Puppy mill survivor on tour -- tonight at Borders in Pasadena

The sign on the door of the Barnes & Noble at The Grove proclaims: "NO PETS ALLOWED."  But Baby, a 14-year-old snow-white poodle, sauntered through, wrapped in Jana Kohl's arms, trailed by an entourage and greeted by an eager store official. 

That's because Baby, a puppy mill survivor, was on her way to an autograph-signing for Kohl's new book, "A Rare Breed of Love,"  which has made a cover girl out of the little canine -- who is attractively shaggy and sans that overly manicured poodle cut. 

The fact that Baby has only three legs hobbles her walk but not her presence.  Despite Kohl's fretting over how many people pet her as she takes her on tour, Baby seems relaxed and calm.

Tonight, you can see Kohl and Baby at 7 at Borders in Pasadena at 475 South Lake Ave.

Four years ago, Kohl was set to buy a toy poodle puppy from a breeder when a friend warned her that virtually all puppies for sale on the Internet or at stores come from puppy mills.  Kohl, long interested in animal welfare issues but clueless about puppy mills, went to a mill in Texas out of curiosity.

"It was literally a house of horrors," she told a group of about 30 who showed up for her signing. "I knew my life wouldn't be the same after that day."

For starters, Kohl decided to adopt a dog.  She found Baby on Petfinder.com.  She was a puppy mill survivor -- one of the females who are constantly bred to produce salable puppies. 

According to Kohl, Baby's vocal chords had been cut so the millers wouldn't have to listen to her barks and cries.  Later, one of her legs was amputated after she shattered it in a fall. Kohl attributes the deterioration of her bones to overbreeding.

Kohl then took Baby on a quest to publicize the ills of puppy mills. For the last three years, Baby has posed with sympathizers including celebs (Lindsay Lohan), sports stars (Martina Navratilova) and a host of politicians -- including Barack Obama.

Kohl, a longtime Chicago resident who moved recently to California, managed to score a meeting for herself and Baby with Obama when he was still running for U.S. Senate.  (The book features a full-page picture of Obama holding Baby in front of the Lincoln Memorial.)

Kohl has a doctorate in clinical psychology but devotes her entire time to animal welfare causes.  Along with most animal welfare organizations, including the Humane Society of the U.S., she likens puppy mills to "breeding factories" where dogs often spend their lives in cages and are bred too often.

"My life is about stopping puppy mills," Kohl said. "And the best way to do that is to change consumer buying habits. We have to dispel myths about rescue and shelter dogs. You can find a pedigreed dog at shelters and rescue facilities."

The author's net proceeds will go to the Humane Society of the United States.

--Carla Hall

Photos: Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Carole Raphaelle Davis]

Jana Kohl is a beautiful person inside and out and her dog Baby is communicating to everyone, without her vocal chords, that we need to connect the dots, folks. We need to hear hear the cries of millions of puppy mill breeding dogs like Baby and understand that these poor dogs are prisoners of the puppy industry. People are getting very rich mistreating dogs to sell to pet stores and to the public on the Internet.
Buy Jana's book, it's great and it's true.
Carole Raphaelle Davis
hollywoodjinky.com

[carole sax]

Bless you Jana Kohl and Baby for spreading the word on the horrors of puppymills and the petstores that sell puppies from them. Please rescue/adopt save a life.

[JoAnne Curran]

I think Jana Kohl is an angel. Everything she says is true and I cannot wait to read her book. However there is another awful thing happening in California that I did alot of research into 4 years ago and it is still going strong. I tryed to go to a shelter 4 years ago and spent 2 weeks everyday after work visiting the shelters. I wanted a small dog and everyone I saw was "reserved for the rescue society" When a small dog comes in the rescue society is called and given "1st choice" So I thought I would go to the rescue society thinking they have saved a life, so I can get my dog there. Ha Ha, we spent 3 hours with a small dog at a well know rescue society in so. cal and when we had filled out the papers and thought we would be giving this dog a great home, we were told she would be $1200.00! That didn't even stop me....I called the owner the next day and asked her if she would take 800.00 and was told no, she wasn't even suppose to be available at 1200.00 she was suppose to be 1500.00! So this little girl went from 45.00 at a shelter to 1500.00 at a rescue, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? I finally did get a sweet papillon mix at a shelter in Hemet, but then spent 600.00 and 2 months saving her life. She is so worth it and I love her dearly, but how many people looking for a dog can afford to spend that? This practice is still going on because I applied on line to adopt another dog thru the shelters (I thought) but Thurs. they informed me they had found a match..........this dog is at the same rescue as stated above.........there price has gone down......their dogs are 150.00 to 750.00 now! We need to know what is happening and change this practice. The rescue society should only get the dog from the shelters if the general puplic has not taken it. So goes the name RESCUE! They should not be given 1st choice and then increase their price 100's of dollars. JoAnne Curran

[Smeef]

That's awesome she saved Baby, but very unfortunate she's donating proceeds to the HSUS. The HSUS does not do much to help animals directly, but instead lobbies for legislation SOME OF WHICH is anti-mill (good), LOTS OF WHICH is just anti-pets in general (bad!). They have been set on stopping the reptile trade, for starters. HSUS has no direct connection with shelters, and PETA would rather euthanize a pet than have it go to a good home.

The proceeds would be MUCH better used by small shelters that actually help animals, or more focused groups if the author's goal is to change washington.

[Debbie Maynard]

I have saved two Poodles from a puppy mill that was closed in Illinois. They were brother and sister. The brother passed on not long after we received them. We have since got another male. But I would like to save another one. Can you maybe help me? The lady that was involved with us before is no longer saving poodles. I prefer a poodle because I am allegic to other pets. Saving any pet from that life stile gives you a great feeling inside, after seeing all the pets that are abused.

[Lauren]

I'm viewing the Democrats in a different light now that Barack Obama posed with Baby and then Joe Biden ran out and BOUGHT a German Shepherd puppy from a breeder with ties to a large Pennsylvania Puppy mill.

My final vote for the "Do as I say not as I do" Democrats.

[Ashleigh Jenson]

Im so proud of Jana and Baby. She is telling Babys story and meanwhile encouragning and inspiring the rest of the worlds animal lovers to step up and make their voice heard in behalf of the millions of innocent animals still suffering in these horrible mills. I admire her so much for all she has done and continues to do for as long as she can. I applaud her!

[Shelley Kim]

Jana Kohl has a very kind soul... Every single person interested in 'buying' a dog, should definitely read stories like these and hopefully become inspired in adopting a lost soul and giving it a furrever home.