My main focus of this show was the hope that exposing the torture of puppy mill dogs will somehow really put a dent in it.

I am busy thinking what I can personally do to help those poor mill doggies. It's a tough thing because people can be so shallow that all they can think of is how cute that puppy is and don't really care about the poor mama.

I've also tried to inform people while they are shopping for puppies in petstores and they look at me like I'm some sort of religious fanatic.

What can we do to keep this momentum that Oprah has created alive?

I did hear on the show that the place to get a puppy is from a breeder rather than a petstore so you those of you who are so worried about your own bottom line can relax.

It's so wierd about the Amish. I watched an article on the terrible killing of their children by some crazy gunman and they were so generous with their forgiveness and showed amazing strength and faith in the face of the cold blooded murder of their own children. I can't understand how then, they could treat animals in such a cruel and heartless way. I can't help but hold it against them.

I hope it gives breeders everywhere something to think about.... did me. I probably have a litter a y ear now and I don't want to add to the overpopulation of dogs. I like what they said about responsible breeders to take the dog back, which is what I have in my contract and quite a few of us do. Hopefully breeders watching all over will have found some enlightenment.

I didn't get to watch the show today because of a ceremony for school, but my mom recorded it and will be mailing me the tape so hopefully I can watch it early next week. I'm glad to hear it was a well-done show, and hopefully more people are educated about puppymills and petstore puppies now

Excellent show I cried thru the whole thing. When oprah read the letter from the blind cocker I was balling like a baby. I can only pray this helps the public no longer buy from pet stores promoting puppymills!

I wonder why Oprah only donated $10,000 though??? Shes the richest woman in the world and that amount seems rather small to me.

OUCH, I don't think any breeder here posting was worried about their bottom line. Just hoped there would be some info on how to find a good breeder if they wanted to buy a purebred dog from a breeder for whatever reason. I thought the show was great and hope people will think before buying from a petstore or USDA breeder ever again ! I also liked the neuter part showing it's not big deal for the dog. Hopefully breeders and owners will understand better how important it is to have a spay/neuter contract when selling pups and buyers on how important it is to have your pet spayed and neutered so accidents don't happen

I havent seen the show yet, but rather than" worrying about my bottom line", I am more concerned that the show would lump mills, byb'rs and responsible breeders into the same catigory. And since Oprah is sooo well known and influencial, I am more concerned about legislation that might arise because of this show. As we are already seeing in some states, these bills are getting ridiculas and out of hand. The good breeders seem to be getting punished by the actions of the byb'rs and mills.

Am am glad she has exposed the mills though. That has needed to be done for years.

High Five!! I think BYB's are just a big a problem as puppy mills! And those that only guarantee for less tha a year are another problem. And those that sell with full breeding rights and do not require spay/neuter are also a problem! Don't get me started! LOL

Since the Oprah show wasn't about any particular breed, I'll speak generally, too. I think that people who buy puppies need to be more aware about the 'dog business' in general before they buy. That's the only true way to shut down puppy mills. The more aware and demanding puppy buyers are, the more breeders will have to 'up their game'. This would be good for everyone all around, especially the dogs. While I agree with you in principle about what breeders should be doing, there is no way in reality that all those things will ever happen. There is no reason for a breeder not to guarantee the health of a puppy for a year but the other points you make (full breeding rights and spay/neuter contracts) are dictates that generally only show breeders and those with very high-end dogs have the luxury to demand. Also, the 'alternative' registries do not offer the breeder the option of selling a pup with limited registration and you can do an end-around AKC limited by registering your dog with another registry. I cannot honestly agree with you that back-yard breeders are as bad as puppy mills. No back yard breeder, no matter how ignorant or mis-guided they may be, heaps the cruelties on their dogs that puppy mills do on a daily basis for the dog's entire life. Though you may rightly disagree with many of the things they are doing, it is really unfair to lump them in with puppy mills. BYBs at least generally care about their dogs while some puppy mills resemble concentration camps more than anything. If this problem is ever to be solved, the worst of the worst must be eliminated and that is the commercial puppy mills. To lump anyone else in with them only muddies the water and makes it more difficult to focus on the real problem. Dog owners must bear some responsibility in this too. It seems like the animal shelters are really being over-whelmed by strays and dogs and puppies from litters that only happened because folks neglect to spay or neuter their pets. Also, too many people consider their dogs 'disposable' if it becomes inconvenient to keep them. Hope I didn't get you started :D , just wanted to express how I see the problem. :aimeeyork :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :)

You're right...backyard breeders are just as big of a problem. They may not necessarily be bad people like the puppymillers...nothing can compare to the cruel lives those puppymill dogs lead, but I believe backyard breeders contribute to the pet population more so than puppymills. So...puppymills are THE worst because of the terrible way they treat their dogs. But backyard breeders contribute the most to the outrageous pet population...those breeders that don't spay/neuter their pets and let "accidents" happen, those breeding for profit, those breeding just to breed, etc. Too many dogs are being born! And it's the backyard breeders and puppymills that are contributing the most to this. At least reputable breeders have a good reason to breed...they breed great examples of the breed or produce dogs with a purpose like working dogs. I would NEVER NEVER buy from a breeder that placed their pet puppies without a strict spay/neuter contract...that is SO important to me. And yes..health guarantees (and health screening)..don't get me started on that :rolleyes:

:goodpost: I agree 100%

Puppy Mills ARE top priority right now.

They are producing MILLIONS of poorly bred dogs.

Not only are they poorly bred pups, they leave behind
the pain and suffering of the bitch, who is bred to death.

Never knowing life, love, or even a kind pat on the head.

Because of the quantity, out of a SINGLE puppy mill. Because
of the gross amount of SUFFERING out of a puppy mill. This
is why they are top priority to SHUT THEM DOWN.

I agree AKC should be the ones to take a stand after all most of these
puppymills, backyard breeders get there reg. from akc.
mY HUSBUND AND I WATCHED THIS TOGETHER HIS BELIEFS ABOUT
PUPPY MILLS ,BACKYARD BREEDERS are the same as mine.He mentioned
that AKC should limit the reg. per year say maybe 5 litters
per year.per kennel/home that is on the high side for me as I am also a very small breeder.
(show) I like to keep it that way personally as it is hard to keep up with
things if you are doing it right.No one wants the goverment to control
this but really somthing needs to be done.
There is a town out here in Texas called Canton and they have canton days
once a month at this place they sell all kinds of stuff including
puppys and I mean puppys galore. AKC reg.I am sure there is other places out there that is typical thsi is no better than selling in a pet store.
kathy

OMG..I have been to the Canton trade days...they actually call that area of the flea market "dog town"...it is AWEFUL! So so sad.. I don't think I could ever stand to go back there knowing all i do now (haven't been there since I was probably in highschool)...I'd probably get arrested...