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Home » Go Local » Delaware » News » A Bite Out of the Puppy Mill Trade

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A Bite Out of the Puppy Mill Trade

November 10, 2009, 1:13PM MT
By Best Friends staff
FleasKnees dedicates a portion of its T-shirt sales to our Puppies Aren’t Products campaign.

As a frequent contributor to ModernDog magazine, writer and creative consultant Mary-Jo Dionne knows a thing or two about animal cruelty. She wrote an award-winning expose about puppy mills for the magazine. Titled “Puppy Hell,” the story described in no uncertain terms the conditions puppy-mill dogs endure, conditions Dionne calls “deplorable, at best.”

So it comes as little surprise that Dionne would lend her full-throttled support to Best Friends’ Puppies Aren’t Products campaign, the goal of which is to shut down the puppy mill trade. She’s lending her support financially and promotionally through the company she founded. Called FleasKnees, Dionne’s company sells designer T-shirts with the expressed purpose of raising money for animal rescues and no-kill shelters.

The company’s newest line of shirts is imprinted with the phrase: “Puppy Mills Bite,” and for every one of these shirts sold, FleasKnees will donate $5 to our Puppies Aren’t Products campaign, which exposes the link between pet stores and puppy mills, encouraging people to adopt, and never shop, for dogs.

Moreover, she’ll be helping us get the word out about our campaign — through her website and her vigorous social networking activity on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

“Everything I do with this shirt is directing people to the Puppies Aren’t Products page of the Best Friends website,” Dionne says.

Two upscale retailers — the Dog and Hydrant in Vancouver, Canada, and Bitch New York in Merrick, New York — are now carrying the T-shirts. Dionne thinks the signs are good that many more retailers will jump on board.

Already, the “Puppy Mills Bite” T-shirts have garnered celebrity attention. They were included in the “HollyWOOF A-List Doggie Bags” that Distinctive Assets (a company that creates gifts bags for the Oscar and Grammy awards and other celebrity events) gave to animal-loving media figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, Drew Barrymore, Jessica Biel and Mickey Rourke.

Though Dionne is shooting to sell 20,000 T-shirts, her “realistic goal” is 5,000, which would result in a $25,000 donation to Best Friends.

“It’s important to raise awareness, but at the end of the day, we want to be able to write a really big check to Best Friends so you can do what you need to do,” Dionne says.

For more information or to order your T-shirt online, which sells for $42 (both Canadian and U.S.), click here.

And watch for the March issue of Best Friends magazine — we’ll be profiling Dionne and recounting the inspirational story of how she became an ardent defender of animals.


Photos courtesy of FleasKnees.


 


Comments
Posted November 11, 2009, 4:46PM by rfarkle
At $42, the donation of $5 to BF is like the sleeves from Fleasknees' vest. Giving them away to celebrities is one thing; asking people to pay $42 for a t-shirt is something else. Perhaps all the "A list" people have the money. I would rather see a $20 shirt with $5 donated to BF. This would put it within reach of most of BF's network and also seem like a legitimate donation rather than using BF to market an over-priced (though cute) product.
Posted November 11, 2009, 6:7PM by Zoey1012
Price of the shirt - $42 Donation to Best Friends - $5 Shinning the light on puppy mills and effortlessly educating people around you – PRICELESS You’re not only spending money on the shirt & making a donation, you’re making a commitment to spread the word. LOVE IT!
Posted November 11, 2009, 7:48PM by thinkpawsitive
i agree with rfarkle. the product is cute but to me it's not really worth it. instead i am thinking about getting the "puppies aren't products" t-shirt from the bf store. it's cheaper and all of the profits go straight to best friends! -thinkpawsitive-
Posted November 12, 2009, 6:25AM by jgaebel
Although I think this is a great idea, at $42 for a T-SHIRT I would hope that Fleasknees would make a much bigger donation per shirt. It can't cost that much to make a shirt. I would rather send the $5 directly to BF
Posted November 12, 2009, 8:33AM by rfarkle
I'm disappointed that BF falls into the trap of promoting a product simply because there is a donation of part of the proceeds. Yes the puppy mill trade is horrific, but at $42 (the magazine article shows $48), the donation should be much higher. I agree the Puppies Aren't Products t-shirt is a much better investment. And to Zoey1012, the $42 is NOT a donation to Best Friends. It is paid to the t-shirt seller and only $5 goes to BF. Not exactly generous, eh?
Posted November 12, 2009, 9:24AM by MJDionne
Hi guys, I just wanted to address the previously made comments. Not to defend the cost of the tee. But to explain it. And truly, huge thanks for voicing your thoughts, because it matters to me that you know where TheFleasKnees is coming from. And the LAST thing I want is to be the source of comments from anyone that start with "I'm disappointed in BestFriends..." TheFleasKnees isn't a big company; it's a very tiny company. And, in production terms that means: We make everything in really TINY runs. Because of the tiny runs, our production costs are significantly higher than larger clothing manufacturers who receive in-bulk discounts. In fact, all TheFleasKnees tees sold at the retail level see an equal split of $5 each: $5 for BestFriends. And $5 for TheFleasKnees... and our $5 goes right back into making the next batch of tees. Also, it was really important to us that we do our homework when it came to selecting a factory. Our factory ensures: No child or forced labour and fair wages. The result is a slightly pricier tee for the peace of mind that brings. Again, thanks for your comments. I assure you, a lack of generosity is not the intended spirit of TheFleasKnees.
Posted November 12, 2009, 10:18AM by Claudine
I have to comment on how awesome The FleasKnees tees are... I have two, and am looking forward to ordering this new one. I believe in supporting small companies who not only support animal charities on a regular basis, but care deeply how their products are made, and by whom. The FleasKnees have been a supporter of border collie rescue in my area (who I am a big supporter of), and I am thrilled to see them supporting Best Friends. Thank you FeasKnees!
Posted November 12, 2009, 1:11PM by rfarkle
The shirts are made out of the US, so cheap labor (even without child labor, and fair wages in other countries do not even begin to match minimum wage in the US). Anyone can go to an internet t-shirt design website and design a shirt and buy it for $10-$15, depending on the shirt chosen and the design, and some shirts are made in the USA. So, the arguments justifying the price don't impress me. I remain disappointed that BF is participating in marketing this product even if the message is one in which I believe. The rescue for which I volunteer is often approached by companies or individuals wanting us to help promote their products and offering to give us 10% of the cut. We see this as a way to get a new customer base and pay a pittance for it. For the $5 per shirt, Fleasknees has received a very visible spot on the BF website AND an article in the latest magazine. Such publicity would have cost far more than what's being donated.
Posted November 12, 2009, 2:25PM by murphy73
I think that's a bit of a negative way to look at it. TheFleasKnees could sell their very cute tshirts, as most high quality, trendy looking shirts do cost around $50 these days, and NOT donate anything to anyone. From what I've read about this organization it's purpose is to spread the word about puppy mills and save the lives of little hounds, not to become a money making machine. I think we should respect the fact that TheFleasKnees is actually trying to do something about this problem instead of attacking them.
Posted November 12, 2009, 2:26PM by Zoey1012
To rfarkle.  Sounds like you have way too much time on your hands today.  And I clearly state that the Donation to Best Friends is $5 and not $42. It isn't wise for Best Friends to only target a particular segment; they need to have a variety of offerings to appeal to a variety of people. As this is a trendy item, perhaps it doesn't speak to you, but for those who spend far more on garments that don't give back and don't make a statement, this is a great option. It really irritates me when people feel like they have to spread negativity rather than spread the message. If this isn't for you, then move on!!!
Posted November 12, 2009, 3:11PM by doggielovr
I am surprised by some of the comments here. I don't understand the criticism of a small business, who I see as doing their part, not only donating part of their proceeds to a great cause, but at the same time driving awareness of puppy mills. I personally own two shirts from TheFleasKnees and they are worth every penny. They are cute and so comfortable and the quality is far better than any $10-15 dollar shirt someone mentioned above. On top of the money raised, the thing I love the most about my shirt is that every time I wear it, people ask me about it. It has inspired SO many conversations and in effect, educated people who have no idea what is going on with the horrors of puppy mills and also the amazing world of animal rescue. I really don't see how people can find fault with a small company doing their part and making such a positive impact in the world.
Posted November 12, 2009, 3:20PM by kittyTNRchick
It's great Fleasknees is doing their part in shutting down puppy mills. Dogs need all the help they can get. After Oprah exposed puppy mills on her show some pet store owners told her that they don't get their dogs from puppy mills. YEAH RIGHT! Where else would they be getting them from--from people who breed animals out of their home??--they need to be shut down too! In my opinion they are just as much part of the problem. On of the reasons is they don't care to spay or neuter either! So then Oprah's viewers were told to do their "research" and ask the pet store owners where their puppies came from before they would buy. OF COURSE THE PET STORE OWNERS ARE GOING TO LIE AND SAY THEY DID NOT GET THEM FROM PUPPY MILLS. There is a huge sign out in front of several pet stores here in the city I live that say "Puppies Not From Puppy Mills". So I either called each owner or asked in person about this and to make a long story short--it was FALSE. This made me so mad (I'm still mad!) because Oprah exposing puppy mills was a huge step in the right direction to have pet store sales suffer and maybe just maybe the beginning of shutting them down. Slick talking pet store owners who are in it for profit will convince people it is OK to buy from them.They will always be finding loopholes. So if anybody reads my comment please,please,please always,always,always adopt from an ANIMAL SHELTER that always,always,always, spays and neuters EVERY SINGLE animal that goes home. Pet store owners and people who breed animals out of their home will never care to do this.
Posted November 12, 2009, 5:24PM by harlow1933
I LOVE these tees and I LOVE what they stand for! Great job, FleasKnees! Thank you! Love and Peace, Annie Wood http://www.DoGoodStuff.org
Posted November 12, 2009, 8:7PM by kwex
I have two of these Ts and have been thrilled with them. I truly don't think they are any more expensive than an item of similar quality. And their quality is excellent. They are soft and lovely to wear. But even more than being cute and high quality, they spread such a positive message. Just like doggielovr said above, when I wear the shirts they trigger great conversations and opportunities to educate people about the horrors of puppy mills. And on top of all that, $5 goes to BF Society; I don't think I could ask for much more from a piece of clothing! I love the T's and am proud to support a small company trying to make a positive impact on the world.
Posted November 12, 2009, 8:52PM by Winniedog
Let me get this straight. Someone is making a t-shirt to raise awareness about animal cruelty and is then in turn donating $5 of the profits to a campaign to help dogs and this is somehow wrong? Are you suggesting that rather than promoting a t-shirt whose cost clearly offends some correspondents, that Ms Dionne should perhaps don sackcloth and ashes and apologize for trying to be an ethical entrepreneur?
Posted November 12, 2009, 9:2PM by EddieDog
FleasKnees and its far-seeing, caring owner are the key reasons our new, first-ever dog comes to us from the SPCA. He's a rocking addition to our family -- we took to heart the important message to adopt from shelters that spay/neuter. To FleasKnees, BestFriends and every individual out there who spreads the word - keep up the good work.
Posted November 12, 2009, 9:59PM by dingorunner
FleasKnees tees rock! I'm sure they could put the message on low-quality, cheaper t-shirts and charge less, but would you wear that T? I like that I'm getting a quality shirt & I love the message. I willingly pay a little extra to know that no humans were exploited in the making of this product & love that part of the proceeds go to a good cause. The Ts spark conversation & that helps spread the word. All good. I think FleasKnees is doing good work & I'm proud & happy to support it. Keep on doing what you're doing FleasKnees!
Posted November 13, 2009, 3:30AM by sllana123
Dogs need all the help they can get. I don't understand the criticism of a small business, who I see as doing their part, not only donating part of their proceeds to a great cause, but at the same time driving awareness of puppy mills. Cell Phone Booster
Posted November 13, 2009, 6:7AM by sadie8
My Puppy Mills Bite tee looks and feels great. I love it and I can’t wait for my next fleasknees tee to arrive! Not to mention it’s supporting a great cause. And really, isn’t that all that matters? Great work FleasKnees!
Posted November 13, 2009, 6:6PM by kittyTNRchick
After posting my comment yesterday where I was just a teeny tiny bit upset about the puppy mill industry :-) I ordered a few of these t-shirts to give as gifts including one for my husband with grey lettering and looser fitting. Just wanted to give a big thanks to FleasKnees for directing people to Best Friends Puppies Aren't Products Campaign through your social networking and website. Please continue to be a supporter of them. Love you guys! I might get my sister your Dog Mom The New MILF t- shirt or the Fairy Dog Mother. I like that you are making cool looking t's for animal loving chicks! Animal loving chicks are the hottest chicks around! :-)
Posted November 14, 2009, 2:20AM by sllana123
I'm sure they could put the message on low-quality, cheaper t-shirts and charge less, but would you wear that T? I like that I'm getting a quality shirt & I love the message. I willingly pay a little extra to know that no humans were exploited in the making of this product & love that part of the proceeds go to a good cause. Wireless Networking Computers Public Safety Communication Structured Cabling Service Cell Phone Repeaters
Posted November 16, 2009, 2:35PM by FawnM
I'm really surprised with the negative feedback on these fab shirts. I am a huge fan of The Fleas Knees - who might I add is an organization of "one" / entrepreneur... who also has a day job, donates proceeds to several animal advocates groups, and practically lives in an ark she's saved so many furry friends... I think we need some perspective on the audience for the shirts. I'm sure they could have designed a neon tank top or a mesh baseball cap, but entirely different audience people!
Posted November 18, 2009, 12:28PM by mjgirl74
I love my FleasKnees Tee - it is amazingly soft, fits perfectly and is just the right length (meaning, I'm not constantly pulling it down). And the best part about it (other than $5 going to BF, of course) is that it is an eye-catching design. So I get asked about this shirt every time I wear it...that means more awareness of the fact that Puppy Mills truly do bite, and $5 more to Best Friends. That in itself is worth the price tag in my books. (Did I mention it looks super cute on, too?)
Posted March 12, 2010, 7:10AM by xiangsi

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