oprah puppy mill show

[Janet]

I don't want to put a damper on things, but don't rush out to do this Kat. You know, I'm sure that an animal (of any kind) should never be an impulse buy or a guilt buy. They need a lifetime full committment, they've been through enough.

[goofywife]

I think she just touched the surface. Although the kennels they showed were bad, I have seen some that were much worse in the news. I think they should have put some of them in the show for a bigger shock factor.

[Forgivenmom5]

I just read in the paper this morning that a shelter in a little town near us just euthanized 17 dogs because there was a parvo outbreak. This shelter just opened in late February. This is all so sad.

[pearl]

Originally Posted by Janet

I don't want to put a damper on things, but don't rush out to do this Kat. You know, I'm sure that an animal (of any kind) should never be an impulse buy or a guilt buy. They need a lifetime full committment, they've been through enough.

amen janet! and, check them out thoroughly. sadly they can have issues that can be hard to handle and people have to be prepared or willing to learn. (not that you're not kat...just people in general.)

[Emmsmom]

We have bought 2 dogs from the shelter years ago. This was the local city pound and they weren't picky about any other animals your might have or the fact that you may have kids. I didn't buy my Yorkie from the pound. Truth be told I will never buy a dog from a rescue. They will NOT let me adopt becuase I have a 10 year old daughter AND a German Shepherd. I also think that they charge way to much for some of their animals too. I also wanted a particular breed and you can't always find that in a shelter.

The 2 dogs that we adopted years ago were older yet healthy dogs. One was a chow mix and had aggression issues. The other one was a St.Bernard/Golden Ret mix and he was just plain dumb. He was a sweet dog but had the brains of "Goofey" LOL THe chow mix died of old age and the St.Bernard mix died of cancer. In my area there are plenty of big dogs for adoption. If you are looking for a small dog then you will have a very hard time.

I think it is great if you can find what you want at a shelter.if you can't then there is nothing wrong with finding a reputable breeder.

[katcarasella]

Originally Posted by Janet

I don't want to put a damper on things, but don't rush out to do this Kat. You know, I'm sure that an animal (of any kind) should never be an impulse buy or a guilt buy. They need a lifetime full committment, they've been through enough.

You're right Janet, it should never be an impulse buy! I think that's one of the main reasons so many animals are in shelters, people don't look at the big picture.
Why do I want another dog, am I trying to fill that empty space in my heart? The best thing I can do right now is donate my time and money to my local shelter. Put my money where my mouth is. If and when I decide to get another furbutt, it will be for all the right reasons. I'm on a first name basis with a couple good breeders.
Thanks for the input everyone.

[judy]

I'm so glad that Oprah put the facts about puppy mills out there. I don't have the heart to watch those kinds of shows, but I would love to see all puppy mills put out of business.