Oprah on Puppymills

     I do not believe it was fair and balanced because 99% of pet store dogs are not from puppy mills!!!!!!! These breeders are USDA licensed and have STRINGENT STRINGENT husbandry rules to follow. The show went to mostly unlicensed breeders. Showed outdoor kennel runs & made the viewer to believe this was the dog's sole source of shelter, that the dogs never touched grass, etc. What they did not show was the heated/air conditioned kennel buildings attached to those runs. They showed the swollen mammaries of a bitch with a litter and tried to portray that as a symptom of overbreeding/neglect. No, not all breeders should be keeping their dogs in the home, kennel runs are not abuse, commercial breeders that sell to pet shops do not all have kennels like that (and frankly, some of those kennels were horrible, others were just above ground kennels in lieu of concrete runs. I am putting in above ground kennels myself over the summer, they are actually healthier for the dog than kennel tuns). Either way, it was made to appear as though those 5 dogs per run all lived in that run with no shelter. When if they moved the camera over a few inches you'd see the kennel building it was attached to. Ugh. My BP is through the roof!

HoundMusic

     I do not believe it was fair and balanced because 99% of pet store dogs are not from puppy mills!!!!!!!

Where is the proof that they aren't? I think, yes, there probably are some kennels that aren't bad...but some defiantly are. My parents dog that we got from a pet store (we got him for free because of a cherry eye/age) absolutely came from a puppy mill...we know this. We would never get a dog from a pet store again. We will, however, adopt from a shelter/rescue or get a dog from a responsible breeder.

I know that the responsible breeders I know personally would never in a million years sell to a pet shop. You never know who the pup goes to or where it ends up...that is something a responsible breeder would do.

BlackLabbie

Where is the proof that they aren't? I think, yes, there probably are some kennels that aren't bad...but some defiantly are. My parents dog that we got from a pet store (we got him for free because of a cherry eye/age) absolutely came from a puppy mill...we know this. We would never get a dog from a pet store again. We will, however, adopt from a shelter/rescue or get a dog from a responsible breeder.

I know that the responsible breeders I know personally would never in a million years sell to a pet shop. You never know who the pup goes to or where it ends up...that is something a responsible breeder would do.

     The proof is in their USDA inspection reports. Breeders who sell to pet stores must be USDA or state licensed to sell to a broker, who in turn, sells the pup to the indivigual stores. They have strict sanitation/husbandry rules to follow. Of course, some slip through the cracks - or are unlicensed/unregulated like the ones Oprah showed. A few on her show were Amish kennels, and of course, they operate under the radar, and actually are a real problem. They need to get licensed & up to code or put out of business. Funny, but Oprah never showed the commercial breeder kennels who sell to pet stores that have immaculate runs, a heating/air conditioning system, hired kennel help, exercise yards, state of the art whelping areas, etc. I know breeders who sell to pet stores & their kennels, record keepinf put some of us hobby breeders to shame!
     No, I would never sell to a pet store - for many, many reasons, but that is my perogative. If someone keeps their dogs well and wants to sell pups to a pet store, they should have the right to. That doesn't automatically make them disreputable. There are other factors to consider. The fact of the matter is that a responsible breeder may like to delude themselves into thinking they know exactly where it ends up - but that's not always the case. People sometimes never contact the breeder again ... If you don't like pet stores, however, simply don't buy from them. Don't start with legislation and propoganda shows that are really meant to make breeder a dirty word.

Didn't they say the inspector came by and told the puppy mill owner not to let people on their property? So, they were being inspected, but sometimes inspectors can be corrupt (just like any authority). I agree, that Amish mills are some of the worst and NEED to be inspected thoroughly, and changes need to be made or they need shut down.

I don't think they made a "breeder" a dirty word at all. In fact, I think they did reputable breeders are good service. Don't you want people getting a well bred pup from a good, reputable, ethical breeder rather than a pet store? Don't you want to meet your buyers to make sure they are educated? Don't you want to make sure they know they can bring the pup back if they can't keep it, rather than dump it in a shelter or worse? I think the show opened some peoples eyes to what a good breeder is and/or why shelters dogs may be a good option for them.

HoundMusic

If someone keeps their dogs well and wants to sell pups to a pet store, they should have the right to. That doesn't automatically make them disreputable.

 

It does in my book.

You don't have a problem with pet stores, obviously.

Dog_ma

HoundMusic

If someone keeps their dogs well and wants to sell pups to a pet store, they should have the right to. That doesn't automatically make them disreputable.

 

It does in my book.

You don't have a problem with pet stores, obviously.

I does in my book too.

HoundMusic

If you don't like pet stores, however, simply don't buy from them. Don't start with legislation and propoganda shows that are really meant to make breeder a dirty word.

Did they use the term "always" or any other suggestion that every breeder runs their operation like that? I haven't seen the show yet, but I highly doubt it. It isn't propoganda if it truly happens. The fact that it doesn't always look like that and not every breeder needs to change or quit breeding, doesn't mean it isn't happening. We know it is and that's what this type of show is about. I don't understand why it personally offends anyone who's running a respectable breeding operation. As I said in the other thread, if this makes people shopping for a pet in a pet store ask more questions, then yahoo, it was a huge success.  If people peel back the layers and find out that a puppy came from a shoddy kennel, then hopefully that will cause the kennel to go under or straighten up.  IF that were to happen, you're right, we wouldn't need more legislation either.

cakana

 I don't understand why it personally offends anyone who's running a respectable breeding operation. As I said in the other thread, if this makes people shopping for a pet in a pet store ask more questions, then yahoo, it was a huge success.  If people peel back the layers and find out that a puppy came from a shoddy kennel, then hopefully that will cause the kennel to go under or straighten up.  IF that were to happen, you're right, we wouldn't need more legislation either.

Good post!

Dog_ma

HoundMusic

If someone keeps their dogs well and wants to sell pups to a pet store, they should have the right to. That doesn't automatically make them disreputable.

 

It does in my book.

 Me too.

As a resident of PA, I was glad to see it make national news on Oprah!  I have a friend who toured these puppy mills for the state and was outraged at the conditions!!!  This was not about rebutable breeders, this was about the abuse that goes on!!!  It was a good show!!!  It broke my heart!!!!

HoundMusic:

Funny, but Oprah never showed the commercial breeder kennels who sell to pet stores that have immaculate runs, a heating/air conditioning system, hired kennel help, exercise yards, state of the art whelping areas, etc. I know breeders who sell to pet stores & their kennels, record keepinf put some of us hobby breeders to shame!

 

That's because those are a rarity. The major population of puppy mills are horrible, terrible conditions. If they were hiring all this staff, and all the dogs had good and adequit medical care, and the kennels/exercise runs/whelping area were state of the art, how would they make the profit they do?  I don't think you understand the concept of a puppy mill vs. a good breeder. I think you think the show was targeting all breeders, when it wasn't.

 I'm sorry, but if someone cares about dogs, and has impeccable health care and standards, why on earth would they sell to a pet store where anyone with a wallet could buy a dog?? A responsible breeder has stringent applications to be sure the family/person can care for the dog and knows what they are getting into.. a pet store does not. In my mind puppymill does not have to equal dirt and bad care but it can... it can also equal some who doesn't love dogs and just breeds to sell for the money, however good the care, if they don't care where their pups end up that ='s PUPPYMILLER... churning out dogs for a buck, who cares how clean the runs are or how many health certs there are.

HoundMusic

Funny, but Oprah never showed the commercial breeder kennels who sell to pet stores that have immaculate runs, a heating/air conditioning system, hired kennel help, exercise yards, state of the art whelping areas, etc. I know breeders who sell to pet stores & their kennels, record keepinf put some of us hobby breeders to shame!

In addition to BlackLabbie's point that these types of breeders are a rarity, there is also the point that if these places do exist, showing them on a show about this issue would only encourage people to continue fooling themselves that THEIR dog couldn't possibly have come from the BAD place.  Oh no.

She did a show on puppy mills.  Not reputable breeders.  Bottom line - when buying your dog from a pet store there is probably a 99% chance it came from a puppy mill.

HoundMusic

 They need to get licensed & up to code or put out of business. Funny, but Oprah never showed the commercial breeder kennels who sell to pet stores that have immaculate runs, a heating/air conditioning system, hired kennel help, exercise yards, state of the art whelping areas, etc. I know breeders who sell to pet stores & their kennels, record keepinf put some of us hobby breeders to shame!
 

 

Houndmusic, I have been searching for the last hour and I cannot find a commercial breeder like you are describing, although I don't doubt the exist. Please link us to or name the ones you know so we can have a look at what a well run a commercial breeder looks like.