molly and Priscilla at the Northwest Airlines cargo facility at DFW and called to let us know they were on their way. Now, the original plan was that they would fly to Minneapolis today, stay overnight at a boarding facility, and then fly out to Bozeman, Montana, tomorrow. Northwest said they couldn't get them here today because there wasn't enough time to make the connecting flight.
I was in Missoula shortly after 11 a.m. with three of our blind horses at the equine vet clinic when Alayne called me on my cellphone. The Northwest folks in Bozeman had just called, alarmed, to say they had just found out that Northwest in Minneapolis had somehow put the girls on a flight today to Bozeman, and they were en route and scheduled to arrive at 1 p.m.! And they knew we weren't expecting them until tomorrow!
Egads. Bozeman is more than three hours from Missoula. What's worse, this being Montana, these small airports have so little traffic that the airline stations basically shut down between flights. Northwest doesn't have another flight arriving in Bozeman until 9:30 p.m., so they close at 2 p.m. and go home. They don't come back until that last flight comes in.
The Northwest people in Bozeman realized the airline had screwed up, and they agreed to wait at the airport until I could get there. So I hurriedly unhitched the horse trailer at the vet clinic, left the horses with our vet, Dr. Erin Taylor, and headed out on I-90 towards Bozeman. I got there by 3 p.m. The Northwest staff had already taken the girls out for a walk and ... hopefully ... to potty, but no such luck.
They helped me take them and their crates out to the truck, and then I tried to get the girls to go potty too ... equally without luck. They were very shy and timid, and not at all sure they wanted to get out of their crates in the first place. Molly would walk with me on the leash but not Priscilla, so I had to pick her up and carry her out to the grassy area. Molly would bury her face in my lap, her tail down but wagging ever so slightly. Priscilla finally decided she wanted to follow her sister, so she'd press her face against Molly's rear and walk along behind.
I loaded the crates in the truck bed, tied them down, and put the girls in the back seat. They rode the rest of the way back to the ranch, curled up with each other, quiet as can be. Only after we got here and turned them off leash did they finally pee!
Alayne took the photo of me with Molly and Priscilla after we got back to the ranch. We were, I admit, really looking forward to them coming ... we thought having a couple of Poodles would add a little class to the joint, you know?
beautiful dogs now, what a lot of trauma for them. How do blind dogs manage?
Posted by: Karen Deborah | June 19, 2009 at 07:49 PM
Yay!!
Posted by: Kris Leino | September 18, 2008 at 08:06 PM
Thanks so much for sending me this link. I enjoyed the story and hope the girls are doing well. I look forward to reading more. God bless you both!
Posted by: Reagan Edwards | July 01, 2008 at 01:44 PM
The before and after pictures truly show how awful puppy mills are and how loving care can turn the most neglected sweetie into a gorgeous dog. Great work by all involved....what a trip those two had!!! And now they have arrived in paradise, God Bless RDR.
Posted by: Corie | May 11, 2008 at 05:40 PM
I've been away a few days and just catching up with all your posts. I have 8 cats but I'm a major sucker for poodles. Welcome home Molly and Pris, you girls just won the dog lottery! Yea for the "poo-doos."
Posted by: Miranda | April 17, 2008 at 01:57 AM
Thank goodness for dedicated animal rescuers everywhere! Those before and after pictures are UNBELIEVABLE!!
Posted by: Shirley & James, Portland, OR | April 14, 2008 at 10:24 PM
With all their terrible situations behind them...these lovely southern ladies are going to melt your hearts...y'all!
Welcome home Molly and Priscilla!
Posted by: Boundforglory | April 14, 2008 at 09:15 AM
What beautiful southern belles!
Posted by: Kristen D. | April 13, 2008 at 07:00 PM
Thank for rescuing those two beautiful poodle girls! What a wonderful memorial tribute to Dolly, Oscar and the other dogs who have recently gone to the Rainbow Bridge.
Posted by: Julie | April 13, 2008 at 05:44 PM
Thank You for taking and caring for Molly and Priscilla. I could not watch the show on Oprah about the Puppy Mills, because it would have made me too sad. I wish we could save them all!
Posted by: Lahna Zandi | April 12, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Good job, you two.
Can't wait to see the photos of Molly and Priscilla after you attempt their first hair cut ;-)
Posted by: Rebecca | April 12, 2008 at 07:34 PM
I can only imagine how Mary, Debbie and Jennifer must have felt seeing 'their girls' with your arms around them, Steve.......Safe at last and forever at Casa RDR !!!!!!!
Posted by: Bibi | April 12, 2008 at 03:06 PM
What an endearing story. I'm from DFW myself and have been transplanted into Montana. Sounds like the girls are off to a great start. What an amazing rescue!
Keep up the amazing work!
Posted by: Christy | April 12, 2008 at 02:05 AM
Welcome, Molly & Pricilla. You will be treated like royalty for the rest of your life. I'd bet you get adopted though. Welcome to RDR.
I have a miniture poodle named Andy who came from a puppy mill.
The Humane Society here took 30 animals away from these people and they still had 10 or 15 more.
Some were so interbred and had deformities and disease and they had to be euthinized. Andy was only about two and the kennel manager took me back to see him when I dropped in to volunteer. Poor thing was sitting in the back of his pen shaking like a leaf. When they took him outside he wouldn't walk. They had to carry him out and he'd just stand there like he didn't know what to do. When I took him out of his pen he immediately licked my face. It was love at first sight. I told them I'd foster him for a while. Well, that's a big joke at the shelter because they know if I foster, they won't be back. After he was neutered I went out to pick him up. I put a leash on him and he walked through the shelter and lobby and everyone didn't think it was the same dog. He was really skinny, but now he's a chub. Had some trouble housebreaking him because he just went in the pen where he lived. He is a beautiful boy.
Why people run puppy mills and are collectors is beyond me. Thanks for taking the girls. They will have so much fun at RDR.
Blessings to all there.
Posted by: Sonya Brooks | April 11, 2008 at 10:12 PM
Thanks to everyone that had a hand in saving these two from being put down & getting them to the fantastic RDR! At last these two sisters can finally be happy & breathe a sigh of relief! I know they will be happier than pigs in mud when they realize what a great place they've landed! Thank you so very much & big welcome hugs to Priscilla & Molly.
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit
Posted by: ginger & Tobias (the greythound) | April 11, 2008 at 05:47 PM
Le chic, c'est "poodle"
Posted by: Lalla and Sasha | April 11, 2008 at 01:23 PM
The poodles are beautiful! Welcome home girls, you will be loved and well taken care of! God Bless Steve and Alayne for what they do!! I'll bet handsome Creighton will know he's around pretty girls.
Posted by: Debbie | April 11, 2008 at 12:59 PM
SOoo glad to see these gorgeous girls together, and secure with you. I'm betting that their personalities totally blossom as they get the chance to express themselves. Great joy ahead!
Posted by: Margaret | April 11, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Molly and Priscilla are gorgeous girls! So good to know they will be together with you at the ranch....how old are they? It sickens me to know of the horror they experienced at the puppy mill. Thanks to all who had a hand in their rescue.
Posted by: Nina | April 11, 2008 at 12:21 PM
What a Cinderella story. The before and after pictures are amazing. They are beautiful girls and I'm so glad they are safe at RDR now. These Texas Poodles will definitely add a touch of class to the Ranch. Big hugs from Texas.
Posted by: Kristi Gross | April 11, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Wow! The poodle rescue folks did a terrific job getting them cleaned-up and healthy. That "before" picture is very sad. They look terrific today! And such lucky girls to find RDR.
I'm glad to see a couple of "big dogs" come along. With recent adoptions and new arrivals, it was starting to look like Rolling Small Dog Ranch!
Welcome Molly and Prescilla! Enjoy the good life, girls.
Posted by: Linda | April 11, 2008 at 11:09 AM
They are absolutely gorgeous! Poor things, I'm sure they are quite confused as to what is going on. Welcome to RDR!
Posted by: Jen | April 11, 2008 at 10:58 AM
They are absolutely beautiful and a great addition to your ranch! I grew up with a standard poodle and not only are they a gentle loving breed, they are extemely smart! I love reading your blog btw - you guys are the best!
Posted by: Kathy | April 11, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Poodles, yay! I love standard poodles! They're so smart and sweet. Those girls are beautiful!
BTW, its a darn good thing NWA made that mistake yesterday - because of the bad weather in Minneapolis, NWA placed an embargo on animals traveling through here today - they would not have made it today anyway!
Posted by: heidi and the kitties | April 11, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Tell the "boys" to straighten up...there are "Ladies" at the ranch now! LOL...seriously, though...it breaks my heart that breeders can be so cold and cruel...all in the name of the almighty dollar. Bless you guys for taking them!!!
Posted by: Debbie | April 11, 2008 at 10:08 AM
And what a classy pair they are.
How awful and sad looking they were at the shelter. Thank you for taking them in along with all the others. It will be fun to hear how they get along.
Posted by: Karen | April 11, 2008 at 09:06 AM
What a couple of show girls! they are beautiful! That is so sad that they had to go through such horror. Thank God for Rolling Dog & people who care.
Posted by: Mary Young | April 11, 2008 at 09:01 AM
What sweet looking girls. God love you for taking them. Can't wait to hear an update in about a month when they feel at home.
Posted by: gayle | April 11, 2008 at 08:38 AM
You people are saints.
Posted by: Micki | April 11, 2008 at 08:28 AM
I really want to come to the Ranch one day 'but' even I don't think I'd be so excited I'd pee. lol
I want people to stop buying from puppy mills!!!!
I know it may sound nieve but why would anyone in the market for a dog be willing to buy one from a mill, really I just don't get it.
My Springer Spaniel although purebreed was not pedigree but even he came from a vet clinic and another dog came from the SPCA in my area.
My current dog (foxy cross) was purchased from the local newspaper and was one of a litter of 8 if I remember correctly. But even given the nature of that purchase they were all still happy in the penned off area of the wood shed on this persons property.
I think if you'd buy from a mill why even have a dog in the first place, because you certainly wouldn't look like someone who deserved to have one to start with.
Posted by: Andrew | April 11, 2008 at 08:19 AM
POODLES!!! RDR enters a brand new phase of wonderfulness...
You are going to love them more than you can imagine. Congratulations!
Posted by: Jamie | April 11, 2008 at 08:13 AM
Damn those puppy mill people. Heartless and money-grubbing. But I digress.
It is indeed hard to recognize the two girls as poodles in their earlier picture, but they sure do look fine now in the caring hands of the wonderful rescue people and RDR. What I like about poodles is that they move a lot like dressage horses. They have beautiful movements, especially their extended trots.
So class is definitely what you're getting here. I'm so glad these two sisters will be able to stay together.
Welcome, Molly and Priscilla.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | April 11, 2008 at 07:35 AM
I think Steve has some more minions to add to his harem. Miss Ellie May is going to have to share.
What pretty girls-Poodle Mania has struck the ranch.
Posted by: Jennie | April 11, 2008 at 07:20 AM
What beautiful girls!!!!
Posted by: Bebophebert | April 11, 2008 at 06:02 AM
Molly & Priscilla are just gorgeous!! Looking at the "before picture", I can hardly believe they're the same dogs!
I wish these two very classy ladies a long, healthy, happy life at RDR!
A big hug to both from Italy and - as usual - a huge thank you to Alayne & Steve and to everyone involved in their rescue. God bless you all!
Posted by: Carla Polastro-Nigro | April 11, 2008 at 04:36 AM
I was looking up information for a project in one of my college classes (I am woking on my pre-vet degree at the moment) and saw the picture of your horse having his eyes removed. I started peeking further around you blog and though I only read a couple stories, I was very touched at what you do. I just wanted to say God bless you and your commitment to these poor animals. You are truly angels and advocates for these animals in a world that can be so cruel to such innocent creatures. I was so touche dI just felt I needed to say thank you for all you do. You are incredible people.
Posted by: Anna Cureton | April 11, 2008 at 01:09 AM
What beautiful girls they are and i no they are going to have a great time rolling in the grass and doing what dogs like to do...Thank you for taking them in and i'll bet they get adopted and lets hope together that would be wonderful, but for right now have fun girls and enjoy your new life at teh ranch ......
Posted by: Mickey | April 11, 2008 at 01:07 AM
Those two are absolutely adorable!!! I am so glad to hear that their story is going to have a happy ending! do you know how old they are?
also, do you find that the animals are traumatized by the airplane rides, or do they tend to rebound quickly? of course i realize that their pasts are often traumatic, as well, but just how scary is the plane ride?
Posted by: maggie | April 11, 2008 at 12:58 AM