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A Chihuahua! That's what she wanted! Laura Tonkin had done
research on toy breed dogs and loved Chihuahuas for both their
history and their tenacity. It was 2003 and there weren't many of
these dauntless, diminutive dogs to be found in rescue in Washington State.
However California had an abundance. Laura corresponded with several Chihuahua rescue
groups, but as an out-of-state resident she received few positive
responses.
Soon she began to explore local pet stores. On
numerous occasions Laura was confronted with the sight of unhealthy
dogs languishing in their cages or straw-filled pens. Tempted as she was to "rescue"
these sick animals, she headed in yet another direction. She decided
to find out the source of these pet store pups...
puppy mills.
Laura
next focused her efforts on researching Chihuahua breeders and
ultimately decided she couldn't go wrong if she went exclusively to
those with AKC registered dogs. Armed with a list of questions, she
selected a breeder and went for a visit. She had never seen so many darling little pups. If she
hadn't loved Chihuahuas before, she certainly did now! However,
instead of picking an outgoing, playful, friendly one, her heart was
captured by the pup who wouldn't stay near her and acted as if she
didn't need a thing from anyone. A pup with "issues"... Meka.
With Meka at her side, Laura's canine education continued. She
studied about temperaments, training, what good breeders breed for,
and the importance of genetics in producing a great dog. At the same
time, she learned about the dog rescue industry.
Fueled by Taco Bell commercials and the "purse-dog"
fad (carrying small dogs as fashion accessories), Chihuahua breeders
proliferated in California. As a result, more and more of their dogs
were showing up in the overflowing animal shelters. In spite of huge
Chihuahua rescue efforts in the state, there were simply not enough
homes to be found. Dogs were being euthanized by the thousands and still
are to this day. As Laura perused these dog rescue websites one
night she made a promise to those Chihuahuas, right then and
there... one day she would do something to help them.
Her first step toward fulfilling this promise was to get involved in
puppy mill rescue in the Midwest. She worked with rescuers who soon
became her mentors and who taught her to always stay focused on the
dog. In their honor, Laura has intertwined pieces of each of them
into PUP rescue. The words in People United For Pets or the
letters in PUP are, in one way or another, connected to each
of these amazing individuals.
Laura was now ready to focus her energies back on the West Coast and
she established relationships with rescue friends in Washington,
Oregon, and California. In April 2006, she decided to start her
own rescue organization, focusing on small dogs. Her plans were to
have it up and running "in six months", but she and a few of her
newly gathered volunteer group immediately started pulling in dogs,
vetting them, and getting them adopted into great homes... all
within 30 days!
Today PUP is larger, better organized, and has more wonderful foster
families and other volunteers. But PUP's passion and love for these
little guys is still the same as it ever was.
Who is the dog on our website
and how is that dog
connected to PUP?
We'd like you to meet Meka. Some people say that looking
back on life events can be like a game of connect-the-dots. Meka is one of
Laura's most precious "dots" and she has connected Laura to PUP! This
little pup has been instrumental in uniting all of us in our passion for
bringing people and pets together! |
