Dog Owners' Oprah Alert

timsdat

FourIsCompany

the place is a puppy mill.

Sounds to me that if they don't meet you exact specifications they are a puppy mill.  I wonder what percentage of breeders you would consider puppy mills. 

I think that the majority of people who buy from a pet store do it because it's convenient and many of them haven't given much thought to the breed or anything else. I just think that shows like this one could be helpful in getting people to think and ask questions. Here is one example I found of descriptions of different breeding operations:

DOG definitions

It's deceptively easy to say that John Jones or Mary Smith runs a puppy mill or that pet store puppies come from puppy mills, but the label is tossed about so frequently and with so little regard for accuracy that each prospective dog owner should ascertain for himself whether or not he wishes to buy a dog from John Jones, Mary Smith, a pet store, or a hobby breeder. Here are our Dog Owner's Guide definitions to help you decide:

Hobby breeder: A breed fancier who has a breed or two (or even three); follows a breeding plan to preserve and protect each breed; produces a limited number of litters each year; breeds only when a litter will enhance the breed and the breeding program; raises the puppies with plenty of environmental stimulation and human contact; has a contract that protects breeder, puppy, and buyer; raises dog in the house or runs a small, clean kennel; screens breeding stock to eliminate hereditary defects; works with a breed club or kennel club to promote and protect the breed; and cares that each and every puppy is placed in the best home possible.

Commercial breeder: One who usually has several breeds of dogs with profit as the primary motive for existence. Commercial breeders that are inspected by USDA, state agencies, or the American Kennel Club should have adequate conditions. Commercial breeders that sell directly to the public fall through the regulatory cracks unless they do business in a state that licenses commercial kennels. Dogs in these kennels may be healthy or not and their conditions may be acceptable or not. The dogs are probably not screened for genetic diseases, and the breeding stock may or may not be selected for resemblance to the breed standard or for good temperament.

Broker: One who buys puppies from commercial kennels and sells to retail outlets or other kennels. Brokers ship puppies on airlines or by truckload throughout the country. Brokers must be licensed by USDA and must abide by the shipping regulations in the Animal Welfare Act.

Buncher: One who collects dogs of unknown origin for sale to laboratories or other bunchers or brokers. Bunchers are considered lower on the evolutionary scale than puppy mill operators, for there is much suspicion that they buy stolen pets, collect pets advertised as "Free to a good home," and adopt unwanted pets from animal shelters for sale to research laboratories. USDA licenses and inspects bunchers to make sure that they abide by the AWA.

Amateur breeder: A dog owner whose pet either gets bred by accident or who breeds on purpose for a variety of reasons. This breeder may be ignorant of the breed standard, genetics, behavior, and good health practices. An amateur breeder can very easily become a hobby breeder or a commercial breeder, depending on his level of interest or need for income.

A real puppy mill: A breeder who produces puppies with no breeding program, little attention to puppy placement, and poor health and socialization practices. Conditions in puppy mills are generally substandard and may be deplorable, and puppies and adult dogs may be malnourished, sickly, and of poor temperament.

timsdat

Sounds to me that if they don't meet you exact specifications they are a puppy mill.

Not MY standards. I didn't make the standards, I have researched them.

timsdat

I wonder what percentage of breeders you would consider puppy mills. 

OTOH, if the breeder does do specific genetic testing for the breed (and can prove it), if they're breeding program shows that they're breeding for temperament and that they do temperament testing, If their puppies are sold before they're born without advertising on Ebay, if they keep all their puppies until a home is found, if their breeding dogs are showing and winning titles as exceptional examples of the breed standard, and if they make me sign a contract saying I will return the dog to them if it doesn't work out and offer a limited guarantee of the puppy's health, I'm going to say there's a good chance that they're a good, ethical breeder.

Does that make it clearer?

I know a lot of you say this article is "jumping the gun" but by the simple fact that she supports PETA and the HSUS, isnt tha a clear sign that she dosnt have dog owners best interest at heart?

HoundMusic

EXACTLY!

I also have two other issues. Oprah is an animal rights activist, or at least, she keeps the ARs rolling in dough. We all know the AR agenda is to abolish pet ownership, and apparently, Oprah never got that memo. She's frequented commercial breeders (and GASP she has had white Goldens). It's hypocracy at best & also a touch of ingnorance.

You say "animal rights activist" like it is a dirty word. You should remember that although there are extremists in any 'cause' and animal rights is no exception. I believe Oprah is active in animals rights and she probably is proud of the fact. That does not mean she advocates abolishing pet ownership. Although I personally don't think she is a hypocrite for owning the dogs she does (I will bet she would not do that now), I will agree that an argument could be made. 

HoundMusic

Secondly, this is only another in a long line of AR propoganda films. It's just another advertisement of the "breeders  breed misery - buy and a shelter dog dies" campaign. They have ingrained the word puppy mill in America's psyche. They've made breeding a bad word. They've managed to pass awful anti breeder, hunting laws that WILL essentially outlaw breeding if this trend continues over the next 10+ years. This is just another nail in the coffin of the right to breed and own pets ... problem is Oprah is too misguided to even realize it.

I believe you are a breeder. Right? So I will defer to your opinions on the attack being launch on breeders. I support good dog breeders. Could you give me some examples of some of the "anti breeder" laws you are referring to?

Some of this tabloid trash is really old.  Oprah is 54.  Her birthday is like one day away from mine.

As for the rest, again, shouldn't we really wait and see what the show is actually about before we start boycotting products of her sponsors?

I have NEVER known a reputable breeder to sell pups to a pet store.  Never.

Why indict this woman BEFORE we know what she has to say?

AuroraLove

by the simple fact that she supports PETA and the HSUS

Does she support PETA? Can you show this? And as far as HSUS, how does she support them?

Can SOMEONE provide some CREDENCE to these claims???

I'm only assuming she supports PETA based on the fact that she was entertaining the thought of posing for there ads....I thought that would be proof enough

Right after Hurricane Katrina, I donated to the HSUS. I see a lot of slams against them from the anti-AR and maybe they're substantiated, but I'd hate to be labeled something awful because I donated to an agency that was trying to help animals at that time.

AuroraLove

I'm only assuming she supports PETA based on the fact that she was entertaining the thought of posing for there ads....I thought that would be proof enough

You said it was a FACT that she supports PETA and then you say you're just assuming that? It's NOT proof enough. Where do you get the idea that she was entertaining the thought of posing for them? She has never said such a thing as far as I can find. It's these "assumptions turned fact" that make the OP totally NON-credible. I suspect it's nothing but fabricated gossip!

If you're going to state something, let's see where you got it.  

 I am somewhat surprised by the suggestion that breeders are under an immediate threat (10yr) by 'left leaning liberal animals right activists' groups such as PETA and USHS. I am not informed enough to know if this is fact but I do believe you believe it to be.  I have never supported PETA. I think they are extremists. However, I think their goal of abolishing pet ownership is pie in the sky, their vision of Uthopia where all the animals on the planet are running free as nature intended. It's like the Pope saying it is his goal to have every person in the world Catholic. Never go to happen IMO. When you can't get a gov't to pass adequate anti animal cruelty legislation through out the country, what are the chances they are going to abolish ownership. I think global warming will probably do us in first.

Wow, I'm not sure where the hostility, I just barely chimed in came from but here ya go............

 She has had Ingrid Newkirk on her show and has supported HSUS

http://www.popcrunch.com/oprah-nude-peta-ad-oprah-peta-id-rather-go-naked-than-wear-fur-campaign/

http://lanternbooks.com/detail.html?id=1-59056-027-2

http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2008/04/oprah-puppymill.html

http://www.mad-cow.org/vaccine.html#from

I'm not hostile at all. I'm sorry if it appears that way. I promise, I'm not feeling hostility. Some frustration, yes. Because I like the truth, not rumors.

I'm trying to be clear because it seems like people are making a lot of assumptions and just repeating gossip. Your links show nothing about Oprah supporting PETA. As regards her guests, she has had all sorts of guests on her show.  She doesn't necessarily agree with (OR SUPPORT) all of her guests. She has had people on that she hates. She may have worked with the Humane Society in making this special, but that doesn't mean that she SUPPORTS them. She's a professional businesswoman. She sometimes works in concert with other people or organizations.

I adopted 2 of my dogs and I have made donations to the HSUS. That doesn't mean that I support everything about them. I just want to help my local shelter dogs.

As regards the last link, that's a lawsuit against her. That she rightfully won. It doesn't mean she wants to outlaw beef cattle farming or whatever absurd claim was made int he OP.  

None of the claims have been proven with the links you left.  

cakana

Here is one example I found of descriptions of different breeding operations:

Very good list of definitions.  I have seen descriptions like this before.  Provides a starting point describe breeding operations. 

FourIsCompany

I'm trying to be clear because it seems like people are making a lot of assumptions and just repeating gossip.

Don't know though.  When Oprah makes statements such as this: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h9RcpYWbaIokhj09MQWhERZ6uT3AD8VPE2300

“I would never, ever adopt another pet now without going to a shelter to do it. I am a changed woman after seeing this show,”

It kind of gives you and idea of where the segment is heading.

O by the way here are some snipets (since I don't have permission to post the entire message) of an e-mail floating around rescue lists about the Oprah segment.

timsdat

What is a puppy mill though?  From what I read people seem to feel that any dog in a pet store is from puppy mill and if you ask AR folks all breeders are greedy puppy millers.

     I'm not one to believe every dog from a pet store is automatically from a puppy mill Sure, there are bound to be atrocious breeders selling to pet stores, that either somehow sold to a broker w/o being licensed or slipped through the cracks with their USDA inspector. Case in point - one breeder who sells to pet stores as well as to the general public is well known for producing capable field Labradors. He also has some great lines of GSDs, some German imports & American/German crosses. Below is a pic of a bitch out of his breeding. Her temperament was rock solid - INTELLIGENT - and healthy ... a rare trait in Shepherds today :( She passed away from kidney problems @ 3yrs old, 8 weeks before the huge food recall ... she'd been eating recalled Iams/Eukanuba canned food. You can tell me she was a puppy mill dog until you're blue in the face, but she was an outstanding example of the breed. Literally, people would stop their cars to ask about her. We had an unsolicited request to breed her to a retired S&R dog ... she was just poetry in motion. An American/German cross - her sire was out of a German import. If I had the chance, I would by another GSD from him again in a heartbeat. He has a right to sell to pet stores, and it doesn't matter if I'd personally never do it (I want to keep in touch with all my puppy people) but he has that right nonetheless and should not be called a puppymill.