A dog's life

A Columbia County animal rescue group is looking for homes for 13 furry critters rescued from an Atlanta-area puppy mill on Monday.

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CSRA Happy Tails volunteer Mary Ellen Franklin picked up the small dogs and puppies after they were taken from an 80-year-old woman breeding them southeast of Atlanta. The dogs and puppies are Shih Tzus, Yorkshire terriers and Shih Poos (Shih Tzu and Poodle mix).

"There's a mix of different ages," said Franklin.

The dogs spent Monday night at Pet Animal Resource Center in Augusta, and Happy Tails volunteers spent Tuesday shuffling them to Wester Veterinary Clinic and Care More Animal Hospital in Martinez for checkups and vaccines, and to Animal Boutique and Bark Avenue Pet Boutique for baths and grooming.

"She bred these dogs and didn't take care of them," said Franklin. "So all of them were very nasty."

One of the dogs is heart worm positive; three have mange; and two others have potential eye problems. But once their medical problems are dealt with, Happy Tails volunteers will be hunting for new homes for the small dogs.

The dogs and puppies were scared and a little skittish after their rescue. Their personalities are not typical of animals rescued from puppy mills, said Kathy Matheny, a Happy Tails volunteer.

However, the dogs became loving and playful when let out of the travel kennels, Matheny said.

"They were running and having the best time and shredding newspaper and playing," she said. "It is incredible. This is so unusual for puppy mill dogs."

The dogs and puppies will be in Happy Tails foster homes until they are healthy and can be placed in permanent homes.

Those interested in adopting one of the dogs or puppies can contact Happy Tails Rescue at (706) 955-0438 or csrahappytails@gmail.com.