Chapter 20: Scars that Don’t Heal
Teri McGee was in a grim mood when she arrived at the clinic at seven on Sunday morning.
“I don’t really see what we’re going to accomplish today,” she said as she climbed into Kaybri’s truck.
Kaybri was nervous about having to make conversation during the twenty-five-minute drive to the Stoltzfus farm so early in the morning—it was hard enough for her at any hour—so she asked Teri how she had founded HED and just let her ramble on. Teri spoke at length in between sips of organic shade-grown matcha from the mug she’d brought with her.
Kaybri learned that Teri had studied environmental science in college twenty years earlier. She married and with her husband began managing an organic demonstration farm. They chose not to have children because of overpopulation but regularly took in dogs for fostering and owned three of their own—all mutts they had rescued. On their own small farm in Lititz, the McGee family grew much of what they consumed and raised chickens that ranged freely about the farm. They composted, recycled, and primarily powered their home with solar and wind energy. Kaybri had to admit that she found all of this admirable.
Once the farm Teri and her husband managed began making enough money for them to hire more hands, she had turned her attention to the puppy mills she had long been aware were being operated by her neighbors to the west.
Teri sure was long-winded and arrogant but was actually very informative, and Kaybri learned a lot.
“The Amish own and farm approximately one million acres mostly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. Fewer than a hundred farms operate puppy mills. It’s those farms that caught my attention. I read extensively about puppy mills and the horrors found in those facilities. Then I formed HED to put an end to them. That was ten years ago.”
“How did you find out about the puppy mills?” Kaybri asked.
"It’s generally known around here. Local opposition pops up now and again. For months, you would see signs on people’s lawns demanding the puppy mills be outlawed. Then the signs would disappear for a while, then return a year later when some other animal rights group took up the cause. HED has been trying to keep the issue foremost in people’s minds. But no one wants to trash the Amish because the local economy is so dependent on the tourism their lifestyle generates.”
“The Amish are so beloved. It can’t be good for the community’s reputation,” Kaybri mused out loud. She was beginning to see how a more humane breeding program could actually help the Amish. Teri’s local perspective was insightful.
“Exactly. The tourists don’t want to believe the Amish are operating these mills. They just see them as noble stewards of the land who work with their hands to produce high-quality furniture and crafts. They come for the Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, the quaint country fairs, the amusement parks, and the few working farms that are open to the public. Parents love to show their kids the black buggies, the long beards, the white caps, the plain clothing, and a life without electrical appliances.”
“Can today’s phone-addicted kids even conceive of such a life!?” Kaybri interjected.
“The last thing the parents want is to have their kids associate the Amish with puppy mills. And now that more people seem to care about animal rights, the Amish need to start thinking about their reputation. If ‘quaint’ means abusing dogs, it’s maybe not so appealing after all.”
“What can we do to stop it?” Kaybri asked. She was thinking more and more about publicity and social pressure.
“Since its founding, Helping Every Dog has filed forty-two lawsuits against Amish farmers and a dozen against veterinarians suspected of caring for mistreated dogs and not reporting the breeders to the state. We’ve also sued families for purchasing dogs we know came from Amish farms.”
“But the cases were all dismissed, right?”
Judge Thompson, as you know, isn’t a big fan of HED,” Teri said, rolling her eyes.
“I admire what you’re doing. Really. I respect your conviction. Not so much your methods. I’ve heard that the locals say HED stands for Hurt Everyone Deeply.”
Teri looked at Kaybri incredulously. “No one stands up for animals. They have no rights. They’re treated like things, not like living beings that have feelings and feel pain. They’re ‘protected’ by just a few poorly enforced regulations. An extreme situation calls for extreme measures.”
Kaybri considered Teri’s position and found herself agreeing to an extent. To her surprise, she found herself wanting to justify herself to this woman she had thought so little of before this conversation. “When I bought the practice, I was upset to learn that Frank was taking in the discarded breeding dogs—basically, cleaning up the farmers’ mess—and not working to shut down their operations. He made a pact with the devil—he said it himself. And I inherited that situation.”
“If only Frank had been an ally to HED,” Teri sighed.
Kaybri knew that there was a lot riding on her ability to get Teri to understand the other side of things. She was in a unique position to mediate, ironically—she of limited social skills. She took a deep breath. “Frank is from a different generation. He grew up at a time when people really didn’t think much at all about how animals are treated, whether it was farm animals, circus animals, zoo animals, or dogs.”
“Well, times are changing. The scandal at Sea World. The ban on circus elephants. The spotlight on the horrors of industrial meat production. When people hear the truth about these things, they don’t like it.”
“I agree. But try to understand what you’re dealing with here. A dog-breeding operation can bring an Amish farmer half-a-million dollars a year or more. The farmers need to exploit every cash source they can because the price of land keeps going up. Their children want to have their own farms when they grow up, but they’re competing against developers. Even so, we both agree that isn’t a good enough reason to breed dogs in a horrific fashion.”
“Or to breed dogs at all. There are thousands of dogs who need good homes…”
Kaybri interrupted Teri. “Let’s talk about that another time. I think we can agree that people have strong feelings about that issue. Maybe not as strong as their feelings about puppy mills.”
“Agreed,” Teri said. As they pulled into the driveway, Kaybri saw Elizabeth Stoltzfus waiting on the front porch.
“Good morning, Elizabeth. Nice to see you,” Kaybri said.
Kaybri introduced Teri. “As we discussed, she’s come with me today to see the changes we are making.”
“It’s a pleasure. Can I get you a cold drink?” Elizabeth offered.
“No, thank you. I have tea,” Teri said rather coldly. Kaybri gave her a reprimanding look as she graciously accepted water from Elizabeth.
“Elizabeth and I will give you the tour. I thought it best if we keep you and Thomas Stoltzfus apart.”
They led Teri around the various outbuildings until they reached the barn. Kaybri felt a sense of pride as she slid open the doors.
“It’s empty.” Teri sounded disappointed. Kaybri could see she was still struggling with the idea that she would not see Thomas Stoltzfus punished for running a puppy mill.
“All of the dogs that could be saved were taken to the clinic. A few have already been placed in loving homes. We’re not sure how many more will recover. There were only twenty-six that weren’t euthanized when we emptied the barn. Since then, a few more have had to be put down.”
“That’s horrible,” Teri said angrily.
“That was my reaction too.”
Teri's face darkened. She looked like she was going to explode.
Elizabeth interjected. “My husband and I have decided that we are going to be completely open about what happened here. You are right. It was a deplorable situation. You’re here because Judge Thompson knew that you, as our most vocal and active critic, could guide us and guide others.”
“Where is your husband?” Teri barked at Elizabeth.
“He thought it would be best if he wasn’t here for your visit. His presence, at times, seems to infuriate people,” Elizabeth said with a smile. Kaybri marveled at her poise. She was unflappable.
Teri started to speak and then stopped herself. Her face softened as she addressed Elizabeth. “My husband says that I infuriate people as well. Our friends have stopped inviting us to parties because I might react to something said about animals. He loves me just the same. I’m lucky to have him.”
“Are you ready to continue the tour?” Kaybri asked Teri. When she nodded, they entered the barn.
“As you can see, the kennels are gone,” Kaybri said proudly. “The facility has been cleansed and disinfected. If you look above us, you can see where the new heating and cooling system will be installed. The electricians have already been here. Soon they’ll connect the generator to the lights and the climate control equipment. Unfortunately, the generator is on back order. We think it will be another three weeks.”
Elizabeth then led the other two women to the other side of the barn where copper pipes were protruding through the wall of the barn. “There will be both hot and cold running water. The water heater will be concealed behind this wall. We want to hide as much of the equipment as possible so it will be easier for other breeders to follow our lead.”
“So, this means you are going to continue breeding dogs,” Teri stated in a harsh tone.
“Yes,” Elizabeth said quietly.
“No one should be breeding dogs until all the homeless pets—and there are thousands of them—have homes. There’s no reason to breed more dogs. I am also offended, frankly, that your family, one of the worst offenders, will continue breeding dogs.”
Teri suddenly turned and started heading toward the barn door. “I should never have come.”
Kaybri caught up to her in the driveway where the truck was parked. “We can’t give up. I need your help in order to make Judge Thompson’s plan work. I’m willing to do anything to find a solution for both professional and personal reasons.”
“Haven’t I agreed to enough already? I can see that Judge Thompson’s plan isn’t going to work.”
“I need you to be part of the solution. Nothing will get better if you press these farmers too harshly. We need to think long term. When the Stoltzfuses begin offering well-bred dogs, they’ll have to compete with the cheaper pups that come from the puppy mills. We’ll need to convince the pet stores to buy only from the humane breeders. Your organization can play a big part in that. You’ll have leverage.”
“How do you figure?”
“You can pressure the pet stores to stop buying from Amish farmers unless the farmers they are buying from are HED approved. That would mean the dogs were bred under humane conditions approved by your organization. Your actions will force other Amish families to stop operating puppy mills and to start breeding dogs in a reputable fashion.”
“But I don’t want anyone breeding dogs.”
“I know. But don’t let the ideal be the enemy of the good. What’s more important is stopping the inhumane practices of the puppy mills. Judge Thompson’s plan doesn’t require the Amish to stop breeding dogs. What is supposed to change is how they do it. We have to find a compromise. The farmers need the income they receive from selling dogs. I can assure you that Thomas and Elizabeth want their family’s name associated with the breeding of healthy, happy animals.”
Kaybri could see Teri’s internal struggle written on her face.
“Teri, I know which pet stores are buying from puppy mills. We keep records, and most of our sick puppies come from a few different stores in this area. We know they buy from bad breeders. I’ll give you a list of store owners that HED can pressure.”
“You have that information?” Teri asked excitedly. “Can you give it to me now? Which store is the worst offender?”
“Not yet, Teri. There’s no point in pressuring the stores now. We need to be patient. This is a long-term project. The Stoltzfuses need time to restart their breeding program. At first, they’ll have only a few puppies to offer. In time, we hope the other farmers will follow their model, but that will take time as well. Teri, can you think long term?”
“I need to think about this. You’re asking me to support something I don’t believe is right at all.”
“We all have to compromise in order to make things better.”
As Teri started to climb into the truck, Kaybri spotted young Eva Stoltzfus looking out the window. She recognized her right away because the light of the morning sun was shining right on her scarred face. Eva waved at Kaybri and appeared to be heading for the front door.
“Wait,” Kaybri said to Teri. It was a risk, but she decided to take it. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
Eva came outside carrying a plate of cookies.
“Teri, this is Eva, Noah’s niece. And Thomas Stoltzfus’s granddaughter.”
Eva said a cheery hello and offered the two women some fresh-baked cookies. When Teri reached for one, Kaybri saw that her hand was shaking. It shook so much that she waved away the cookie plate and placed both hands behind her back. She then turned, climbed into the truck, and closed the door.
Kaybri apologized to Eva and asked her to thank her grandmother for her hospitality. She took a cookie and ate it while chatting with Eva for a bit. She wanted to be sure Teri spent some time in Eva’s presence, even if she was hiding in the car.
When Kaybri climbed up into the driver’s seat, she saw there were tears in the corners of Teri’s eyes. She turned to face her and said, “I think you know who Eva is. I think you know why she has scars on her face. I can see you’re not entirely at peace with your methods either.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Some dust blew in my eyes. I couldn’t see clearly. Could you please take me back to the clinic and my car?”
No words were spoken on the ride to the clinic. When they arrived, Kaybri stopped the truck and turned to look at Teri. She had the sense that Teri had been chastened by her encounter with Eva and would be more reasonable.
“Teri, let’s try to make this work.”
Teri spoke in a gentler tone, and her expression was softer than it had been all day. “Okay, I see your point. I like the idea of the pressure campaign, of focusing on the stores.”
Kaybri felt a surge of optimism. “Great. I’ll help you when the time is right. And I’ll bring you back to tour the farm again when there’s more to see--”
Teri interrupted. “I totally get it. But I’d sure like to have that list now so I can start planning a strategy. I’ve done pressure campaigns before. There are all kinds of factors that go into them, including location. I need to get my ducks in a row to make it effective.”
Kaybri hesitated. “Only if you swear you’re all in. This list is totally confidential.”
“I absolutely swear. I’ll use it just for planning purposes. This is the way to go. Your plan is brilliant. You’ve made me see things in a different light, Kaybri.”
Kaybri let out a sigh of relief. “You’ve made me happy, Teri. And I so want to trust you. So, I’m going to trust you. I’ll email you the list tonight.”