Freddie the Chihuahua was locked away in a cramped wire cage his entire life. Being used for breeding, Freddie rarely went outside and he never experienced having a family of his own.
For the past nine years, he fathered hundreds of puppies he never met. Since he was already too old to breed, his owner wanted to get rid of him. Luckily, National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) recently took Freddie and 34 other dogs from a puppy mill in the Midwest, where many of the large-scale breeding operations are situated.
Freddie was shy at first, like most dogs rescued from mills. “Life in a cage takes a heavy toll on dogs, both physically and emotionally,” Theresa Strader, founder of NMDR, told The Dodo. “Many of our dogs require extensive rehabilitation before they are ready to become family members, [but] Freddie certainly has a resilient spirit. He is a spunky little guy.”
His happy personality stands out when Strader gave him his very first bed. It’s bittersweet for senior dogs like Freddie who have been trapped at the mills all their lives.
“It’s heartbreaking to realize they have been denied the very basics until now,” Strader shared.
When Strader placed Freddie into the bed, he started jumping around and chewing on it. “Freddie loved his bed immediately,” Strader explained. “Other dogs can be more cautious and have no idea what a soft bed is for, but they learn very quickly. Freddie snuggled in from the beginning like he knew that this was just one of many perks he will experience [now].”
The staff can tell that it won’t be long to find Freddie a new home. Since the rescue shared the video of him snuggling his new bed, people have started applying to adopt him. Today, the adorable dog found his forever family plus he got a new “sibling” named Cinnamon.
