In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Oprah stands up for the little (furry) guy

Jill

I almost never actually watch Oprah because I’m never home during the day and because my TV really only gets turned on for LOST at this point, but I can admit that I not-so-secretly love her. As much as I cringe when I see the “Oprah’s Book Club” stickers on novels I’d like to pick up, the woman has revitalized the book industry and gotten a whole lot of people reading — and she isn’t picking crap to read, either. My biggest beef with her is Dr. Phil, who is a total wiener, but I can forgive her that mistake for all the other good she does.

Like her upcoming show on puppy mills. Yeah, I know, perhaps not the most important issue in the entire world, and I’m usually the type to focus more on people-issues than non-human-animal issues. But animal rights activism rarely gets the attention it deserves (unless it’s obnoxious, sexist, racist, anti-Semitic or some combination of the above), and so I think it’s important to highlight fact-based, non-bigoted kind, especially when it’s taken by a mainstream media figure as huge as Oprah. A whole lot of people still buy their dogs from pet stores, and any swipe at the puppy mill industry is cool with me — especially when you spread the word to the kind of people who otherwise may not take the time to find out (or who may be turned off by PETA rhetoric if they did start to google the issue). So good on Oprah and Lisa Ling.

Now, will someone please find a way to deliver this little guy to my door?

beagle

40 thoughts on Oprah stands up for the little (furry) guy

  2. This is soon to be Puppyiste.us/blog!

    I know! It’s because I want one SO BADLY. You know how some women feel their ovaries twitch when they see babies? I feel that way about puppies.

  3. No dogs until you’ve practiced a year, Jill.

    I’m serious.

    Is this another way of telling me I need to get up a Random Junebug Blogging?

    And good for Oprah — too many people don’t realize that those cute little puppies at the store were bred under horrible conditions.

  4. Really great to hear that Oprah’s doing this. There’s plenty of people who don’t understand that the animals in the pet store – puppies, kittens, rodents, birds, rabbits, ferrets, everything – are produced pretty much by a breeding assembly line and treated strictly as product. There are rescues for all these critters, full to bursting with, largely, animals bought at pet stores; pet stores are notoriously bad at providing decent care advice, are known to sell sick animals and regularly mis-sex animals.
    I’m sure all of you know this already, but I had to get in a mention of the other-than-puppy-and-kitten critters. I have two rescue guinea pigs myself and am fortunate to have several stores nearby that only sell supplies, no animals.

  5. I’ve seen things on puppy mills before, but as someone who goes into pet stores for fun, I’ve only seen purebred dogs being sold maaaaybe once. The big chains work with rescues to find homes for mutts of course, but where *are* all these pet stores that sell from puppy mills? Is it more prevalent in certain area of the country?

    (I don’t doubt that they are out there, but I’ve found it strange that I’ve never seen them.)

  7. As a person who got all her Cats from various shelters, I do so agree with the horrors of both dog and cat “mills”. We rescued a pure bred Oriental Shorthair from Siamese Rescue some time ago.

    After four years, still will not allow herself to be TOUCHED.

    The Cattery was in Canada, all her health papers were in French, from Montreal. We were told she was a “breeder”, lived her life in a cage, and had no positive human contact.

    She’s bonded with the other cats, and will come on the bed for petting. If you wake up to look at her, she runs. Oriental Shorthairs have very Siamese type bodies, tend to be very graceful — she’s not, she will just flop over on her side – instead of “flowing”, the way most cats of her type will.

    I also attribute that to her having been confined since she was a kitten. We think, at the rate she’s going, we might be able to touch her within five or so more years – this if she stays healthy. Every time we have to catch her to get her to the vet — she suffers a setback. So far, her health has been perfect. She’s a full time indoor cat (as they all are), so we hope to keep vet visits to a minimum.

    Even though I think Oprah has “jumped the shark”, this is a really good show for her — better than Dr. Phil (fraud), or angels.

  8. These days, it’s not the humongous chains like Petco and Petsmart that sell cats and dogs (although they still sell guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, ferrets, sometimes rabbits, reptiles, birds, all of which come from mill-type conditions), but smaller chains or independents, generally.

  9. ElleDee, if you’re talking about adoption events at pet supply stores like PetSmart or Petco, that’s different (and those are great!).
    Those are not the “pet stores” we’re talking about. We’re talking about stores that sell animals – places like this: http://www.petsofbelair.com/.

  10. SarahMC: Yeah, I know the Petco/Petsmart things are different. I can only assume that petstores like the kind you describe are more rare here. It’s either all big chains or little stores that sell mostly supplies and maybe some fish and perhaps a couple of birds or lizards. That place you linked says that their animals are not from mills, but I can’t imagine a reputable breeder letting their pets be sold in stores. Every one I have ever met is very picky about where their animals end up.

  11. And good for Oprah — too many people don’t realize that those cute little puppies at the store were bred under horrible conditions.

    Not to mention badly socialized as Tina says and taken from their parent far too early. Puppies shouldn’t be removed from their parent until they are 12 weeks! Not 6, not 8, not 10…12. Those weeks are the most critical in a puppies life and they need human and dog socialization…but they don’t get it if they’re trapped in cages. Grr….

    Okay…I’ll get off my hobby horse now….

  12. I have a hard time believing them too, ElleDee. No “reputable” breeder would sell dogs/cats to a pet shop.
    There aren’t too many stores like that around here either. But there are a lot of puppy mills out there; they’ve got to be going somewhere.
    Apparently the store I linked to is popular with celebrities. There must be a lot of places like that out in L.A. because practically all the celebs with $5,000 dogs got them from pet shops and the like (think Paris & Britney).

  13. Pingback: Adopt A Shelter Dog : Elaine Vigneault

  14. Daily lurker delurking for this one. Retail pet sales have decreased, and it’s a simple function of education. The treatment of commerically bred dogs and cats is abominable, but you don’t even have to appeal to compassion to scare people off. Pet store dogs are a bad deal on almost every level. They’re insanely expensive, poorly socialized, difficult to housetrain, and prone to health problems. I’m a dog trainer and I see more really strange behavior problems in pet store dogs than any population (except maybe border collies in average family homes). The only things pet stores have going for them are convenience and the impluse buy. Cudos to Oprah for getting the message out there.

  15. Woohoo! Oprah takes on the puppymills! Thank gods. People need to know what they’re fueling when they hand over money to get that cute, sad puppy in the window (poor thing).

    And no breeder with a shred of decency or soul would sell a puppy to a pet store. Hell, my mom’s a breeder, and she won’t sell puppies to people who don’t have fenced in yards, or to people with children below a certain age, or even around the holidays*. Not to be all pro-breeder.

    Kristen @ #11: just curious, but do you have a background in breeding/dog training? I only ask, b/c I have a little quibble. You can ween puppies (take them away from their mother/cease their nursing) at 8 weeks w/o doing any harm. Every litter we ever had was. HOWEVER, none were EVER sold until at least 12 weeks. As long as the little ones have each other to play with all day, and puppy food/formula mush, and lots and lots of handling, the mother can take a break.

  16. I’m in northwest Ohio and we have a pet store in the mall that sells puppies and kittens as well as large parrots. It makes me sick every time I go by, knowing how terribly the animals are treated. I can understand the impulse to buy and free one of the animals from the tiny little cage they have to live in, but supporting those places is unacceptable. The store here is a Petland which claims to support adoption on their website, but that must only be at the large free-standing stores. Their supposed care for the animals is bullshit. Those puppies and kittens are kept in tiny, tiny cages all day and I’ve heard too many stories of poor health and behavior from animals purchased there.

  17. Oprah’s alright. I just can’t watch her show. The studio audience’s mania freaks me out. They’re really extreme.

  18. Decades ago, my grandmother ended up spending almost $3000 on a sweet-tempered, affectionate puppy that turned out to be terribly sick with all manner of puppy-mill-related diseases. That was how I learned about the issue.

    I can hardly stand to watch those shows.

    Adorable doggie! (((kiss kiss!!!!)))

  19. Jill, i feel you.

    My dad hates cats, he thinks they’re selfish..And that if they were our size and we were there size, they’d eat us. My mom hates dogs, cause she got chased by a pack as a teen (still has the scar). They also both hate small dogs and dismiss them as “not real”.

    So I’ve grown up wanting pets. I go to the pet store and just STARE for half hours at a time. My ex- told me about the puppy mill thing, but I just find it hard! What about the animals? I just have to walk away from them? That’s so hard! Can’t I just just shut down the mills and keep the puppies for myself?

    I cannot wait to get my own dog and cat. I’m ready with the pet insurance and everything.

  20. Actually PetSmart and Petco are no better than other petstores when it comes to how they treat their small animals. I don’t know a ton about how the reptiles or birds are kept, but I know that their small mammals come from breeding mill environments.

  21. That’s great that Oprah is doing this… but I’m still mad at her for the way they edited this “smoking ambush” thing they interviewed me for and making me sound mildly retarded. Let’s hope she does not do the same thing to the puppies!

  23. To echo Astraea, i’ve been in several malls around where i live that have little shops selling exclusively purebred puppies and expensive puppy accessories. Maybe 1 in 10 has a sign on it saying that it was ‘bred locally,’ and i really don’t like to think about where the rest of them probably came from.

  24. misskate7511,

    Yup, back in the day I did raise and train. I wasn’t talking about weening specifically. As you pointed out puppies can be weened much earlier than 12 weeks. We used to put food out at 6 weeks as an alternative or earlier if the mom was pushing the puppies away. Mostly I was talking about the important behavior problems dogs may have if removed from their parent and siblings (for larger breeds) if they are removed earlier than 12 weeks. They may have a difficult time learning bite inhibition, correct communication with other dogs, and correct communication with humans. Worst of all they may be prone to dominant behavior which will likely get them put down if they ever end up in a shelter. All around just a really awful thing to do creatures that trust and rely on us.

  25. Roxie, there’s these places called shelters and rescues where there are literally thousands of dogs waiting for homes.

  26. Yes, SarahMC, I know. I kinda thought that went without saying.
    I’m not stupid and I plan get adopt a dog from my local humane shelter, actually.

    I was just takling about how it’s hard to leave all those who have come from the mills. I mean, I don’t want to support the mills (and I won’t), but what about the animals they produce? where do they go? How do your “rescue” them and take down the mills at the same time?

  27. What about the animals? I just have to walk away from them? That’s so hard! Can’t I just just shut down the mills and keep the puppies for myself?

    Well, if they aren’t adopted they are frequently dropped off at the local animal shelter…so…if you really, really want one…just head down to the shelter and get one! That way the breeder won’t make any money and you’ll have an adorable, guilt-free puppy.

    Have I mention my adorableness puppy Abbie came from a high-kill shelter?? Yes…only a million times?…okay, then I’ll be quiet….

  28. I’m sorry for snapping at you, Roxie. I didn’t know that’s what you meant. This topic just makes me so, so stabby so now I’m in a foul mood.
    I’m not sure what we can do to help the animals for sale in pet shops. Maybe the ASPCA or Humane Society has resources?

  29. ugh. yes. we have a new puppy store in the mall where my parents live (in west LA). my mom always wants to go in because the puppies are ridiculously fucking cute but it pisses me off that a) they live in a store and b) people are willing to pay $1000+ for those puppies rather than going to the animal shelter or a rescue place.

    my parents got their dog from a golden retriever rescue and she is the best dog ever. we got our cat on craigslist and that was pretty awesome too. i can’t believe that people breed and buy designer animals like that when so many animals are living in shelters or in foster care or are just being born every day.

  30. I would put a big qualifier on you advice about 12 weeks Kristen. It all depends on what the breeder does. If a breeder is careful to introduce a litter to a wide variety of people, surfaces, sounds, etc., I love seeing puppies stay together until 11 or 12 weeks. Most breeders, however, don’t do that. If pups are going to be in one room with a set routine and only seeing the same few people over and over, I’d prefer to see them go to a home at 8 weeks and take a good puppy class.

    For folks looking forward to that first dog as an adult, a good puppy class with a heavy emphasis on socialization is – next to vaccination – the most important thing you can do for your pup. You can accomplish so much up to about the age of 16 weeks – not just in training and manners, but in overall social development – that gets much harder after that age.

  31. Most breeders, however, don’t do that

    That’s why they’re evil, horrible, mean people and we shouldn’t adopt from them. There are good animal breeders out there even if you want a pure bred. A dear friend used to breed shelties. Both the breeding dogs were family pets. The female had a litter every two years. The puppies were loved and coddled and played with until they were 12 weeks and then sold only to people who were able to provide a good home. It may take a lot of work to find these types of breeders, but if you want a healthy, well-adjusted, pure bred it’s worth the effort.

  32. I don’t understand how it’s even legal to sell cats and dogs in a pet shop. How is that not considered inhumane?

  33. Maybe 1 in 10 has a sign on it saying that it was ‘bred locally,’ and i really don’t like to think about where the rest of them probably came from.

    ‘Locally’ just means the Mill they came from is close by. A reputable breeder NEVER sells pups to a pet store. Educate yourself about what ‘Responsible Breeders’ are before picking one to get a dog from. .

    Also keep in mind, that it’s not just pet stores… there are now hundreds of ‘Puppies R Us’ WEBSITES out there now where you can order pups online with a credit card. The wave of the future… but the same thing.

    Puppy Mills are perfectly legal. The USDA approves the vast majority of them, even though to the average pet owner, the conditions these animals endure is horrific.

    Demonizing all animal breeders is wrong. Small scale hobby breeders, Breed Rescues, and Shelters are all great places to get a dog. I just wish more people took the time to learn about where their cute puppies are really coming from…

  35. Good on Oprah for her expose! BTW, every time someone disses Oprah, her show or book club I cringe – because so many times this has an anti-woman slant to it. “I hate Oprah because she talks about touchy-feely topics with her crybaby liberal, soft-headed, woo-woo female followers!” is all too often the theme of the Oprah-haters.

    Feel free to hate on Dr. Phil, however. 😀

    My mom has a rescue Sheltie who is the most wonderful dog in the world. I hate puppy mills with all my heart. However, I can understand why someone would want to go to a reputable, decent, hobby breeder especially for a small female dog – in my neck of the woods, shelters are filled with larger dogs, and not everyone wants or can handle a large dog, plus there are the weight-limit restrictions in many rentals. And for some odd reason, I find a lot more male dogs than female in shelters and rescues! This is not true with cats. Go figure. There is a world of difference between a decent hobby breeder and a puppy mill, though. Mom’s now-deceased former sheltie came from a hobby breeder, and she also was a wonderful dog.

    Cats, however – I would never purchase a purebred cat. There are not the huge size and temperament differentials between “breeds” of cats as there are dogs, so I know I would always be able to find a wonderful cat at a shelter or rescue. My cat criteria are “healthy, affectionate, calm temperament, likes to sit in my lap” and Bast knows there are thousands of cats at shelters who fill that bill. My own current cat is purr-fect.

    PetCo and PetSmart here in CA do sell small animals, reptiles, and birds. However, I’m lucky in that the place I mostly go to – Pet Food Express – doesn’t sell live critters at all, except for crickets and mealworms. PFE has a strict policy that it’s “supplies only.” And it hosts rescues every weekend. If you live in an area with a Pet Food Express, give them your business!

  36. If you want a purebred dog, there are a couple of places to look that are NOT pet stores.

    First, dog shows. Your chances of finding a reputable breeder there are good, but do your homework. Ask around. Visit the facility. Meet the dogs. A good breeder will be open to your visits and questions. If they are not, then you know that something is up. Trust your instincts.

    If you want a rescue dog, there are many breed specific rescue groups out there. They will be happy to fill you in on the particulars because, like reputable breeders, once they adopt a dog out, they really want that dog to be in a “forever home.” If you want an adult dog instead of a puppy, this might be a better route.

    Roxie: If you want, you could also try looking for your future pet on petfinder.com. That site can put you in touch with many local shelters. You can search by age, breed, and size. If my senior cat is still alive when I move out of where I am now, I will be looking there to find him a friend. If I lose him before then, I’ll be looking there to adopt two new cats.

  37. Ailurophile, ditto on Oprah. I sense that a lot of the opposition to her is rooted in misogyny and opposition to anything stereotypically feminine. I applaud her for covering many of the topics she covers, as her audience is huge and she has the potential to educate a lot of people.

    The rescue I went through to adopt my dog had a lot of males. It seems like people are more eager to adopt females – for perceived temperment perhaps. I had intended on being a foster mom to my boy, and the woman asked if I’d be willing to take one of the many males off her hands. So I did, and 48 hours later I realized I’d never be able to give Hoagie up to anyone else. So I ended up adopting him myself. My boyfriend said he knew the whole “foster mom” thing would never pan out. 🙂

  38. I was doing some online research on the design of catteries in aid of a writing project I think I have going, and after googling up a dozen or so places telling of their luxurious facilities and kittens raised lovingly underfoot, I came upon an article saying that if you provide the proper lighting, you could keep 1 stud and several queens in a basement, each in a cage little bigger than a refrigerator. That to me didn’t sound good. I don’t recall what site that was, but I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have got in touch with them and registered at least suspicion, or something.
    If I ever become equal to the challenge of feline servitude, it’s to the shelter I will go.

  39. Interesting that Oprah did this segment… From what I’ve heard in breeder circles, the kennel from which she bought her newest golden retrievers (a few of which have already dropped dead for various reasons, poor things) doesn’t have the best reputation itself. If you’re going to buy from a breeder make sure they aren’t a huge operation, and that they are very attentive to the health and personality of their pets. If a breeder is willing to seel you three or four puppies form the same litter in one go, thats a huge warning sign.

    Anyways, I’m still glad she’s educating people about this, not enough realize that the cute puppy in the pet store is from a puppy mill. 🙁

  40. Meraydia–I’ve heard the same thing and I saw the show where she talked about getting her white golden retrievers (designer dogs) and it was horrendous–she fell in love with some celebrity’s dog and went to a breeder and they were so cute so she got two (?maybe more?) and then didn’t know how to train them. It was really irresponsible, I thought, but apparently she says on her show that she will never buy a dog again and all of her future dogs will be shelter dogs. So I might be willing to cut her some slack. And I was also grossed out she was taken in by the Dog Whisperer phenomenon but apparently she has broken up with him.

Comments are currently closed.