Sonnie Bryant Bedard is a Harley’s Hero and ‘mom’ to a very special little puppy mill survivor named Princess Ava Bisou. Together, Sonnie and Ava work tirelessly to spread the message about puppy mills via social media, awareness events and friendly protests.

We rescued Ava (aka Sunshine) in 2013 and fostered her until she found the most perfect home with Sonnie and her husband, Marcel. Harley was her first friend in freedom, and he was responsible for her rescue … what an amazing and profound thought this is!

Sonnie shared her thoughts with us in a recent interview:

What inspired you to create a Facebook page for Ava so she could educate the public about puppy mills?

Both Harley and Dunkin’s Road To Love and Healing, who both have facebook pages, were contributing factors. I KNEW they both made a tremendous impact on me. I felt compelled to help in the fight against puppy mills after seeing the tremendously negative impact that living in a puppy mill had on this beautiful little creature, her health and her ability to “be a dog”. Also, finding out that sadly, there are still so many people are either unaware or uneducated about the horrific realities of puppy mills. If we could change that ratio, it would help the overall fight against puppy mills. Princess Ava Bisou’s suffering would not be in vain, if she could be part of the solution (to the horrendous problem of puppy mills & animal abuse).

When you adopted Ava, did you have any idea how much impact she would make on the lives of so many people?

No, not at all. I only hoped to educate others about puppy mills. I never dreamed that she would have such a large and loyal fan base! Her (and Mia Bryant Bedard’s) fans have to be some of the kindest, warmest, most generous people on the planet! Almost daily, we get emails and private messages from both Ava and Mia’s friends, telling us the many ways in which they have impacted their lives. We are very grateful for each and every one of them!

What has Ava taught you?

Wow, this list could go on and on… Princess Ava Bisou has taught me sooo many things. She is living proof that your past does NOT have to determine your present or your future. That where you come from has no bearing on where you can go. That patience really is a virtue and with patience, lots of love and encouragement, even the badly broken can blossom. Additionally, there is a little “Sunshine” in all of us!

Be sure to follow Princess Ava Bisou on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Enjoy the photos below!