“Besides, I never wanted to work for the Bulldogs anyway, and I knew that’s where things were headed.”
“Why not? With who your dad is, it seems like a natural progression.”
She shrugged. “I don’t get along with Dick, and football is...complicated for me.”
I could understand that. Lots of people in the league speculated on Billy Costello’s death, and some guys played too long because football was all they knew. Billy’s accident came only a couple of years after he retired, and long before the league recognized concepts like Concussion Protocols and CTE.
I nodded, watched CC sniffing a tree. “I get that. If I could just play, I might feel differently about football now, if I didn’t have to deal with all the extra shit. The media and the politics. It’s lost a lot of the appeal for me.” I shook my head. “The celebrity thing makes me a target. Like with the pet sitter. And I have no desire to be famous. My goal is to retire when my contract is up. To go out on top in my hometown before my body gives out and get away from that aspect of it.”
Lil nibbled on her lip. “That’s a smart plan. So, tell me what else you learned in your googling? Did you do any research on mills?”
“Besides pictures that made me so mad I had to go for a run before I put a hole in the drywall?” Remembering had my stomach turning.
“Yeah, they can get pretty graphic. It’s an uncomfortable rabbit hole to go down, but an important one, too, to understand what a mill is and the difference between mills and reputable preservation breeders.”
“I can’t believe these things are legal in Texas.”
“They’re legal in most every state. In Texas, as long as they stay in compliance with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, it’s perfectly on the up-and-up. Texas passed a bill in 2012 to regulate and exact penalties if they fall out of compliance. The problem is, they’re supposed to inspect the facilities and dogs every eighteen months. One, that’s too long between inspections—more than enough time for a breeding operation to spiral. Two, there are too few state inspectors to actually do the job. The mills often go longer than the eighteen months without actually being inspected. Plus, there are plenty of inspectors who will look the other way in exchange for a big fat wad of cash.”
I could see the frustration on Lily’s face. As my own frustration started to build, CC wandered over to me, pushing her massive head into my leg. I scratched her ears to calm us both. “If mills have to register, shouldn’t it be easy to find this one?”
“You’d think. There’s a public list of breeders who register and don’t meet the appropriate standard of care. There are also countless mills that choose to operate illegally. They never register with the state to save themselves the hassle. Why do that if they can do everything below board? I’m certain we’re dealing with one of those.”
I glanced down at my girl. “Why don’t people just adopt?”
“That’s the right answer for many folks, but there are also reasons people started breeding dogs for specific traits, too. Huskies are bred to pull, Labs to retrieve, Corsi for guarding the castle, Aussies for herding sheep. You can’t always guarantee what traits or possible physical issues you’ll get with a mixed breed. Even purebred rescue dogs like Mack and CC can come with a ton of baggage. Not every owner is capable of retraining, or perhaps they have reasons for wanting the dog to come without baggage. For me, I’ll always have a rescue dog in my house. I work with a few rescues to rehabilitate dogs to increase their chances of being adopted, too. But I also understand the inclination to purchase a specific breed from a reputable breeder.”
Lily raised her eyes and that violet hue hit me in the chest. “When I got Jet, I’d just lost my dog Joker. I’d finished my training certification and I needed a highly intelligent dog confident enough that she could do anything I asked of her. She needed to be an example to my students of what they can accomplish with their own dogs. I also love dog sports and wanted a dog I knew would be physically sound and fast as hell so we could compete.”
“But how do you tell if a breeder is legit?”
“First things first, study the breed you think you want and make sure it’s the right breed for your lifestyle. You’re active, Brody, so you’re fine with a Cane Corso, but you can’t exactly take a Basset Hound running with you, can you?”
“Actually, I kind of run like a Basset Hound.”
Lil’s laugh was a quick burst. “I know for a fact you don’t run like a basset.”
I waved her off. “I get what you’re saying. One of the reasons dogs end up in shelters is because people don’t research. There are people who want dogs like Mack and CC, so people think they are badasses, but when they don’t understand the breed’s traits, the dogs end up with the bad rep, and overcrowd shelters.”
Her face brightened. “Exactly. Same goes for health issues, exercise needs, grooming, how much time you can dedicate to the dog. I tell people to check out the breed’s national dog club to find reputable breeders. Talk to potential breeders; ask to see the litter’s parents. Ask for references. Do your due diligence. Dogs should never be an impulse purchase, either. Jet’s breeder had me provide references. She called my regular vet and two of my instructors to make sure my dogs were healthy, happy, and that I trained with positive reinforcement.”
Lily’s voice was vehement. “Most people aren’t worried about where a dog came from when they see the adorable French bulldog puppy at the pet shop.” Mouth forming a small frown, she flashed a shadow of pain on her face.
“The puppy mill thing... I imagine in your line of work you see a lot of pups that come from mills. Is that how you got involved with rescue?”
She nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Puppies gotten from mills cause so much heartache for people who don’t know any better.
“Pups people buy in pet stores or from internet ads, odds are high they’re coming from dogs that shouldn’t be bred for health reasons at best. At worst, they’re mass produced, born in filth, inbred, and predisposed to a host of serious health problems. Both genetically and because of exposure. They’re never healthy, and they die young.” She fiddled with her napkin as regret passed over her features.
“What happened, Lil?”
Exhaling, she leaned back in her seat. “Before I decided to go into dog training, my ex gave me a French bulldog puppy for my birthday one year. It was an adorable little baby with a round tummy and ears too big for its head. His name was Joker. The ex bought him from a pet store. When I took him to the vet the first time, I learned he came from a mill.” Her face softened. “Joker was—it was heartbreaking. He had a ton of health problems. The older he got, the worse it was. Serious joint issues, constant respiratory problems. Really bad allergies. Then we discovered the hole in his heart.”