After a month of patient, loving care, DeeDee the pug is beginning to learn that people are nice. One of 37 dogs rescued from a Wilson County puppy mill, the 7-year-old female still cringes when you reach to pet her. However, once she realizes that you’re not going to hurt her, she leans in to have her ears rubbed. Her eyes are large and soulful, sad but hopeful.

“A month ago, she wouldn’t have let you get near her,” says Summerfield resident Chris Hedrick. Founder and executive director of Pug Rescue of North Carolina, Inc., Hedrick saw DeeDee through the delivery of her latest – and hopefully her last – litter of puppies. Hedrick has photographs of the pups, all of which died. The poor diet, grotesque living conditions and lack of veterinary care that cost DeeDee her pups was not limited to just DeeDee. Hedrick has photos showing that many of the dogs removed from the property of Darryl Newsome suffered injuries that went untreated. Letters from veterinarians who examined and treated the dogs speak of malnutrition, severe illnesses and medical conditions ranging from hip dysplasia and fatal heart defects to pneumonia and eye infections that resulted in blindness. Eight of the sixteen puppies born since the dogs were rescued have died because of prenatal malnutrition, congenital deformity or uterine infections so severe that they were born septic. 

Hedrick, who founded PRNC in 2000, is determined that these dogs will not be returned to their previous owner. She was on hand when the animals were taken from the filthy, feces-strewn home in which Newsome kept up to 50 or 60 dogs. Although she is specifically dedicated to the pugs, she took in other breeds – miniature schnauzers, miniature pinschers and Chihuahuas.  

“I had to get them all out of there,” she says. “I wasn’t leaving until every dog was pulled out of that house – period. It was horrible. They were standing in feces and urine.”

Working with Animal Control, the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department and Wilson County Humane Society, Hedrick took custody of the animals – and quickly called upon others who share her dedication for protecting and saving animals. Miracles at Work Rescue, Almost Home Dachshund Rescue and the North Carolina Schnauzer Rescue all took in and placed dogs in foster homes.

Even with a network of local veterinarians providing services at a discount price, veterinary bills for just examinations, diagnoses and emergency treatment are in excess of $15,000. Hedrick has covered most of the bills with the rescue’s credit cards. Costs will most definitely rise as illnesses are treated. Until the legal case is settled, none of the rescued dogs can be spayed or neutered. Hedrick is determined and confident that Newsome will be forced to relinquish permanent ownership. Her group, which is wholly comprised of volunteers, has a suit ready to file that will require Newsome to surrender ownership or repay every penny of the expenses. At this writing, he is facing felony charges. Armed with photographic evidence of abuse and veterinary testimony, Hedrick intends to see that he is prosecuted on every charge that can be levied against him.

“I will have stacks of evidence when I go into that courtroom,” she says. “He claimed he took good care of his dogs. We had to teach these dogs how to eat dog food! I was told that he was feeding them butcher scraps, old bread and scraps from the trash at a fast food place. They didn’t know what dog food was.”

DeeDee and her fellow rescues are learning about things like dog food and treats, comfortable beds and kind people. It’s hard to say whether or not she’ll ever be as outgoing as Hedrick’s other pugs (Katie in particular welcomes newcomers with the exuberance of a Wal-Mart greeter on amphetamines, and even says “I love you”), but if Hedrick and her fellow deep-hearted volunteers get their way, she and the rest will have every opportunity to live healthy lives in loving homes.

Want to help? Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to Pug Rescue of North Carolina, Inc., P.O. Box 94, Summerfield, NC 27358. For more info, visit www.pugrescuenc.org or call 312-2983.