In December, National Mill Dog Rescue held its second Ruff! Life open house at its new kennel near Falcon.The nonprofit group, which rescues and finds permanent homes for dogs discarded by the puppy mill industry, put $50,000 down on the kennel it had been leasing. They have five years to complete the purchase.The open house, which included a raffle and a silent auction, raised just over $10,000 toward their half-million-dollar goal, said Kim Lehmann, NMDR’s volunteer coordinator.Peyton photographer Paul Hanke was one of many Falcon area artists and businesses contributing items for the silent auction. Hanke contributed framed photographs of Pikes Peak.Sweet Tooth, Falcon Heights Dog Grooming, Paws ‘n Tails Hydrotherapy, The Prairie Jewel, Perfect Fit Wellness Center, Wag ‘n Wash, Salon Elite, Curves in Falcon and Ms. Laurie’s Welding Co. contributed thousands of dollars in goods and services for the silent auction.According to NMDR’s Web site, www.milldogrescue.org, Theresa Strader founded NMDR in 2007 after purchasing an Italian greyhound she named Lily at a Missouri auction. Since then, NMDR has rescued more than 2,875 mill dogs in Lily’s name.Until leasing the kennel in 2008, Strader’s Black Forest home served as the organization’s headquarters.The new kennel is capable of housing about 110 dogs and costs about $5,000 a month to operate, especially in the winter months when propane usage is high, Strader said.NMDR relies on volunteers to drive to auctions, often in Missouri, where discarded dogs are sold for pennies or a couple of dollars. Volunteers also clean the kennel, feed and socialize rescued dogs, give medications, foster dogs in their own homes and eventually find a permanent home for every rescued dog.”Volunteers are the heart of this organization,” said Strader, who also works 32 hours a week as a nurse. “We’re very proud of the work we do here. We do what it takes.”
