Can You Buy Amish Products?

[pomtzu]

The second reason is because I don't see it as just a faith or lifestyle, but rather as a cult.

Cult??? Holy cow - do I ever disagree with that statement!!!!

But that would definitely be a "discussion" for the Dog House at some later date.

[chocolatepuppy]

The second reason is because I don't see it as just a faith or lifestyle, but rather as a cult. I just don't feel right about supporting them.

Wow, I don't believe that, no way! I know enough of them personally. My husbands family taxis many of them (my husband did years ago) and I also worked with a few of them.

[lute]

Where I live there are A LOT of amish and some do run puppymills. I know of two puppymills within ten miles of my mom's house where I live. We have a petstore here in town that is owned by an amish family and they breed all their puppies. It's so sad to see them sell so many puppies of so many breeds and nobody seems to care that they come from a puppymill.

I put other because I do not support the amish that run puppymills, but I will buy their other products if they are local and I know they don't have a mill. There is an amish family here that sells applebutter, jams, jellies, soaps, candles and other small items like that. I buy their stuff. It's some of my favorite!

[Christmas_Hamster]

I voted that yes I would. If I knew that someone had a puppy mill I wouldn't buy stuff from them. It doesn't matter if they are Amish or not.

And just so you know, not all cults or bad or deadly or evil. Most are just different views of bigger religions such as Christianity or Buddhism or any other religion. The reason why cults have such a bad name is because of the few cults that led to suicide and murder. Some deeply religious people also disapprove because such cults are not following their way of life and their thoughts on the religion.

[blue]

I voted yes even though I dont think there are many Amish in AK. It is possible Ill travel to or through Amish country at some point however.

[Cataholic]

It's a slippery slope. Unless you're going to go 100% vegan and not swat mosquitoes or take drugs to kill flu germs, you're making judgments every day as to how to deal with animals.

I think the important thing is to be conscious about your choices, to gather plenty of information and think clearly about what you're deciding. Humans must kill to live, even if it's just a carrot or a cauliflower; and many of us simply don't have the resources to live 100% cruelty-free. But you can take small steps when you find something that you can stick with, or even just indulge when you're feeling flush - avoiding buying from a specific Amish community that's known to run a puppy mill, buying free-range eggs, cutting down on meat - rather than bogging down in absolutes. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

I like this post. I am not sure I agree 100% that people must kill to live, as I don't see 'killing' a vegetable the same way I see killing an animal. I do like to live as cruelty free as I can.

I have heard that the Amish treat their animals horribly. I know that doesn't mean all Amish do this. OT- I find much to be unhappy with when understanding how many religious people feel about animals. The Amish are just part of that group. To me, the more religiously exacting one claims to be the further from holiness I find them.

[Pinot's Mom]

I voted "other" - I have Amish products in my home; our whole set of deck furniture was hand crafted to my specs by an Amish man in Southern Maryland. He was a very nice man with beautiful children, a seemingly well run organization and farm where no abuse of animal or human appeared to me. The reason I said "other" is because I don't want to give an absolute that I can't back up. I might do more investigation into the Amish I might buy from in the future, and I can't say whether that will happen or not. I wouldn't, however, have a problem dealing with that specific man again.

If there was ever any indication of any abuse with the Amish I considered dealing with, of course I'd walk away. But a really good point was made before: Originally Posted by pomtzu
"And in the Far East, people eat dogs and cats.

How much do you think is in your home right now that was "Made in China", and you bought it without so much as the blink of an eye?

I'm not directing this post to anyone - just hoping it might open eyes."
How much do we really know about many of the producers of the products we purchase?

[angelbow20]

I see nothing wrong with buying stuff from certain amish, My grandfather is very good friends with some Amish and when my grandmother passed away they came and paid there respects to her. While my grandmother was sick she had a bird that she loved dearly and her Doctor told her to get rid of it so the amish friends took it and still have it as a pet, They have many pets and dont seem to treat them bad at all. They have no children so they treat the animals like children! It depends on the amish. I see amish everyday and buy things from them also sometimes, they actually re did our roof and they were ALOT cheaper than anyone else and did an amazing job and got it finished fast. There is puppy mills that other people run who arent amish so its not right to judge all amish I guess.

[sparks19]

Sorry... I'm not goign to stereotype an entire culture based on the media.

I live around them and they aren't horrible sick people.

It's WRONG to stereotype them based on what the media tells you. and I will BUY from them. they grow AMAZING crops and make some amazing crops.

i will buy from them anytime

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

I voted OTHER

Why hurt an Amish person who has nothing to do with puppy mills by not buying their goods. Just because their neighbor or fellow Amish person has a puppy mill does not mean they support it or condone it.

I mean, I would not want to be lumped into a category that "because other people in your community are cruel to animals I will not support you" so why should I assume all Amish people are cruel to animals. There may just as well be Amish people trying to stop these puppy mills as there are non-Amish people trying to stop them.

[Vette]

I put "other" because Just like in the general public you have people that mistreat animals and have puppy mills. I do not believe all Amish should suffer
because of the sins of a few.

Ditto. an i voted other

[sparks19]

wow I just read my post... me fail english? that's unpossible LOL

They grow delicious crops and make extraordinary crafts is what I meant to say.

yes there are bad apples but for the most part they are a good and hardworking people.

Some of the things said in this thread are ... wow. To me all the generalizations and accusations are akin to saying you wouldn't by from an african american because they are gang members. it's ridiculous.

[BarbinRI]

As I see it, the issue is not buying Amish-made products or visiting the area, the issue is that by doing these things we are supporting the political environment that allows puppy mills to exist. Lancaster County is referred to as the puppy mill capitol of the east. Obviously these mills exist because they are allowed to, regardless of laws already on the books. Most of us are not residents of Lancaster County, or of Pennsylvania, so we can not vote to change things there.
We CAN vote with our pocketbooks though. We can refuse to go on that bus trip to Pennsylvania Dutch country, we can refuse to go to the giant quilt shows in the region, we can book our organization's convention elsewhere.
We can also educate ourselves and others. We can post links on our blogs and social networking sites. We can urge our friends not to shop at pet stores that sell animals. We can change things.

[pomtzu]

As I see it, the issue is not buying Amish-made products or visiting the area, the issue is that by doing these things we are supporting the political environment that allows puppy mills to exist. Lancaster County is referred to as the puppy mill capitol of the east. Obviously these mills exist because they are allowed to, regardless of laws already on the books. Most of us are not residents of Lancaster County, or of Pennsylvania, so we can not vote to change things there.
We CAN vote with our pocketbooks though. We can refuse to go on that bus trip to Pennsylvania Dutch country, we can refuse to go to the giant quilt shows in the region, we can book our organization's convention elsewhere.
We can also educate ourselves and others. We can post links on our blogs and social networking sites. We can urge our friends not to shop at pet stores that sell animals. We can change things.

None of us here support puppy mills, but to paint the whole Lancaster County area, and the Amish in particular, with the same brush, is quite unfair. As was said in previous posts, there are many hard working Amish folks who do not support these mills either, and there will be bad apples in every barrel, but you don't throw the whole barrel full out. If we boycotted every area in our country and the rest of the world where there were less than upstanding citizens and practices, we would never leave our homes!

[sana]

I don't even know what Amish is... hehe....sorry, hey, I'm just 13...Where I get my puppies is from my dad's friends, their dogs give birth to babies and we get a few from them for free! And kitties, from the alley nest to our house. We don't buy kitties, we just bring them home if they snuggle on our feet. Like one did on my bro's foot and he brought him home.