Two years ago, I learned what puppy mills really are –

and how animals are treated inside them.

 

Right away, I knew one thing:

I wanted to save just one little soul from that place.

 

I registered on a rescue forum to begin the adoption process:

pre-adoption questionnaire, home visit.

Once I passed both steps, all that remained was choosing my dog.

 

There were many…

but none gave me that feeling in my chest – the one I call love at first sight.

 

Every day, new dogs appeared on the forum.

They were all amazing. But I felt nothing.

At one point, I thought I was overthinking it.

That maybe you don’t actually feel anything just from a photo.

 

And then… one day…

The woman who did our home check messaged me:

“There’s a pug available through another foundation. She’s recovering from surgery to remove a tumor, but otherwise she’s healthy. Her name is Nika. She’s five.”

 

 

 

I raced home to see her picture.

And just like that – a wave hit me.

I saw her and felt it instantly.

Love.

 

I filled out the form right away.

There were about ten other applicants…

but I knew she was mine.

 

I could feel it.

 

And I was right.

 

Just a few days later, I was sitting on a train to Warsaw, nervous and excited.

Would she like me? Would she feel safe?

 

I waited anxiously for the moment I could hold her.

 

After a few hours of travel, we returned home –

getting to know each other slowly.

I remember what her foster mom told me:

“If she rolls on her back and shows you her belly, she feels safe.”

 

She did it just a few hours after arriving.

That was our moment.

 

Within a few days, she was already starting to feel at home.

She began to trust our touch.

Of course, she was terrified at first –

but that’s what happens when you’ve been hurt. When you’ve been used.

 

 

 

Adoption comes with paperwork and procedures.

But I believe it’s the best thing you can do if you want a dog.

 

It’s not hard.

If you have good intentions and know what you’re looking for,

nothing will stop you.

 

I can’t tell you exactly what I love most about my dog.

Because I love everything.

And I can’t imagine life without her.

 

As a proud “pug mom,” I’ll admit –

I’m already dreaming of expanding our family with another rescue.

Always through adoption.

 

Nika came from a terrible place.

The tumor on her belly made it hard for her to walk.

I don’t know exactly what kind of conditions she lived in –

but judging by her state when she arrived, it was not a good place.

 

Dogs in puppy mills are treated like machines for breeding.

It’s a harsh word.

But it’s the truth.

 

 

 

When we buy dogs “for free” or “purebred for 100 bucks,”

we’re supporting that same cruel system.

 

Behind every cheap ad is a dog sitting in a cage,

hungry, dirty, neglected, longing for love.

Sick. Suffering. Forgotten.

 

People have no idea who they’re buying from.

And by buying, they fuel that filthy business.

 

Adoption is the best thing that can happen –

to both the animal and the human.

 

You give a cat or dog the chance for a new life.

And you give yourself the chance to experience unconditional love.

To feel a kind of fulfillment you can’t find anywhere else.

 

As for me and Nika?

I keep telling myself:

 

We were meant for each other.