Last summer, RMCR responded to an urgent call for help and welcomed our first wave of Cocker Spaniels from a Missouri breeding operation. Those dogs arrived frightened, many with large medical needs, and unsure of what kindness looked like — yet today, each is thriving in a loving home - because of the compassion of our community.
Now, that same breeder has once again reached out, surrendering another 15 cocker spaniels.
This latest release brings a new group of vulnerable dogs into our care, including many young puppies and three adults, with the oldest estimated to be around 8 years old. Like the first group, these dogs are in need of immediate medical attention, patient rehabilitation, and the chance to finally experience life as cherished companions.
Because of what we accomplished together last summer, we are ready to answer this call again.
And once more, we cannot do it without you.
As always, we honor our foster families’ right to adopt first — but for those pups who become available, we will continue updating our Adoptable Dogs page regularly. Please check back often for updates.
These resilient survivors are coming to us from the harsh reality of a commercial breeding operation, and their journey toward a brighter future begins now. But we cannot make it happen without you.
For years, these gentle souls lived in confinement — housed in small cages, valued only for the puppies they could produce, and denied the most basic comforts of a loving home.
They knew no soft beds.
No gentle hands.
No familiar voices speaking their names.
They were not treated as companions.
They were treated as commodities.
This is the heartbreaking reality for far too many dogs trapped in the breeding industry.
The Hidden Toll on Female Breeding Dogs
Behind every litter produced in a puppy mill is a mother dog whose body and spirit have paid the price.
Female dogs in large-scale breeding operations are often forced to produce litter after litter, with little or no time to physically recover. Over time, this relentless cycle takes a devastating toll on their health — much of it entirely preventable with proper veterinary care and responsible breeding practices.
Common long-term impacts include:
• Mammary Tumors
Unspayed females who are bred repeatedly face a dramatically higher risk of breast cancer, especially as they age.
• Uterine Infections (Pyometra)
A life-threatening condition common in older, unspayed breeding dogs, often requiring emergency surgery.
• Hernias and Prolapse
Caused by repeated pregnancies and deliveries without proper medical oversight.
• Malnourishment
Chronic nutritional depletion from pregnancy after pregnancy, often with little to no dietary support.
• Untreated Medical Complications
Many endure infections, stillborn litters, difficult labor, and internal injuries — all without ever seeing a veterinarian.
By the time these dogs reach rescue, they are often not only emotionally shut down — they are medically fragile.
And yet, despite everything they have endured, they still want to trust.
They still want to love.
They still want to belong.
Our Commitment to Their Healing
Many of the dogs in this newest group are young, and several are arriving with conditions such as cherry eye — a painful but treatable condition affecting the tear gland. Others will require dental care, spay/neuter surgery, nutritional rehabilitation, and ongoing medical monitoring.
This is where our work truly begins.
Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue does not operate a traditional shelter facility. Instead, every dog is placed in a carefully selected foster home, where they can begin healing in a safe, stable, family environment.
Our foster homes allow us to provide:
• Individualized care
• Emotional stability
• Consistent routines
• Close medical monitoring
• Gentle socialization
We work diligently to place each dog in the best possible foster setting for their unique needs. While foster families are given the first opportunity to adopt if it is the right fit, RMCR remains fully responsible for all medical care, treatment, and recovery — regardless of where a dog’s forever home may ultimately be.
No dog is adopted until they are:
Medically stable
Properly treated
Emotionally supported
Well-nourished
Ready for lifelong success
From their first day in rescue to the day they find their forever family, these dogs are surrounded by compassion, advocacy, and unwavering commitment.
Because rescue isn’t just about saving lives.
It’s about restoring them.
Now, these Cocker Spaniels finally have a chance.
A chance to feel sunlight on their silky fur.
A chance to rest on soft beds.
A chance to learn what gentle hands and kind voices feel like.
A chance to be loved — not used.
But healing from years of neglect takes time, patience, and significant support.
Breeder Release Dogs: What You Should Know
Welcoming one of these dogs into your home is a profound act of compassion. It is also a commitment to meet them where they are — with empathy and understanding.
We want every potential foster and adopter to begin this journey with open eyes and a full heart.
Here is what many breeder-release dogs experience when they first enter loving homes:
• They may not know how to walk on a leash.
Many have never touched grass or gone for a walk.
• They may hide, freeze, or panic.
The outside world can feel overwhelming after years in confinement.
• They may be hesitant about touch.
Trust takes time after prolonged harsh or impersonal handling.
• They are often escape risks.
Fear can make them bolt. Secure fencing and proper equipment are essential.
• Another confident dog is often a huge help.
Well-adjusted dogs help teach these survivors what safety and love look like.
With patience, routine, and kindness, these dogs slowly transform — and witnessing that growth is something truly extraordinary.
Ideal Homes for Breeder Release Dogs
These dogs tend to thrive best in homes that offer:
• Securely fenced yards
• Calm environments
• Adult-only households or older, dog-savvy children
• Another well-adjusted dog
• A gentle, patient, understanding heart
All fosters and adopters receive guidance, ongoing support, and veterinary care coverage through Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue.
You are never alone in this journey.
The Reality of Life Inside Puppy Mills
When people imagine dogs, they often picture playful puppies and happy companions.
For breeding dogs in puppy mills, life looks very different.
Confinement and Caging
• Small, overcrowded wire cages with little room to move
• Stacked enclosures with limited visibility or stimulation
• Rare opportunities to walk, run, or stretch
• Unsanitary conditions with accumulated waste
• Painful wire flooring that damages paws and joints
Lack of Basic Care
• Minimal or nonexistent veterinary treatment
• Untreated illness and injuries
• Poor-quality food and limited access to clean water
• Severe matting, overgrown nails, and chronic ear infections
• Exposure to extreme heat or cold
Emotional and Social Deprivation
• Little to no positive human interaction
• No socialization with other dogs
• Repeated breeding without recovery time
• Constant noise and stress
• Rare experiences of affection or comfort
The Cycle of Neglect
• Profit prioritized over welfare
• Minimal oversight
• Operations hidden from public view
• Dogs viewed as inventory rather than living beings
Over time, this environment breaks down both body and spirit.
How You Can Help Change This Reality
Ending the cycle of neglect takes all of us.
You can help by:
• Choosing rescue whenever possible
• Supporting ethical, transparent breeding practices
• Educating friends and family
• Advocating for stronger animal welfare laws
• Reporting suspected abuse or neglect
• Supporting rescue organizations doing this work every day
Most importantly, you help by standing with these dogs — through fostering, adopting, donating, and sharing their stories.
Because when people choose compassion, lives change.
And when these dogs finally experience safety, love, and belonging, they don’t just survive.
They begin to live.
