Every time a new group of pups come into the National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR), they have a very unique tradition. Melody Kahtava, MNDR’s social media manager explains about this in an interview, saying: “They all get their first blankets.” Commercial breeding facilities relinquish these adults to NMDR, and it’s such a special occasion for these dogs, as many of the dogs who come through the doors of the NMDR haven’t seen or even lay on a blanket before.
The woman goes on to explain: “Most of them have lived in cages lined with wire bottoms. So when they encounter these blankets, they really don’t know quite what to do.” Recently, NMDR had shared a video on Facebook, where it shows 16 new dogs who have walked through their doors, checking out the blankets laid out for them, for the first time.
This group of newcomers was welcomed to NMDR on July 3rd, and needed more medical help than the average newcomers. There were a few who had bad skin issues, while others, like a brown cocker spaniel, came to them blind. Whatever the differences they had, the initial response of the group to the gifts was the same. Their initial reaction to the blankets was a skeptical sniff, and Kahtava adds that this reaction is fairly typical.
Kahtava also adds: “Many do a lot of cautious sniffing. And some just bound onto them like it’s the best thing they’ve ever seen … because it pretty much is.” With time, even the most unsure of the dogs end up loving and sprawling on the blankets. They also get to keep the blanket until they leave the NMDR as long as they don’t eat and ruin it. The woman also says: “They certainly learn to treasure them rather quickly. Most can be seen snuggling with them routinely.”
When these pups get adopted, they get a brand new blanket to take home, and Kahtava adds: “It’s a very special part of our adoption process.” These blanket are donated by NMDR’s generous social media followers, and thanks to the support of their followers, all pups who come through the doors of NMDR get their first experience ever with a blanket, and also get to keep one for themselves forever.
