Lucky Star Cavalier Rescue came into my life in 2001 and has allowed me to give back to this amazing breed, in a way I could never have imagined.  

I read this account of a day at a puppymill auction, written by Toni Webb, and I sobbed, thinking of my own Cavaliers, so loved, so pampered and precious. These Cavaliers were no different than my own. How could they be; they were Cavaliers. 

 FOSTERING IS THE HARDEST JOB I EVER LOVED

Operation Atlanta by Toni Webb of Lucky Star Cavaliers 

I do not believe I will ever look at the world in the same way again.

This weekend was worse than I had imagined, worse than I had even been told to expect. I attended my first puppy mill auction in Missouri Sunday, determined to bring home every last cavalier on the auction block. Lucky Star was successful. We got all six cavaliers being sold. Hoorah!

But that was only 6 dogs out of 200+. I wanted them all. I wanted to run, ranting like a mad woman through the dirt isles of stacked cages, a screaming pied piper, opening and releasing every last one of those imprisoned souls. What I saw behind those latched doors broke my heart, and made it almost impossible to maintain my equilibrium or my sanity, much less the undercover role I was expected to play. Every 15-20 minutes my husband was at my side, asking if I was okay, telling me I could do this, HAD to do this, for the dogs. For the dogs....

Periodically, I had to escape the nasty atmosphere of the barn for a gulp of the cold Missouri air, hoping the frigid gusts would calm and fortify me.

Some cages held one-eyed dogs, others held dogs with recent cuts, and old, ugly scars, dogs with toenails an inch long, dogs whose hair was one large mat, pregnant bitches close to delivery, dogs missing ears, legs, teeth.

There were no wagging tails, no yelps of delight; no bright, trusting eyes or barks of playful banter. Most cowered in the farthest corners of their cages, two or more huddled close together, as if their closeness would bring them some measure of comfort in dealing with their shared misery.

Dog after dog was auctioned to the highest bidder, often with such sales pitches as: "Missing an eye, but sees well enough to hit his mark": "This girl is only a year old, but she has earned her keep by already producing one litter - now she's got another on the way - a bonus for you"; "This bitch has had 19 pups in a year and a half - just the kind you want"; "If you just sell one of this pregnant bitch's puppies, you will make more than you've paid for her"; "Bitch only has three legs - big deal, she won't be passing that on." And on one male dog, who refused to stand on the table because of an injured foot, the auctioneer remarked, "Don't let that bother you, he can still get it on."

Dogs were often held high in the air for all to see, tails lifted to gauge whether they were in heat, mouths probed roughly to check their bites, and abdomens poked and prodded to check for pregnancy because "this one's been running with Jax - could give you a surprise."

The cavaliers were one of the last breed on the block. My heart stopped, and my eyes welled when I saw the first, and only two females brought to the table. Their eyes remained downcast, their tails tucked, their bodies postured with fear. "Look at the coats on these beauties," the creepy auctioneer said. "These ladies have produced some gorgeous pups." That sealed it -- I wasn't leaving that place until I had every single cavalier in my possession.

Our babies brought the highest and liveliest bidding, with bidding often reaching feverish levels, the bids coming so fast and furious, I was afraid I could not keep up. I hated bidding; I hated NOT bidding.

When I got the highest bid, the auctioneer said, "Which one do you want?" "I want them both," I replied. "Great," he said, "you're saving me time, little lady." When we got the final bid on the puppies, the last to be auctioned, I breathed a sigh of relief, and said a quiet thank-you to the man upstairs.

While waiting in line to get the dogs, one man approached us, and asked how many of "those Charlies" we had. I said I only had three. "Well," was his response, "you are certainly in business now." Yes, I told him, you better believe it.

Rescuing just a few is worth the effort, worth the heartache, and worth the dirt, stench and barren desolate miles my husband and I endured. Six are safe, but so many more are not. Rescuing from these sleazy breeders is a necessary evil. It is only a drop in the bucket, I know, but it is SOMETHING. It certainly is not enough, and we must work diligently to try and save them all.

A number of people I talked to before leaving on this trip knew nothing about puppy mills. They know about them NOW. Educate. Please educate. Tell everyone you know, and people you don't know, what puppy mills are all about. Relate my horror story, and the stories of other rescuers. We CANNOT shut down the puppy millers without the education of the public.

Before I sign off, let me tell you about MY bonus. I came home with seven puppy mill dogs, my seventh being a male, 2 year old Lhaso Apso. He was placed on the table and the auctioneer opened the bids at $150. No bids came. Down to $50, still no bids. At $25, the auctioneer said, "Come on, folks, he's worked his tail off in his short life - been one busy little guy. Worth a heck of a lot more than $25. If you don't want him, I'll put him back to work for me." At $15, my husband saw the sadness in my eyes. "Toni," he said...too late.

The auctioneer said, "Well, do I hear $10?" My hand shot up before I could stop it. "Sold, to the little lady for $10." "Got yourself quite a bargain," was the auctioneer's parting shot.

The cavaliers hadn't even come up yet, and I knew we had a long way to go. "Sorry," I told Chris. "I couldn't help it." "It's okay," he said. "By my calculations, using the luggage rack on top, we could probably haul back another 20 or so." He was joking, of course, he simply understood that this business was deplorable, and resigning these dogs to a pitiful existence was heart wrenching.

Find it in your heart to get involved with rescue, in whatever way you can. Attend an auction, donate your money, foster a rescue, or just encourage and advise those of us who are just getting our feet wet. You won't be sorry. Your heart may break, your eyes may be red-rimmed for days, but I promise you, you will be forever changed.

I sobbed reading Toni’s account of that horrible day. I cried for all the dogs that didn’t get saved by a breed rescue organization…who were destined to yet another cage, more litters, more pain, biting cold in winter, blistering heat in the summertime, the onslaught of bugs that infested their matted hair, eyes and ears and the unspeakable filth and despair that was their life. Toni was 100% right and I knew it. I had to stop wringing my hands and get in there and help in some way. I yearned to foster these kids; to make a difference in their lives. I soon attended my first auction with Toni and other Lucky Star Rescue members. It was the hardest thing to do, but it changed me forever. My personal involvement proved unequivocally to me that it’s so important to save these dogs from their terrible life in a puppy mill. There is no question or debate left in me about that.

My first two fosters were Nadia & Victor; two sad, sick, fecal and urine covered Ruby siblings. They both had a terrible case of mites, mange, giardia, coccidia and severe ear infections. After two weeks of vetting to get them well and de-sexed, I took them home to experience virtually everything they had never been exposed to before; soft beds, good food, baths, being held and loved, interaction with other Cavaliers and our two cats, Spazz and Paisley. They loved it and thrived. Housetraining began also, and they did so incredibly well. I was amazed at their progress and found a new depth to my love for Cavaliers. Even in the face of such incredible misery, having known nothing else, they emerged loving, giving, trusting, fabulous little Cavaliers. My love for this breed deepened and I’ve never turned back. Cathy & Steve Herbert adopted Victor a few weeks later. Their love and commitment to him is deep and abiding. Nadia went home to Diane & Bob Schuler, who already had a rescued Cavalier, Marco. Both Cathy and Diane are now volunteer foster moms for Lucky Star, and love it as much as I do.
Each of my fosters comes with a story that could fill pages and pages, but there is no room for that here, so I will briefly list the Cavalier kids I’ve been blessed to bring into my home and heart. They are all living the GOOD life now with their new families. Nothing could be more rewarding to me.

My fosters thus far (click pictures to see):

Nadia – Ruby girl, loved by Diane & Bob Schuler ~ living in Michigan

Victor – Ruby boy, adored by Cathy & Steve Herbert ~ living in Indiana

Jenna – Blenheim girl – Victor’s little “sister”

  Mandy – Blenheim girl, Lisa Hinkfus is her mom ~ living in Wisconsin

 Bradley – tri-boy, Nancy & Hartley Smith spoil and adore him ~ living in Kentucky

 Toby – Blenheim boy and constant companion of Joe Crisman, a retired teacher with M.S. Karen, Joe’s wife told us that in two weeks, Toby did more for Joe than the previous six months of physical therapy. Toby is Joe’s personal therapy Cavalier. They have a very special bond and live in Wisconsin.

Quinn – Blenheim boy and the whole world to Tom Taylor & Sheryl Averille ~ living in Michigan. (Shown with Toby)

Bethany (now Addie) – Blenheim girl loved by Kim & Ruben Hill ~ staying warm in Florida

Sarah – Blenheim girl is now adored by Sharon Bone ~ also now living in Florida

Logan ~ Special Blenheim boy, Born with the most atypical PDA, MSU had ever seen. I could feel his heart beat in my hand. Logan was very sick but filled with the spirit he needed to get through his heart surgery & thrive. That he did and is now in Florida, living with his new mom, Peggy Kerzner. He’s a pip and so very alive, today. Three cheers for MSU and the wonderful job they did.

Jane, Bristol & Kara ~ litter sisters who arrived in such sad shape, as they always do. Jane, a tri girl, had a terrible case of dry eye. There was thick, green mucous all across her eyes and dried onto her face from years of no care, living in the filth of a puppymill cage. All the dirt and grime that natural tears would have washed away accumulated in her eyes and thickened. The pain must have been unimaginable, yet Jane never complained, was sweet and gentle, although very frightened and essentially unseeing, at the time of her rescue. My heart broke and my eyes watered when I first looked into her sad and abused eyes. Could her sight be saved? Weeks of cleaning and using artificial tears several times a day began to pay off. Today, Jane is the treasure of Victoria Vaughn in Ohio, where she has become a therapy dog and also spends time on stage. Her mom is a professor of opera and Jane thinks it’s just beautiful. She has become incorporated into stage events and also summers in France with her mum. What a remarkable life she has today; nearly unimaginable.
Bristol lives in sunny California with her beloved Tri Cavalier sister Angel and mum Jane Kirkendall. Bristol and Angel are greeters at Jane’s embroidery store and she has blossomed beyond anything I could have expected. She also loves visiting their cabin in the mountains. What a life she has.

Kara stayed in Michigan for about a year, but she now lives in Indiana and is so very happy in her new home with Suzanne, Janet and her two Westie sisters. Soon, she’ll have a little Cavalier brother to love.

Copper and Jasper are both Blenheim boys now living in Ohio with Kathleen Zinneker and her wonderful family. Kathleen is now the treasurer for Lucky Star; Copper and Jasper changed her life. She also has another L.S. rescue; a little tri girl named Nina.

Jordan, a beautiful black & tan boy arrived with Copper and they learned to trust, together. Today, Jordan also lives in Ohio with Diana & Smitty. (Shown with Copper).

Sadly, Jordan went to the Rainbow Bridge on Aug. 17, 2007. He was diagnosed with cancer that was so invasive there was no one who could help him. Diana and Smitty were completely devastated and will miss their beautiful boy, always. Rest in peace, Jordan, sweet boy.  

Willow, a tiny and feminine Blenheim girl also melted Diana & Smitty’s heart. She and Jordan are now “brother & sister” and life is very, very good.

Bravo is a very special tri-boy who came into rescue due to fly-catcher’s. His family loved him very much but his medication was so expensive they simply could not afford him. So, with tears in their eyes, he was released to my care and the journey began to find new affordable, effective meds for Bravo. With the help of his wonderful neurologist from Ohio State University, we were finally successful. Today, Bravo’s new name is Rylie and he lives with Donna and Jim Ellis in Ohio. They adore him and have also become active foster parent’s for Lucky Star rescue. Rylie could not be more loved than he is today.

Joy and Fendi arrived together; two Blenheim girls who had known so much suffering. Fendi was five years old, had a lot of fears but soon began to blossom. She loved the out of doors, the sunshine and grass under her feet. She was so fast and was chasing bubbles (we play everyday) in the yard in about two weeks. Fendi now lives in Traverse City, Michigan, was renamed Kali and is treasured by Quinn LeFluer. (Fendi shown in picture.)

Joy was my saddest, most heart breaking foster and the one in most need of every good thing life could give her. Terror is what Joy experienced when especially men approached her. Her eyes would become huge with dread and she would try desperately to run as fast as she could. The trouble was that Joy could not even walk. Her entire backend was deformed, her leg muscles so atrophied from years of living in a cage, that she could not run, no matter how deep her desire. She would bark and snarl; anything to make the world go away. Never would she bite but noise was her only defense against all things she feared; life itself.

My vet suggested we take Joy to Michigan State University to have them see if surgery was an option for her…could she get new legs and learn to walk??? I asked if that would be an option and Lucky Star said “Yes, go see what they can do for her”. Sadly, her legs were not only deformed but one was about an inch shorter than the other. We took Joy home and somehow knew she would find a way to walk in her own way, at her own pace…she did. Not only did Joy learn to walk, she used the steps (we live in a tri-level with steps everywhere) to go where she wanted to go, spent hours walking in the grass outside and the first day I saw her RUN, I cried. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life…a dream come true for our Joy Joy.

We had Joy with us for six months until the perfect forever home came along; Don and Jane Mossey from Indiana. They wanted to meet our girl, so they came to visit. Of course, they came in the front door and Joy disappeared out the doggy door, to the backyard. Her fear was still so intense but they saw past it and wanted to bring her home with them. Today, Joy winters in Florida and has the most wonderful extended family. They accept Joy’s limitations, understand her past and revel in her present and future.

Mia is a little B/T girl who came to us from a Michigan puppymill. She was a fun little girl and the healing process went very quickly. Soon was ready to move on from us. I was thrilled when Quinn LeFleur wanted Mia to become Kali’s little sister. So Mia now has Kali for a big sister and a big brother, too. Riggs is a Ruby boy and was Quinn’s first Cavalier. How her family has grown.

Another B/T girl was Isabella, who arrived so frightened, so timid and shy that she would not stand when she first arrived. She now shares her home with Mike Andretti in Oregon and two other Lucky Star rescues, Huntley & Brinkley. Isabella is so loved, very happy and no longer afraid.

My other B/T girl was Sophia. The first night she was home with us I was rubbing her front leg and felt something very strange. Upon examination we discovered old stitches that ran from the inside of her front leg all the way down to the middle of her outside leg. Skin and fur had grown through it, so we didn’t know how long the stitches must have been in. It was found out later that Sophia had gotten tangled up in a barbwire fence at one time in her life. The resulting injury was deep and intense from her struggle to free herself. The wound had been stitched up and never looked at again. Sophia was completely forgotten, as was her injury. She now lives with Garbo, a beautiful Briard and her new mom Esther Kadash and her husband. They wonder what life was like before Sophia came along. They love her so much; she was meant to be their girl.

Ethan arrived with Sarah; a wonderful tri-boy who had never known what it was to be loved and to feel safe. Although the boys generally have it better than the girls in puppymills, their lives are still so terribly sad and filled with fear. Ethan stole our hearts with his sweet, quiet ways. He now lives with his new family and has a wonderful life.

Dawson came out of an Amish puppymill; a sweet little tri-boy, who wanted nothing more than to love and to be loved. His adjustment to his new world was so fast and remarkable. In almost no time he was ready to move forward and move forward he did. He lives in Grand Rapids, Mi. with his new big brother, Gunner, an English Springer Spaniel and new mom & dad Mark Kazmierski & Trena. Life is good ;o).

Ruby Tuesday is a sweet and shy little Ruby girl who came into rescue with heartworms. Immediate heartworm care was needed to allow her to live, which she received and she did very well. A month later Ruby was spayed and getting ready to go to her new family; Steve Shifton and Fred Martin in St. Louis Mo. She went home June 19, 2004 and they adore her and she adores them and Mickey, their tri-Cavalier boy.

Olivia, a scared little Blenheim girl arrived by us on June 25, 2004. She has been with us just three days, so the process is beginning once again. Olivia was released to ANSOL (A New Start On Life) because she was of no value to the puppymill, anymore. That was very good news, as Olivia’s life can now begin. Today she is recovering both physically & emotionally. Her sweetness and deep desire to be touched breaks my heart because her fear still overrides all else. If approached she both crouches and scampers so fast that her hind legs cannot find their place, so she runs in place, her eyes wide in fear. But, if I lay on the floor or in the grass, Olivia immediately has her face buried into me, her head lifting my hand to be loved and petted. She is beginning the process of learning to trust, to put aside her fears and to become a fully functioning Cavalier. The fear will slowly leave her eyes…that is the first sign of progress.

My Mixed Kids:

Taffy A few mixed Cavalier kids have been a part of our lives, too. My first was Taffy. She was found in a woods, in Muskegon County. Her eye had been torn from its socket and her jaw was mangled. We’ll never know who or what did this to her, but she was in terrible condition when she arrived at the humane society. Her eye had to be removed and her jaw was repaired, but the chances of being adopted were not good. It wasn’t because she wasn’t sweet because she was as sweet as Taffy (thus her name) but because she wasn’t perfect, visually. A friend alerted me to Taffy, who appeared to be partially Cavalier, so I picked her up that night. We think Taffy is a Cavalier/Corgi mix and what a sweet girl she was from the first day. She was soon adopted by a loving family in Michigan and is still their girl.

Kieran What a mess Kieran was…abandoned at the shelter and so desperately sad, confused and miserable.  We weren’t even sure what breed Kieran was; Cavalier mix? Somehow, it didn’t matter to me. He had to come out but I couldn’t foster him myself, at that time. I asked Tom and Sherry Taylor if they could/would take him on and they agreed to “foster” him. Kieran is still their boy; they fell completely in love with him. That’s the kind of “failed fostering” I love to see.

Tesla & Tatum: Sisters I was alerted to, in an Ohio shelter, who had lived outside all their lives. They looked to be part Cavalier and part Border Collie, perhaps. Tesla was more a tri-color and Tatum a Black & Tan. They had loads of energy but soon their personalities began to unveil; they loved to herd my other dogs. They were wonderful at it and it so natural to them. Our friends, Ruble and Pat Huddleston, adopted Tesla. Pat’s mom and dad adopted Tatum and just adore her. Pat’s dad had gone through a lot the year before; heart surgeries to save his life. Just before his last surgery he told his family if he survived, the thing he wanted most was another dog. Theirs had died two years prior and he still missed her. To say Tatum is adored is an understatement…she’s everything to him.

Brody…our Brode Man

We didn’t want to do it, really. At the time we heard about Brody, we already had two fosters by us, our own dogs, puppies that were only weeks old and a schedule that was getting out of control. Brody was to die the next day, in an Indiana shelter and he looked like a Cavalier mix…. we were his only and last hope at life.  Could we please foster him and find him a new home? I couldn’t let him die; he was so beautiful and his eyes spoke to me from his photo.  His name was Rex, then…just another Rex about to die for a crime never committed. Yes, I’d take him; of course, I’d take him.

What a wonderful boy!!!!  He arrived with a big Kong toy, which he loved. Brody would run for his Kong when thrown across the yard, grabbing it up and bringing it back over and over again. What a joy he was to have around. Gosh, he was fun. Two months later, when Brody left us for his new home, it was a very bittersweet time for Ken and me; glad he was finally in his forever home but we missed the uniquely Brody things, too.

Two months after leaving us we got a call from his new family. Brody had to come back to us due to his new mom’s allergies. She’d been having trouble breathing and her doctor thought it was due to “the dog”. We were glad to take him back and soon he was blended into our home, once again. Again and again I thought about looking for a new home for our Brody but never could make myself take that first step. Then, one day my sister came over and fell in love with Brody. Their 17 yr. old Airedale had died the week before and they had been looking for a companion for their other dog; an Airedale mix. She wanted Brody the second she saw him. Well, what could be better? Brody would stay in our family…yes that would be great!!!

I tell myself it wasn’t meant to be. That unknown to us, Brody was supposed to live his life out with us, in our home, with our dogs. The day Brody was to go home with my sister, he became very ill. I rushed him to the emergency clinic and they did what they could, but it was not to be. We lost our Brody that night. We could not make sense of it, so we had his body sent to MSU for a necropsy but no cause for his death was found. His remains were cremated so he could be with us, always. His toys have been put away because no one could love his squeaky ball and Kong the way he did. Brody will live in our hearts forever and we will miss him, always.

 Please see Body’s memorial page
 

A Tribute to Brody