The show tomorrow is with Lisa Ling about exposing Puppymills..it will be a hard one to watch. I have a Yorkie that came out of a Puppymill rescue. Whe they got him out he had blisters on his feet, a respiratory infection and impacted teeth.. he was a sick lil' guy. He is fine now..
I got my Dachshund from a rescue society who got her, her brother and mom from a backyard breeder puppymill. She had to have over $900 worth of vet care but was worth every penney. I wish they would pass laws against such businesses. Clare
My Sweet Sammie, rescued in Kansas City at 8 months along with 45 other dogs. He fostered in Fort Worth and I drove up to get him 3 years ago. I'm so glad he found me, where he has lots of space to run. He would not have been a good kid dog or apartment dog.
Sammie was afraid of a bird chirping. He doesn't like people that talk loudly or thunder. But, he's a real sweetie. Everything has to be on his terms as far as affection goes. It is so sad, he still ducks his head when I go to pet him.
I don't know if I want to pub myself through watching that show, but if they recommend any action individuals can take to alleviate or eliminate the problem, please share here. Or probably her website will cover that after the show.
I saw that was on the schedule, so I dropped the Oprah Show an email (doubt they'll use the suggestion) to make sure they include the issue of retired racing greyhounds. At the time we adopted Won By Her Wits (aka Charm), the statistics were horrifying -- 50,000+ greyhounds were being destroyed each year after their racing careers ended (mandatory at 4 years of age).
Greyhounds are sweet, wonderful house dogs. Big, but not intrusive. Short hair, no shedding problem. There are greyhound adoption groups in many states.
Here's our old girl. She turned 9 in February. Life expectancy is 12, so if you adopt one, they have a lot of love to give you.
I don't know if I can watch it either but maybe I'll just listen to it. In my area ABC can be heard on the radio too so many times I'll listen to an Oprah show or The View when I'm in the car.
In Pennsylvania Governor Rendell tried to crack down on the poor conditions in the puppy mills by legislating minimum conditions that each kennel must meet. Unfortunately PA is known as the puppy mill capital of the East and Lancaster County in particular has the highest concentration of commercial breeders in the state.
Actually 'commercial breeders' might sound grander than these kennels are. Many are unlicensed family run businesses operated by the Amish and Mennonite where the dogs are simply 'fed and bred' until their usefulness is over. The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh papers have sent reporters undercover to expose the neglect and abuse that accompanies these activities.
The Amish have a reputation for being a stoic, tight knit, hard working group who shun modern conveniences and avoid the media. Some readers were shocked when they read the articles, not only because of the hideous conditions the dogs lived in, but because they were amazed that the Amish would do this. Perhaps they simply have a different view of an animals place in the world.
In NJ there's a group called N.J. Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse who maintain a web site listing NJ stores and breeders who buy from puppy mills so that you can avoid them.
Yesterday I mentioned in the thread about the pregnant man that I thought this type of show made Oprah look like Jerry Springer. However when she airs a show like this that has the possibility of changing something for the better I applaud her. I also appreciate Lisa Ling's approach to this type of topic. She presents it the way a reporter would and lets the facts dominate. Maybe be airing this topic on national TV it will help change the awful conditions.
I live in PA and I had no idea about the Amish/Mennonite connection to puppy mills. In fact, I didn't know that we were known as the puppy mill capital of the East. I knew we had a thriving dog fighting business in the state, a fact that has been responsible for many a dog being stolen out of their yards.
But I used to be a much more active animal activist than I am these days. Time to open my eyes again, I guess.
Last night's Animal Cops Houston was a new one and they raided a puppy mill. It was so sad. I think there were 40+ dogs found dead and 50+ dogs rescued but they didn't all make it. There was one that was the skinniest dog I have ever seen. I was so happy at the end to see she had survived and gained about 15 pounds. She was such a sweet dog. They had no food, no water and were standing in dirty contaminated water. I don't see how people can do this. Thank goodness the judge turned all of the dogs over the SPCA and arrested the woman running the whole thing. They must just see $$ signs and have no heart whatsoever.
I don't think I will be able to watch Oprah after seeing the previews. It just breaks my heart to see animals treated this way.
I saw the previews for the show yesterday and started to cry. I don't think I could watch the show either. I think it a good thing she's doing because people need to be more aware.
I have two dogs and two cats and they are call shelter rescues.
Nope...I shut the TV off after Dr. Phil. I can't watch something as horrific as what the previews showed. I know I would just bawl the rest of the day after seeing something like this!
I cried, even Oprah cried during the euthanasia part. 4 million dogs and cats are put to sleep each year in the US alone. Part of this is because of puppy mills and overpopulation due to the fact alot people refuse to get their dogs fixed. As she emphasized, don't buy from puppy mills or pets stores who get their puppies from there. Get your pets from shelters, pure breed rescues and responsible breeders. And get your pets fixed. Everyone can do something to help fix this problem. Clare
In 2001, I got a Wheaten terrier puppy from a puppy mill in Nebraska. He arrived with kennel cough and had some aggressive behaviors, including jumping on everyone and running away. He choked to death at 2 years old when I tied him outside on a nice day and the lead got tangled. It was heartbreaking. We got another Wheaten in 2003 but from a very reputable breeder in Ireland. The UK has very strict laws on breeding dogs, such as how many litters a female can produce, how much time in between, etc. She is a very gentle,loving, healthy, and has fit in well with our family.
I changed the channel as soon as it started, I knew it would be too upsetting. After our last peke had to be put down I went to see a puppy in town. It was the only one left and I could see why. This dog had never been to a vet according to the owners. He had the "wrong" (undesireable) coloring, brown nose and mouth instead of black, a big hernia and his nostrils were barely opened. We bought him because we knew we'd care for him. Next day we took him the vet and scheduled a neutering, hernia operation and operation to open his nostrils more for when he was a bit older ( he was 8 wks old they said). Now he is about 20+ lbs and a real sweet boy.
Well it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. No, I'm not referring to the abyssmal conditions that the dogs were in, but rather my ability to watch the entire show. I decided I needed to watch in order to learn the facts, especially since it featured Pennsylvania, my home state for most of my life and where I still have property. In PA dogs are considered livestock and are more or less treated like chickens - the breeding female is kept in a cage her entire life and bred every time she comes in heat.
Main Line Animal Rescue was the catalyst for Oprah to film this show. They have erected several billboards along the PA Turnpike to alert people to the issue and their web site urges residents to contact their state representatives and request a change in the laws to provide more humane conditions and increased inspection of the kennels. They have formed contacts with some of these kennels and are able to rescue many dogs that would otherwise have been put down after their usefulness is over.
While it was painful to watch and I found myself in tears several times I'm glad I kept it on. They included segments on a woman who runs a no-kill shelter and scenes of happy adoptions along with the sad scenes of the kennels and an Animal Control Facility that takes in 40,000 pets a year. An SPCA attorney stated that 99% of pet shops buy from puppy mills and that a reputable breeder wants to place their own dogs.
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals www.aspca.org
Petfinder Adoption service associated with the Animal Planet television series, including links to shelters across North America. www.petfinder.com
Dogs in Danger www.dogsindanger.com (I just read an article in People magazine about the man who started Dogs in Danger. It's a website that shows dogs on "death row" in shelters around the country.)
Pets 911 Features searchable lost and found dogs and information about neutering, adoption and training. www.pets911.com
I just hope that instead of yesterdays show being too "painful" to watch that millions of people did watch and now want to do something to stop the puppy mills. That people will take responsibility for their pet and have it spayed or nueter. That people will adopt from a Shelter or a pound instead of buying that puppy from the pet store. That people will donate to their local Shelter, time, food, litter, cleaning supplies, old blankets, towels and of course MONEY is always appreciated. I did cry, it reminded me so much of the puppy mill here last summer. It also reminded me of why my family is involved in the Humane Society. I started fostering with this HS because my mom helped get it going, but I am not doing it for her now..I am doing it for Honey,(our first foster) Frosty, Cletus, Noel, Baby Boy, Emma,, and all the ones that will come after them. This is the link to our shelter..Baby Boy and Clet was adopted this week!! It starts with 1..
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