The Age of “Pandemic Puppies” with Brooke Miller

We all know how the pandemic has affected man, but what about man’s best friend?

February 21, 2022

Assistant Director, Treasurer, and Adoption Coordinator of Dauntless Dogs Rescue, Brooke Miller, has always loved dogs for as long as she can remember. When she discovered she couldn’t have children of her own, her love for dogs grew even stronger. “They’re more than pets,” she says, “I see them as my children in a literal sense.”

Born and raised in a small town in Missouri, Miller was heavily involved with the church and often volunteered with various non-profits with her grandparents. It has always been in her nature to help people. In 2012, she graduated from nursing school at Columbia College. “I always wanted to be a vet, but I couldn’t bear to put dogs down,” she says, “so I became a nurse... is that bad? That I can handle seeing sick people but not sick dogs?”

Once her husband got stationed in Camp Lejeune, Miller made the move to Wilmington in 2017 with her two rescue dogs, Kira (10) and Weston (5). In an attempt to get involved with the community, she began fostering dogs from Dauntless Dogs Rescue, a Wilmington-based non-profit that relies solely on fosters and donations.

“A common misconception with Dauntless is that we are a shelter. I get a lot of questions about where to find us. But we aren’t a place; we are a presence,” she says. “Once our dogs and puppies are rescued, they go straight to a foster where they learn to be loved before going to their forever homes. They get to learn to be a dog.”

Miller kept fostering dogs, two of whom became “foster fails,” so Bellatrix (4) and Phoenix (2) joined the family. Then, in 2020, the pandemic hit. “My shifts were picking up at the hospital as coworkers kept getting sick,” she says, “which meant I had less time to foster. But I knew Dauntless would need more help than ever.” Miller started running the social media and has picked up more administrative roles as the pandemic rolled on.

In 2020 and 2021, Dauntless received the highest number of adoption applications since it began in 2014. With people at home more, people thought it was the perfect time to finally adopt, but the number of dogs in shelters still outweighed the increase in adoptions.

Dauntless saw more surrendered and abandoned dogs than ever. The huge financial strain of the pandemic meant that people could not afford to feed their dogs. With the increased price of the housing rental market, more people had to move to smaller apartments where dogs were not permitted. When people had to return to work, the novelty of owning a puppy wore off, so oftentimes, they were returned to Dauntless or surrendered to a shelter.

College students from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and Cape Fear Community College make up over half of Dauntless’ fosters, so when classes went online, students moved back to their hometowns, and available fosters were limited. Dauntless also relies on adoption events and fundraisers, their most prominent ways of attracting potential adopters, so Miller had to focus on a heavier social media presence.

“There have been countless times over the past two years where I felt like quitting, purely from the mental strain,” she says, fidgeting her hands. “I’ve seen it all during this pandemic: neglect, disrespect, disregard, unwanted litters, abandoned dogs tied up with chains, left as nothing but skin and bones.” She began to tear up. “But I believe in karma. Good and bad. Hopefully, good things will come my way as I continue to care for these animals. Hopefully, bad karma will bite people in the ass who treat dogs like shit.”

Over the past four years alone, Miller has helped over 2000 dogs find their forever home, and she remembers every single one. Her favorite part about her job is pairing up adult dogs with the right fit, giving them a second chance at life.

“If I could talk to everyone who is thinking about adopting a dog, I would ask them one question: why? Do you want to expand your family? Do you want to show off a puppy to your friends? If you can’t answer that simple question, perhaps you aren’t ready for this commitment.”