Oprah to investigate abuse at puppy mills REAIR May 29

[MoonandBean]

All my life, I've wanted a golden retriever or yellow lab...but other cute mutts kept sneaking into my life and I have yet to have one. The time is finally right for a new dog and while I would love to go buy a purebred golden or yellow, I just can't do it. I have to rescue one. From what I've read, hundreds of puppies are killed every day in the south due to overbreeding and irresponsible pet owners. The pet rescues here in the northeast are loaded with puppies from the south (so many yellows and goldies to choose from) and so that is where I will get my next puppy.

[elizabethann]

Did anybody watch Oprah? It's on right now, but I'm at work. Let me know if you watched it and what you thought of it. I'm going to the Oprah message board right now to see what people are talking about.

[Spiritwind]

I watched the whole show and I thought overall she did a great job of explaining and showing why you should not go to a pet store for your puppy... and how reputable breeders are not the problem... its the puppy mills that are the problem!..

Good show.. thought she did well.... especially suggesting going to a shelter for your pet, but if you decide to go to a breeder make sure you go to a responsible breeder....

[lizbud]

The show just ended here about 1/2 hr ago. I thought it was a very
good show.I'm glad they kept the "touring puppy mills" down to 30 mins,
as a whole hour of seeing this horror would make people sick to their
stomachs.

I did like that the Animal Control Shelters & private Shelters were included
in the tour. Showing folks that 30% of all the dogs are pure breed. I also
liked how they showed people the great need to spay & neuter our pets.

It was a great show & it so neat that Oprah shared the film tribute to
her RB Sophie. Gave me LES, big time.

[Powerlounger]

All my life, I've wanted a golden retriever or yellow lab...but other cute mutts kept sneaking into my life and I have yet to have one. The time is finally right for a new dog and while I would love to go buy a purebred golden or yellow, I just can't do it. I have to rescue one. From what I've read, hundreds of puppies are killed every day in the south due to overbreeding and irresponsible pet owners. The pet rescues here in the northeast are loaded with puppies from the south (so many yellows and goldies to choose from) and so that is where I will get my next puppy.

Thank you MoonandBean, that's it in a nutshell. I cannot in good conscience go to even a reputable breeder and get a dog, when that very action will condemn another dog to death.

[Grace]

We watched the show. Thought it was very well done.

Too bad more places around the country aren't like the county we live in. Here, it is illegal to sell pets in a pet store. Can't be done - no way, no how.

Yes, there are cats at the local Pet Smart - cats from the local Humane Society - for adoption.

And it has been this way for many years.

[Pam]

I just finished watching the Oprah show. I taped it because I knew I wouldn't be home. I am still wiping tears off my face. I think the show was well done. I was happy to hear that they also mentioned Breed Specific Rescues. I know that many people watching were probably never aware of that should they not find the specific breed they are looking for at their local shelter. I wish maybe it was made a little more clear about how to contact a breed rescue.

All in all it was an informative show, explaining the need for spaying/neutering and even showing the process of a neutering. The hardest part for me was the segment on euthanasia. I totally lost it as those little souls were labeled with an "e" and then led to the room from which they would never return. Let's all pray that with Oprah's vast audience and influence (she recommends a book and it becomes an instant best seller) that legislation may some day be passed to shut these hell holes down!!! Forever!!!

[caseysmom]

I sure hope your right Pam, I am a wimp and didn't watch. I think it comes on again in a bit here and I may watch I am not sure the previews were almost too much.

[K9karen]

I had no intentions of watching it after the previews, but I caught some of it since I have no will power. I'm with Pam, the poor, innocent beauties, with "E"s marked on their cards, being led to die, was pathetic. I lost it. I was beside myself (another glass of wine please). And the guy who makes the decision....what can I say?It's on now as a rerun and I shut it off. I won't be able to sleep.

[Emeraldgreen]

We have satellite and I was able to watch it at 10:00p.m. tonight. The whole show was so difficult to watch and I was actually scared to see it.
The last part with the shelter and the euthanasias was heartbreaking. I was absolutely in tears. Those beautiful faces and kind eyes as the men wrapped the leash around their mouths as muzzles before putting them down. I just felt so awful for not doing anything about it all this time that I've been on the planet. I've always rescued all my animals and have always had them spayed and neutered but I am looking forward to dedicating a part of my life to doing more to help the animals. It's hard to know where to begin. I know so many of you on this forum are right in the middle of helping animals like these and I'm so thankful to know that you are out there.
I'm excited because another woman and I are currently in the process of setting up a group where I live to start caring for the feral and abandonded cats. The SPCA has offered to help subsidize some of this care and we've already found some people quite interested in volunteering. The ultimate goal beyond caring for them and trying to rehome some of them is to also set up a spay/neuter program and be able to offer help to other animals in addition to the cats. I'm moving in a few months from this area but I want to help get this off the ground before I leave. And I'm hoping it will give me some more experience to work with something similar where I will be moving.
This show was good. Hard to watch but good.

[Tora Oni]

All my life, I've wanted a golden retriever or yellow lab...but other cute mutts kept sneaking into my life and I have yet to have one. The time is finally right for a new dog and while I would love to go buy a purebred golden or yellow, I just can't do it. I have to rescue one. From what I've read, hundreds of puppies are killed every day in the south due to overbreeding and irresponsible pet owners. The pet rescues here in the northeast are loaded with puppies from the south (so many yellows and goldies to choose from) and so that is where I will get my next puppy.

I know living in louisville I have looked on petfinder and their is a Golden Retriever Rescue called G.R.A.N.D.S. and I read that any dog around 12 or older is free of charge to a good home but they do have background checks and I'm sure they careful about placing an older dog since the person needs to provide medical attention and a peacful enviroment in other words no rowdy two year olds baging on the dog hips and trying to ride him. Which dogs are not ponies or miniture horses. I watched Oprah and I was actually disapointed they didn't mention petfinder.com since they have tons of link of shelters, humane societies, and rescue groups for more than just dogs. I found out about puppy mills back when I was 12 or 13 and after that I never looked at a petstore again without thinking about the animal's background. I just hope this really reaches people across the nation because it hasn't really hasn't been put out their in the news.

[sabies]

I too am glad Oprah did this show. I feel for her loss of Sophie - I've always related to how Oprah spoke of her beloved dog.

Although I was already a shelter supporter, one thing I did learn is that puppy mills are legal. Why? How is that possible? Even if you put aside emotional, moral, and humane issues, what about the financial aspect for tax payers? Would our shelters be overcrowded if puppy mills were shut down? Would someone have to euthanize a perfectly healthy dog if puppy mills were illegal?

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Ughhh! I fricken missed it! I wish I was able to see it! From reading the above posts, it sounds like it was a great, but very sad show.