Tiny Dachshund With Special Needs Finally Gets The Home She's Been Waiting For

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A tiny dachshund puppy with special needs was left waiting for months as dozens of other rescued dogs found their forever homes.

The special puppy was born with a spinal malformation that makes it nearly impossible for her to use her back legs, only days after a Westminster, Massachusetts puppy mill holding her mom was shut down for animal cruelty.

If Kenzi (who went by 'Billie' at the shelter) had been born while her mom was still being held in the cruel breeding operation, she might never have made it out.

Puppy mills are commercial breeding operations where puppies like Kenzi are bred purely for profit - in many, dogs start out their lives in filthy stacked cages before being sold in pet stores or online. Puppies with visible disabilities, like Kenzi, often don't make it out alive.

Luckily, Kenzi's mom was one of 71 dachshunds rescued from the puppy mill in January and brought to the MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, according to local news site MassLive.com.

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All of the other dachshunds from the rescue, including Kenzi's mom and sibs, found their forever homes, but the little puppy was still waiting for a family who would love her and help her overcome her physical challenges.

That is, until Tina Petras and Diane Molinari saw a photo of her online and knew she belonged in their family.

"You can see her legs fall out from under her. We don't know if she will stay this way or get better or worse." Petras told MassLive.com, "We know what it takes, we know what the cost is. I know that scares people away, but we didn't think twice about it."

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Now Kenzi has two loving moms, some doggy brothers to play with, and a bright future she might never have had if she'd been born in the puppy mill.