A dog who has spent her whole life being forced to breed as part of a puppy mill is looking for her very own forever home.
Four-year-old Julieta is an Australian Shepherd currently at Australian Shepherds Furever in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after being rescued from a puppy mill.
Susan Mullaney, Australian Shepherds Furever fundraising coordinator, told Newsweek: "We've been seeing lots of Aussies from backyard breeders being dumped recently. The breeders have too many dogs and can't sell the puppies, so they are 'downsizing.'"
"It's causing a strain on our resources, but our supporters, fosters, and volunteers have stepped up, and we've made it through," she added.
Puppy mills are commercial dog breeding facilities that prioritize profit over the well-being of their dogs. It is estimated that there are at least 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S. that produce millions of puppies each year.
Many dogs rescued from puppy mills have high levels of trauma and can be more prone to genetic and health conditions because of irresponsible breeding.
While the puppies produced at backyard breeding mills often have health issues, the parent dogs are treated with very little care. Earlier this year, one "puppy mill mama" transformation melted hearts, while another dog made an amazing transformation on their first night in a forever home after being left at a puppy mill.
Weighing 40 pounds and bearing the scars of her past, Julieta is described as sweet, anxious and eager to give and receive love.
"She is incredibly anxious and scared, but wants to give love and be loved," said Mullaney. "The hardest part is rebuilding their trust in humans. And this can take months."
While Julieta has made progress since coming to the shelter, she does have some requirements of her new home because of her past.
Her ideal home is one without adult men, as she remains very scared when they are near. She is timid and shy around most people but warms up to women. Despite her nervous disposition, she has shown sweetness and patience around children.
Currently being fostered, her current carer attests to her sweet nature too. "One of her foster mom's favorite things is her sweet, tiny kisses. And when you stop petting her, she puts her paw on your arm to keep going," said Mullaney.
While her future family will need to be patient, her rescuers are certain that Julieta's sweet personality will make the effort worthwhile.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
");jQuery(this).remove()}) jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')} if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrK6enZtjsLC5jp6vZqilpb26ecyio6VllKS0brnOpmSwmZ6pwG6zyK%2BcZqSfq7JuuM6ooqKml2K8uLqMoaamnV1mhXWDl3Bt