OK..How many of you sat and held your dogs after watching todays Oprah?

[Donna]

this is the most powerful Oprah show i've ever seen. It was much harder to watch than even *I* thought. I thought i knew about puppy mills, but she went so much further with showing how the left overs are euthanized. I just sobbed and cried. I just want to go save a dog so bad now. I want to make a difference in a dog's life like these rescue people did. It means so much to them, even more than it means to us humans.
I dont' have alot in common with Oprah, but i DO share a love of dogs and specifically goldens and cockers. How wonderful her tribute to sophie was. I thought THAT would be the hardest part of the show, boy was i ever wrong.
Animal lovers unite and do what you can!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I have been bawling and bawling... none of the info is new to me, I'm a rescue kinda person, but it's heartbreaking to see again.

I hope people listen.

 

[JuneChickie]

I posted on the other thread too ,
I was surprised to hear that the Amish have these puppy mills
and think of it as just a normal part of farming life. (a Way to
make money of course)

I just cried like a baby. Especially when they got to the part
where they showed how they select who they have to "you know" (sniff sniff)
( I just can't say it) , It was just sooooo Sad , I wish I had the money and a
nice big place to give those that no one wants a good home.

I hope this show gets the awareness it deserves

 

[disneyaggie]

The thing that turned my stomach was seeing the dogs in body bags being dumped in a dumpster. It was just so horrible. And this just after the worker said that putting them down was hard and it showed them petting the dogs as they were being put to sleep. It just seemed so wrong.

I am not sure about the rest of the country but I know Oprah's show is re-broadcast this evening as well. I hope more folks watch this powerful program.

 

[EMom]

I haven't owned a dog since I got married, but had them until then. I could not bring myself to watch this show, but I am glad Oprah did it. Most people have no idea what goes on with these breeders. Mutts are every bit as loveable. Nowadays, I just have feline mutts.

 

[disneyaggie]

What was the title of the song (and the singer's name) played during the tribute to Sophie? It really was so powerful.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I posted on the other thread too ,
I was surprised to hear that the Amish have these puppy mills
and think of it as just a normal part of farming life. (a Way to
make money of course)

I just cried like a baby. Especially when they got to the part
where they showed how they select who they have to "you know" (sniff sniff)
( I just can't say it) , It was just sooooo Sad , I wish I had the money and a
nice big place to give those that no one wants a good home.

I hope this show gets the awareness it deserves

I was surprised too the first time I learned about the Amish!!! Prior to that I had bought some Amish furniture...no more!!!!


In general:
two points: not all breeders are puppy mills, there are reputable and responsible breeders out there. Sometimes you do have to do your homework - because the puppy mill people will try to pose as breeders or even rescuers - either way you need to do your homework!!!

and, there are rescuers, etc that are not the best...have ridiculous restritions or rules, etc...that does not make them all bad....keep looking!!!!! I love petfinders!

 

[Poohbear67]

We went to the rescue here and they wanted $450 apiece for their dogs. We just could not afford that. It was heinous. Who can afford $450 for a mixed breed dog? We ended up getting our long haired mini dachsund without papers from someone who's dog's had accidently had puppies for $100 after going to several rescues that left my allergies in shreds..... I was all up for saving a dog but I feel like some of the rescues are in it for a buck. Which is disappointing. We also went to the Humane Society. The Dogs were all around $150 and filthy. My allergies were so bad that I had an asthma attack as did my son and we had to leave. We felt terrible leaving them but would have felt even more terrible if we had had to bring the poor pup back....

With most adoptions for Greyhounds its $175.00 and they have all their shots , teeth cleaning and they are fixed so bascially you get the dog for free. Oh the cost is TAX DEDUCTABLE.

From what I have read on the post regarding on how they dispose of the bodies that is more humane than what they do to the greyhounds, thats why we rescue them. Oh if you have allergies no problem with them at all for that.

I just know that if you really want a pet that there are shelters & adoptions agencies that aren't trying to "rape you". Good Luck!!!

 

[daisy2]

I wasn't going to watch it. Only because I would want to adopt them all (I know realistically I couldn't.) But it's so sad these animals in such bad shape. We rescued both our cats.The worse part of the show for me is in fort worth texas when they are picking animals to euthanize that brought me to sobbing and tears. And than them putting them in a dumpster I lost it completely. I know this show changed my mind completly. If and when we get a dog it will be adopted from a shelter.

 

[luvmy2sams]

I watched this today, and I'm still drained from it. I knew it would be hard to stomach, but I'm so glad she did this program. I lost it as soon as she started talking about Sophie (I have a 13 year old cocker that could be Sophie's twin), and I didn't handle the rest of the show much better. I hope that this program raises the awareness out there.

DD has been bothering me for weeks about figuring out how she can volunteer at the local humane society. This show gave me the kick in the can that I needed to make the phone calls and do something to help.

 

[Poohbear123]

I posted on the other thread too ,
I was surprised to hear that the Amish have these puppy mills
and think of it as just a normal part of farming life. (a Way to
make money of course)

I just cried like a baby. Especially when they got to the part
where they showed how they select who they have to "you know" (sniff sniff)
( I just can't say it) , It was just sooooo Sad , I wish I had the money and a
nice big place to give those that no one wants a good home.

I hope this show gets the awareness it deserves

I too cried, and than I donated 50.00 to the Humane Society and signed the petition to STOP PUPPY MILLS! Go to www.humanesociety@hsus.org

 

[Tine731]

I just don't know if I can bring myself to watch it.

I know I can't watch it. I record her show everyday but I cancelled todays recording. I just could not watch it.

 

[disneyaggie]

Here is the link to send to your congressmen to act against puppy mills. It is very simple to do -- the letter is already pre-written! I am also sending the link to all my friends and family in my e-mail circle!

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/puppymills_oprah?rk=mpLA2Y7qH4jQE

 

[Poohbear67]

Here is the link to send to your congressmen to act against puppy mills. It is very simple to do -- the letter is already pre-written! I am also sending the link to all my friends and family in my e-mail circle!

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/puppymills_oprah?rk=mpLA2Y7qH4jQE

thank you for posting this website I will forward it to my contacts within my circle and family members.

 

[disneyaggie]

thank you for posting this website I will forward it to my contacts within my circle and family members.

Awesome!

I just e-mailed a friend of mine who owns her own rescue group and asked her to find me a little blind or crippled dog to adopt. Knowing her, she is on the hunt right now!

 

[disneyaggie]

Here is Oprah's e-mail address . . .

http://www.oprah.com/email/tows/email_tows_main.jhtml

I am sending her 2 "thank you's" -- one from me, and one from one of my rescued fur babies (I think she would like that!).

Perhaps the more "kuddos" she gets, the more she is willing to do another story on this topic or one similar.

 

[ericamanda01]

Well I watched it and cried so hard that I had to pause it just to gather myself. I knew of puppy mills, but I had no idea! I don't think I have ever spoiled my dog so much as I did last night! And the tribute to Sophie was so moving, that started the water works for me right away.

My DH and got our Boston Terrier through a breeder who put us through several checks before we could adopt Mason. She is one of the Good breeders, I hope people don't forget that there are still good breeders out there.

Disneyaggie, thanks for the link!

 

[Jynohn]

While I agree that Oprah's show was heartbreaking and that the things that go on in puppy mills are deplorable, please be careful when making donations to humane societies. Just do your research to make sure they are not affiliated with militant animal rights groups, most noteably HSUS and PETA. These groups don't want to just end puppy mills, they don't want you to own domestic animals at all, period. To them, owning a pet is the same as enslaving an animal, and they will go to some terrible lengths to prove their point. Ultimately, they are not fighting just for an end to puppy mills, but to completely eliminate pets from our lives.

As far as shelters go, what many don't realize is that some shelters all over the country are actually importing dogs from other nations in order to fill the need for adoptable dogs. Anyone looking for a dog in my area would be lucky to find anything other than pitbulls and lab crosses. I think it's wonderful to try to adopt a shelter animal first, but not everybody is able to find the right companion for their home in a shelter. In that case, I think it's perfectly acceptable to go to a reputable, responsible breeder who health tests and who remains committed to any puppy s/he breeds for the rest of its life. Not all breeders can be painted with the same brush as the commercial puppy millers.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

One of the girls in my office just bought two puppies from the local pet store - I just cringed. I'm sure they probably came from a less than reputable breeder. They are some sort of chihuahua cross and while I'm sure they are really cute - one of them is already showing some behavior issues.

We bought our latest puppy from a very reputable german shepherd breeder. She guarantees both temperment and for physical issues until the dog is 5 years old. There were at least 3 generations of these dogs on site and we got to play with both of the parents. She basically interviewed us before we were able to take the puppy home. I'm sorry but I wouldn't buy from a pet store and I'm not sure I'd adopt from a shelter or rescue either.

 

[suzimar57]

i watched that oprah show, and even though we don't have any dogs, i did hug our stuffed pig "scruffy" and reminded him how lucky he is to have a good home with us.