By Jennifer Mishler
A documentary premiering this month on HBO, ‘Madonna of the Mills’ follows a woman intent to rescue the discarded victims of Pennsylvania’s puppy mills.
Laura Flynn has rescued ove r 2,000 dogs from the many puppy mills of Lancaster County, PA. The film will show her rescue efforts, as well as expose the realities of the horrific conditions that these dogs are forced to endure. The documentary’s website says, “America has a nasty secret. All of those cute puppies that are sold in pet stores come from “puppy mills.” Their mothers spend their entire lives in tiny, unsanitary cages, never walked, never petted, never doing anything but making puppies . When these dogs can no longer produce litters or money for their owners, they are put to death – stoned, shot, drowned or starved.”
Laura is only given permission to take the dogs who can no longer give birth to puppies, and are therefore “useless” to the industry, but she “vowed to save as many of these breeding dogs as she possibly could.” The film was also personal for the producer, according to the Humane Society of the United States, “Producer Kelly Colbert has herself been a ‘foster mother’ for puppy mill dogs, so ‘Madonna of the Mills’ is a very personal project for her. She says the documentary is important viewing for everyone, ‘especially those still tempted to buy a puppy from a pet store despite the virtual inevitability that the pup was born of suffering, and the fact that buying a puppy mill puppy will condemn the breeding dogs to a lifetime of misery.’”
The documentary looks like it will truly show the power of one individual to affect the lives of so many animals. While Flynn says in the trailer that she gets frustrated by not being able to save every dog, she has saved thousands. Some of the rescued dogs will also be shown with their new families and happy homes. On the website, you can see the featured dogs: Liberty, Vivian Leigh, Danny and Maisy. Along with their picture and bio are the words “death sentence lifted.”
‘Madonna of the Mills’ premiers on HBO2 Wednesday, 8/24 and you can check the schedule for more dates and times. Check out the trailer below!
Article courtesy of Ecorazzi.com