Monday--Oprah's Puppy Mill Update Show

Are you sure that this is not just the puppy mill breeders putting pressure on Oprah to deceive the public and say they are all ok? These puppy mill breeders will stop at nothing to keep torturing these dogs for profit.

They have business lobbies and they are very angry and vengeful that their secrets are out.

This from a self-described Missouri mill breeder Oprah's board

"Oprah...
The show you did is the worst thing you could have ever done. As sales slip in the stores and fro the independent breeders due to your insistence that everyone involved in Breeding is a Puppy mill will ultimately cost the lives of thousands upon thousands of dogs who otherwise had a safe an loving home.

At this point I am asking all of the Pro Breeder people to vacate the site and all of the Oprah boards, until after your show airs this afternoon.
We have thousands of breeders standing by to respond as well as a "Class Action" law firm, Hopefully you will try to do a repair of the damage you have done.
Joe Overlease
The Breeders Advocate "

UPDATE. This post was taken down but it was up there on the public board. Saved it

frenchcritters, the NRA is involved because some of the hunting dog breeders run hunting dog breeding mills.

And the NRA gets involved in anything even remotely connected to hunting, because the whole hunting thing is an excuse for gunowning and how they oppose gun control laws (despite the fact that the percentage of hunters keeps falling and falling)

sallyinthesouth, too many of your "responsible" breeder friends are right in there with the puppy mill people opposing any laws and telling some mighty terrible lies to try to prevent them.

Sorry, but your breeder buddies are NOT acting responsibly.

Maybe the AKC has duped them into being pawns for AKC puppy mill interests but that is no excuse.

Until "responsible" breeders get out of the puppy mill racket, whether through the AKC or through involvement with some of the most reprehensible puppy millers around, "responsible" breeding has been relegated to a joke.

I wore my shirt to our local Indian Casino today. I was so surprised by the number of people ( almost all women) who stopped and talked to me about puppy mills and and adopting a shelter dog. Many had watched Oprah. A lot wanted to get a shirt also.

Buy a shirt . A fantastic way to start a conversation with people about Puppy Mills.

I just recieved my tshirt and the hooded sweatshirt.
The only problem. The hood hides the writing on the back. The one that says stop Puppy Milll, adopt.

Otherwise it is very nice.

Wow. I'm checking the thread on my lunch hour and see I may need more than an hour! I watched a taped version of the show yesterday and will admit that I had to fast-forward through parts of it. Start showing dogs being euthanized and thrown in the trash and I'm bound to need some type of medication.

I do hope a lot of people watched Oprah's show and then decided to self-educate. If you know of some people who missed the show but you are opposed to the commercial farming of dogs and want to help spread the word, here's my shameless plug for my latest dimestore production.

I have a video up on youtube which was screened by BF and which is currently being used for educational purposes by some anti-mill groups. It is not graphic and does not tell the whole story but aims to use "shock and awwww" to explain where those pet store cuties come from and how their existence affects the shelter population.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCNr-VrkXl8

(if you aren't familiar with youtube, the best image quality is by clicking the radio button to the immediate right of the volume scroll bar on the video viewer)

If you are opposed to mills, feel free to share the link. If you misplace the link, I go by "Snakehaven" in youtube, which is what we call our property in honor of our beloved dog, Snake.

I may never see a mill in person or attend an auction but this is my way of trying to help.

Education=awareness=power=action=change. Or so I'd like to think.

Ladykbk, I think what it will take to get good breeders to help is two things. One is for the humane community to do, one is for the breeders to do.

The humane community needs to focus on the bad breeders, and not lump everyone together. When they're being attacked as "all breeders are the same," the responsible people do get angry and see any law as a threat. We need to stop that.

Even Best Friends new magazine on puppy mills is called "Breeding Bytes." You think that responsible breeders won't bristle at that? You really think that won't be used by commercial breeders to claim that Best Friends wants pets to go extinct?

Why wasn't it called "Puppy Mill Pages" or some such? Breeding Bytes makes it sound like we're attacking the responsible ones too. BAD strategy -- it plays into the strategy of people who don't want commercial breeding limited.

With 2-4 million commercially bred pups each year, which is TWICE as many dogs as are being put to sleep in shelters, there is room for the good breeders if we work together to end commercial breeding.

The responsible breeders need to realize that they are being used by commercial breeders as a respectable front. Their interests are not the same -- most people are okay with responsible breeding, and most people are not okay with commercial breeding. The commercial breeders know it's in their best interest to scare reputable breeders to death.

Virginia HB538, which is a groundbreaking bill that limits the size of commercial kennels to 50 dogs max, requires inspections and gives minimum standards, passed in Virginia -- because the bill was narrowly targeted to commercial breeders. The support of many good breeders was crucial to getting the support needefd for its passage.

All people do is fight when it comes to puppymillers. From my perspective, I don't see anything changing. It gets so discouraging to see the numbers growing and the conditions of these dogs and puppies are worse than ever. The State of MO won't do anything to control the numbers of puppies coming out of their state and going to the ever increasing number of pet stores in IL and all across the U.S. I cannot tell you how many new stores have opened up in the past several years in IL. U.S. taxpayers end up paying billions in taxes to house and eventually euthanize these animals and the animals pay with their lives. I just can't stand it anymore. When are people going to wake up and STOP buying from pets stores and people known as backyard breeders -- breeding puppies just because they put two dogs together. In one area of IL we now have an influx of "labradoodles" into shelters which people use to pay $1500 for because they were "non-allergenic." Give me a break. People will believe anything. Or the designer dogs, bichapoodle, puggle, yorkiepoo etc. These are nothing more than mixed mutts you can find in any shelter. Breeders drop the adults off at shelters and animal control facilities (if the adults are lucky) when they are through with them and expect shelters with no money and ACOs to deal with THEIR problem they created in the first place. They do not take nor or they made to take responsibility for their irresponsible decisions to breed animals who end up dying for no other reason than there is no room for them. It is beyond my imagination.

I am an animal advocate and I think that way too many people carelessly breed dogs. They only care about $, not for the individual lives they are creating.
Too many animals end up in shelters and die!

I live in Pa, close to the Ohio border and both states have major problems!
At least once a month their is a super sale of small designer mixed breeds held at a holiday inn in Youngstown, Ohio.
Those breeders will sell these dogs to anybody. Is that responsible? The dogs are unsocialized.

I am sick of everyone fighting.

The Main Point here is to end all unwarrented euthanasia........even that comes under fire because too many humane societies and small rescues set the temperament test bar too high and then classify the dogs as unadoptable.

I think the bigger picture here is animal controls and humane societies that do not do anything to change their euthanasia #'s
My own county does nothing.
My own county has NO humane officers and the police will not respond to cruelty calls.

Our dog warden takes care of 2 counties.

I could go on and on here......

Why can't the good breeders help take a stand and help? I have heard different reasons for backyard breeders to breed. It all boils down to what they feel is easy $$$. Most of the dogs all end up tied to a dog box and unaltered ........we all know what happens next.

What is it going to take to end this cycle?????????

Here in the South, the NRA always rears its head whenever laws requiring better treatment of animals are in the works (they are all about property rights and dogs are property, get it?).
I'd bet my one tooth and a glass of sweet tea that the American Sporting Dog Alliance is joined at the hip with the NRA. Another thing that happens a lot in the South is that when hunters have a hunting dog that won't "run" well, they'll take its collar off and turn it loose -- you can look up Hound dog rescue sites and see dozens that have been found half starved. There's stringent laws about that sort of behavior, too, Mr. Yates, so why not start your investigation at home?

dogwalker, John Yates is not only a lobbyist for puppy mills, HE OWNS A PUPPY MILL!

But you knew that didn't you?

He also is involved in harassing shelters and trying to hurt adoption programs. The puppy mills see adoption as Competition For Sales.

LOL you didn' disappoint me you just offered confirmation of what I posted. I would venture to guess that people don't need your help in figuring out that laws aren't being enforced. Besides as you stated in your posted you wanted to show another side to the situation. What side is that?

I could never look as bad as people like you.

No matter what laws the bottom line is it isstill about money and where money is prime motivating factor no amount of laws is going to stop exploitation and cruelty from happening. BYB/puppy millers, AKC, ASDA will continue to fight to prevent anyone from taking away their right to exploit and earn a buck.

The point is why in the world do we need to continually breed tens of thousands of puppies who end up dying in a shelter or animal control somewhere? I don't understand it. Even if the kennels are clean and "regulated", they are not humane. These adult dogs spend their whole lives in small wire crates. The cruelty just continues and continues for no other reason than money. These puppymills are not reputable breeders who breed for health, temperament, and personality. The bottom line is money. I have seen adult breeders from puppymills who could not even walk from being so matted, holes in their gums, heartworm disease, worms of every kind known to man, have never had a human touch them before, orthopedic problems, walking on broken legs, infections of every kind, severe mange, eye problems, ear infections, and the list goes on. If this is being taken care of, I think we need a new definition of regulated kennels. We do not need anymore puppies bred this way.

thor50
I am very sorry to disappoint you I do not belong to ANY group I know you don't believe me but I don't care. I support BF with many donations it's just I posted that to inform you all of the laws that are not being enforced.

you should not assume either that I am in favor of exploitation it makes you look bad

TimRobertson, what happened to your beloved dog was cruel and heartless. I know it is hard to open your heart again after it was so brutally broken, but perhaps one day you can open your home to a shelter dog, in honor of your Savannah. In the meantime thank you for fighting the good fight for the dogs.

Dogwalker:

It's obvious you are a member of this group and you joined BF specifically to spread your group 'sconspiracy propaganda. But ya ain't fooling anyone your group is just like the AKC interested in the money the welfare of the animals means nothing to you and your kind!

The laws are not enforced in PA and elsewhere because of groups like yours who get financial support from puppy mills/bybs and other exploiters of animals.

It's very sad commentary on the state of the human race when groups like yours have to resort to smearing the reputation of others in order to advance your sick agenda. The depravity of the human race never ceases to amaze me

Just another side to this situation

>
> American Sporting Dog Alliance Seeks
> Investigation Of Kennels In Oprah Report
>
> Asks U.S. And PA Attorney Generals To Find Out Why, Prosecute
>
> by JOHN YATES
> American Sporting Dog Alliance
> http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org
>
> An April 4 report on the Oprah Winfrey Show was a scathing indictment
> of abuses in Pennsylvania puppy mills, but it failed to ask or answer
> the most basic and important question.
>
> How can this horrible situation happen in light of tough existing
> state and federal kennel and animal cruelty laws?
>
> The American Sporting Dog Alliance is asking U.S. Attorney General
> Michael Mukasey and Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett to find
> out the answer to that question, and to prosecute anyone who is
> responsible for not requiring the kennels portrayed on Winfrey's show
> to follow the law.
>
> Every kennel in Pennsylvania must follow stringent state kennels
> regulations, and also comply with more than 60 pages of federal kennel
> regulations if puppies are sold to pet stores or dealers. In addition,
> every dog in Pennsylvania is protected by a comprehensive animal
> cruelty law, and everyone who buys a puppy from any source is
> protected by a "lemon law."
>
> The report on the Winfrey show by special reporter Lisa Ling showed
> video footage of several puppy mills in Pennsylvania. All of those
> kennels were operating in clear violation of existing laws. None of
> the terrible and heart-breaking things shown in the report would be
> happening if current laws were being enforced.
>
> The video footage makes it crystal clear that the kennels were
> operating in open and flagrant defiance of existing laws.
>
> Why aren't those laws being enforced? Is someone protecting these
> kennels from the law? Are these kennels licensed and inspected? If so,
> have dog wardens and animal cruelty police officers been ordered to
> ignore these kennels? Why haven't rescue groups that obtain surplus
> dogs from these kennels on a regular basis reported them to
> authorities? Has there been a cover-up?
>
> We are quite surprised that Winfrey and Ling didn't ask or answer
> those basic questions.
>
> The American Sporting Dog Alliance (ASDA) can't answer those
> questions, either. We don't have a crystal ball, but we do know the
> laws. We have spent hundreds of hours studying existing kennel and
> cruelty laws, and have worked with our committee of attorneys to be
> able to interpret them correctly. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, existing
> laws could have shut down every commercial kennel shown on the Winfrey
> show, protected the dogs and resulted in prosecution of their owners.
>
> ASDA also believes that everyone in America who loves dogs and is
> concerned about their welfare has a right to demand answers to those
> basic questions.
>
> Thus, we are asking the U.S. and Pennsylvania attorney generals to
> intervene.
>
> We believe that an independent investigation is required because the
> agencies that should have enforced the laws cannot investigate
> themselves objectively, and because the Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law
> Enforcement answers directly to Gov. Rendell, who has close personal,
> political and financial ties to the Main Line Rescue Group in Chester
> County, PA.
>
> Main Line Treasurer William Smith was the primary source on the
> Winfrey/Ling report and escorted Ling on a guided tour through every
> step of making the report. Main Line Vice President Marsha Perelman
> has social ties to Rendell and contributed a reported $7,500 to his
> election campaign. Thus, any investigation by the Rendell
> Administration would be clouded by the potential for conflicts of
> interest.
>
> The Winfrey/Ling report was enough to break anyone's heart. This
> reporter has seen some terrible things in 20 years of hard news and
> investigative reporting, but I couldn't hold back tears several times
> during the Oprah Show.
>
> Non-stop video images showed dogs in cramped and crowded quarters,
> turning exercise wheels like caged gerbils, wallowing in mud,
> suffering from untreated illnesses and injuries, being unable to walk
> on solid ground after a lifetime on wire floors, showing fear of
> people, and victimized by having pipes rammed down their throats to
> destroy their vocal chords to stop barking.
>
> All of these situations are in clear violation of existing laws, yet
> Ling apparently never asked Main Line's Bill Smith to explain the
> contradiction between kennel conditions and the law as he led her from
> kennel to kennel to film the report.
>
> This reporter was deeply impressed by the depth and intensity of
> caring about these animals shown by both Winfrey and Ling, and
> commends them for bringing animal welfare issues before a national
> audience of millions of people. This reporter also has great respect
> for Winfrey's sincerity and love of animals.
>
> However, it also seems that the intensity of their emotions may have
> gotten in the way of asking tough and objective questions to get to
> the bottom of this issue. It also was apparent that they were being
> manipulated and used by animal rights groups to advance a hidden
> agenda that is not what it appears to be on the surface.
>
> A review of existing laws shows why tough questions should have been
> asked of the sources for this report. Strangely, the Oprah team never
> went to the key source for accurate information: The Bureau of Dog Law
> Enforcement.
>
> "Neither the Department of Agriculture nor Dog Law Officials were
> contacted at any point to participate in the show or provide
> information or comments about what is being featured," Bureau Deputy
> Director Jessie Smith wrote to ASDA on Sunday. "We do not know at this
> point all of the kennels featured and whether or not they are state
> licensed."
>
> In Pennsylvania, the law says animal cruelty means someone who
> "wantonly or cruelly ill(-)treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses
> any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of care,
> whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any animal, or
> deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or
> veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter which will
> protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal's
> body heat and keep it dry."
>
> Almost all of the abuses shown in the Winfrey/Ling report would fall
> under this definition, and the alleged practice of tearing out dog's
> vocal chords is covered by another section on mutilation and
> disfiguring. Legal precedent clearly has been set for all of these
> problems, and literally dozens of cases are successfully prosecuted
> each year under this law in Pennsylvania. The law also provides for
> forfeiture of any animals that are in danger, and fines and possible
> imprisonment for someone who is found guilty of violating this law.
>
> Main Line's website has a page devoted to what people can do to stop
> animal cruelty. After describing cruelty in much the same way as it
> was shown on the Oprah Show, the Main Line website says: "Don't sit
> by, day after day, and watch your neighbor's pet suffer, call the
> proper authorities and report the abuse. Again, the police WILL act on
> anonymous tips."
>
> We must wonder why Bill Smith doesn't follow his own advice. On the
> Oprah show, he told of building long-term relationships with these
> puppy mills, so that they would allow him to rescue any dogs that are
> no longer wanted by the kennel owner. While those relationships allow
> Smith to rescue some dogs, shutting them down under animal cruelty
> laws would allow all of the dogs to be rescued, and eliminate the
> problem once and for all. There are six registered animal cruelty
> police officers for Chester County, and all of them are only a phone
> call away.
>
> Smith also brought one of his own dogs onstage. The dog, named Shrimp,
> was happy and healthy, but a photo showed him near death when Smith
> took him from a puppy mill. Did Smith report Shrimp's puppy mill for
> cruelty to animals? The dog clearly had been treated in an inhumane
> manner.
>
> Is Smith protecting these kennels? If so, why? Are revenues from
> adoption fees for these rescued dogs, plus invaluable publicity for
> fund-raising to cover a reported $2.3 million construction project and
> political lobbying for the animal rights agenda, factors in Smith's
> silence on this issue? We don't know the answer to any of these
> questions, but we are urging Attorney Generals Mukasey and Corbett to
> find out.
>
> Animal cruelty laws are only one part of the picture. State kennel
> laws apply to every kennel that keeps 26 or more dogs over the course
> of a year, and all of the kennels in the Winfrey/Ling report clearly
> would require state licensure and, at a minimum, at least two
> inspections a year.
>
> If these kennels are licensed, we must ask why the regulations are not
> being enforced. If they are not licensed, we must ask why Smith and
> other people at Main Line haven't turned them in to the Bureau of Dog
> Law Enforcement. An unlicensed kennel is breaking the law. It can be
> shut down immediately and a fine of up to $500 for each day of
> noncompliance can be ordered. Any dog that is deemed to be in danger
> can be seized and protected under the law.
>
> State kennel regulations set strong standards for health care, food
> and water, cleanliness, and pen sizes, and numerous violations were
> observed at the kennels filmed by Ling and her associates.
>
> The report clearly showed numerous situations where several dogs were
> crammed into tiny cages with wire bottoms. Wire bottoms are legal, but
> they must be coated with vinyl, the holes in the wire must not allow
> dogs' feet to pass through them, and resting boards must be provided.
> From the films taken by Ling, none of these requirements appeared to
> be met.
>
> Kennel size requirements also weren't met. The minimum legal enclosure
> size is based on a complicated formula, but in general requires four
> square feet for each small dog, eight square feet for each
> medium-sized dog, and 12 square feet for each large dog. None of the
> cages shown in the Oprah report would even come close to meeting this
> legal requirement.
>
> The law also mandates special size requirements for females with
> puppies: "Each bitch with nursing puppies shall be provided with an
> additional amount of floor space, based on her breed and behavioral
> characteristics, and in accordance with generally accepted husbandry
> practices as determined by the attending veterinarian. If the
> additional amount of floor space for each nursing puppy is less than
> 5% of the minimum requirement for the bitch, the housing shall be
> approved by the attending veterinarian." The Oprah report also showed
> several clear violations of this provision.
>
> Why are these violations being allowed to continue? Are dog wardens
> failing to enforce the law? Or, are they being told to back off from
> certain kennels?
>
> Again, we don't know the answers, but are asking for an investigation
> to find out. We do know that a dog warden has been assigned to Chester
> County, and is being backed up by a special team of wardens and
> attorneys created specifically to investigate and prosecute puppy
> mills in that part of the state. We also know that Gov. Rendell has
> mandated a crackdown on non-compliant kennels, and the number of
> citations for unsatisfactory conditions issued increased by 10-percent
> statewide last year alone. In other parts of the state, dog wardens
> are being specifically instructed to issue citations for every
> violation.
>
> We commend the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement for doing an overall fine
> job to protect dogs in Pennsylvania kennels, and also commend the
> Bureau and Gov. Rendell for stepping up enforcement of the laws.
>
> This reporter has personally known six Pennsylvania dog wardens and
> two regional supervisors. None of these dedicated and honest
> professionals would have ignored the situations shown in the Oprah
> report.
>
> Then why are the kennels shown in the Oprah report falling through the
> cracks? We are asking Attorney General Corbett to find out.
>
> State kennel regulations are only a part of the regulatory picture.
> All commercial kennels that sell wholesale to pet stores or dealers
> also must have a federal kennel license and comply with 60 pages of
> U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations. These kennels are
> inspected at least once a year by a team of USDA officials that
> includes a veterinarian.
>
> The federal regulations cover many of the same protections as their
> counterparts in Pennsylvania. They set stringent requirements for
> food, water, sanitation, cleanliness, construction and kennel sizes.
> The kennels depicted on the Oprah Show also completely fail to meet
> the test of these federal regulations.
>
> In the report, Smith emphasized that many of the dogs never get out of
> their kennels, and some can't even walk on solid ground after a
> lifetime on wire. The film footage verified his claim.
>
> However, there is no explanation about why this situation is allowed
> to continue, as it clearly violates federal regulations.
>
> The federal rules require that all dogs over 12 weeks of age must be
> given the chance for exercise, and a plan for doing this must be
> approved by the kennel's veterinarian. There are several ways that the
> requirements for exercise can be met, including by larger cage sizes.
>
> For a single dog, a cage twice as large as the minimum requirement
> would suffice. For a cage that houses several dogs, the total space
> would have to be the combined total of the space required for each of
> those dogs individually. None of the cages shown on the Winfrey/Ling
> report would meet those requirements. None would even come close.
>
> In the report, Smith said the worst kennel he has seen uses wheel-
> shaped treadmills to exercise dogs. Graphic film footage was shown to
> prove his point.
>
> However, Smith failed to mention that such devices are a specific
> violation of existing federal regulations, which say: "Forced exercise
> methods or devices such as swimming, treadmills, or carousel-type
> devices are unacceptable...."
>
> The federal regulations also encourage - and for many dogs require -
> human interaction and contact with the dogs.
>
> At one point in the broadcast, Ling asked Smith if a lot of dogs die
> from the cold in the winter. Smith said that they do.
>
> Smith did not say that both state and federal regulations, as well as
> the animal cruelty law, offer very specific and stringent requirements
> to protect dogs from extremes of weather. Dogs that are housed in
> indoor facilities must be in a climate-controlled environment, and
> outdoor kenneling is banned for dogs that are not used to the weather,
> or which are elderly, infirm or of vulnerable breeds.
>
> Smith also alleged that puppy mill owners routinely shoot dogs that
> are no longer useful. This is a violation of the federal regulations,
> which require euthanasia to be done only by a veterinarian.
>
> There is not even a shadow of a doubt that all of the kennels shown on
> the Winfrey/Ling report could have been - and should have been - shut
> down under existing animal cruelty laws, and both state and federal
> kennel regulations.
>
> But they were not shut down. Was justice obstructed? Or was it simply
> an accident? We want Attorney Generals Mukasey and Corbett to find out
> why.
>
> If these laws are not being enforced, or if they are being enforced
> selectively, new laws are not the answer. The answer is to commit the
> money, resources and supervision necessary to enforce the current
> laws. New laws will not fix a system that is broken. They simply will
> add to its list of failures.
>
> Within the next few days, The American Sporting Dog Alliance will
> release our proposal for making the current system do its job better.
> This proposal will include amendments to regulations that will triple
> minimum cage sizes, clarify that the sizes must be increased if more
> than one dogs is put in a cage, ban the use of wire flooring of any
> kind, restructure the enforcement of Pennsylvania kennels laws to
> require dog wardens to be law enforcement professionals, and to use a
> $15 million Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement budget surplus to make sure
> the job gets done right.
>
> While the Oprah report was about puppy mills, it gives a black eye to
> all kennels in Pennsylvania, the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, Gov.
> Rendell, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
>
> The American Sporting Dog Alliance believes that black eye was
> intentional, even though that was not the intention of Winfrey and
> Ling. It was the intention of the animal rights groups that used
> Winfrey and Ling to accomplish their camouflaged true agenda.
>
> Another guest on the Oprah show was Wayne Pacelle, who heads the
> Humane Society of the United States. HSUS is not like a local humane
> society, which is set up to help animals. HSUS is a political group
> that is organized to push for an animal rights agenda.
>
> On the Oprah show, Pacelle showed his public relations skills of
> trying to appear moderate and caring. Before he entered the public
> spotlight, however, he showed his true colors in several interviews
> with groups that share the same agenda.
>
> Here is one example from Animal People Magazine: "We have no ethical
> obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced
> through selective breeding ...One generation and out. We have no
> problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations
> of human selective breeding."
>
> Thus speaks this so-called friend of animals. Perhaps he forgot to
> inform Oprah about his real beliefs.
>
> Here is another quote from Pacelle that might surprise Oprah: "I don't
> have a hands-on fondness for animals...To this day I don't feel bonded
> to any non-human animal. I like them and I pet them and I'm kind to
> them, but there's no special bond between me and other animals... In
> fact, I don't want to see another dog or cat born."
>
> Dog lovers have been led to believe that new and tougher laws are
> needed to protect animals. As we demonstrated above, current laws are
> more than adequate to protect dogs, if they are enforced. If the
> problem is enforcement, then fix the enforcement problem. Creating new
> laws will simply create more enforcement problems.
>
> Those new laws are not aimed at puppy mills. They are aimed directly
> at everyone who breeds, owns or works with dogs. The laws are
> deliberately written to confuse and burden all kennel owners, and
> impose irrational, meaningless, time-consuming and often impossible
> demands on them. The penalty provisions are meant to impose
> frightening liabilities that can destroy good people's lives for even
> minor infractions.
>
> I wish I had the opportunity to sit down with Winfrey and Ling over a
> pot of coffee and go over both existing and proposed laws line by line
> with them. I believe I could convince them that they are being misled
> and used to accomplish an animal rights agenda that they would find
> horrifying and in direct opposition to their own love for animals.
>
> The clear goal of animal rights groups is to completely eliminate the
> ownership of animals in America. That goal has been stated clearly by
> their spokespersons thousands of times on the public record. There is
> no doubt about this agenda whatsoever.
>
> The problem is that people who love animals are not being told the
> truth by the animal rights groups. They are being told that the
> proposed new laws will help animals.
>
> What they aren't being told is that the true intention of the proposed
> laws is to drastically reduce the number of animals in America,
> eliminate breeding of dogs by anyone for any purpose, and then to spay
> or neuter all of the survivors.
>
> As Pacelle put it, "one generation and out."
>
> If we were talking about human beings, it would be called genocide.
>
> The American Sporting Dog Alliance works to protect the rights of
> people who own and work with dogs of the breeds commonly used for
> hunting. Our grassroots approach is based on informing hundreds of
> thousands of people about the issues, and then empowering them to take
> direct action as citizens. Please visit us on the web at
> http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org. Your participation and
> membership are vital. We maintain strict independence and are funded
> only by the donations of our members.
>

I thought it was a great show and I think it will be a huge help.

Isabel, re your comment about responsible breeders - if a breeder is truly responsible, his or her dogs will not wind up in shelters. For a breeder to be responsible, he or she MUST take lifetime responsibility for their puppies, including taking them back at any point in their lives.

Good ones keep in touch with people who adopt pups or adults from them. They know where their babies are.

I volunteer for a purebred rescue, and the good breeders really do this. I have had them take back 14 year old dogs. I have had them drive to pick them up in ice storms. Yes, that's not more than rescue does - but it IS responsible.

Their being responsible takes a huge burden off of rescue. With a few exceptions (good breeder dies, or has becomes very ill with cancer or that sort of thing) the dogs I see in my purebred rescue are from pet shops, puppy mills, and irresponsible BYBs. Not from anyone I would remotely consider responsible.

The responsible breeders disapprove of BYBs and puppy businesses too and work to educate adoptors against them. They educate people about rescue and send us potential homes.

If we can get people to go to shelters and rescue FIRST to look for a pet, and get those dogs into good homes, there are enough homes to go around for puppies from the good breeders. I do believe they exist because I have worked with them in rescue for years.

The commercial breeders alone produce many more puppies than the excess population. There are around twice as many commercially bred puppies sold each year (2-4 million, HSUS estimate) than there are unwanted dogs each year (1-2 million, based on HSUS numbers.)

We also need to prevent unplanned and unwanted litters with low cost spay/neuter programs, especially for the poor and elderly.

If we can make people avoid commercial breeders and for-profit backyard breeders - never buy from a pet shop or buy through the Internet without seeing where the pup was raised, and not buy from people just trying to make a buck - the lack of market will put puppy mills and puppy businesses out of business.

There is still room for responsible breeders - but we need to somehow find common ground.

It is SO destructive when we have the humane community and the responsible breeders pitted against each other by commercial animal interests. I think Oprah and Wayne Pacelle were really smart in how they handled it.

The commercial breeders trying to use the responsible breeders to provide a respectable front. The responsible breeders get scared to death by "all breeding is murder" statements. Result? People I KNOW are good people overreact and fight dog laws that have nothing to do with them.

That conflict is really hurting the animals' interests. We need to FOCUS on puppy mills and work together to end them.

Virginia passed a good law that limits the size of commercial breeding kennels to 50, put in place minimum standards and inspections, and specifically targets the commercial breeders.

While it was controversial, it got widespread support, including from many non-commercial breeders. The usual suspects screamed and yelled - loudly - but a surprising number of responsible breeders supported cracking down on puppy mills, despite efforts from commercial interests to get them to fight the bill, because it was made clear to them the bill was not about them.

If that bill had tried to regulate all breeders, it would have failed. It targeted narrowly, and it PASSED. By not picking a fight with people who aren't really the problem, we were able to set a precendent for the whole country.

That law could be a model for all states. If we target the really bad guys, we can work miracles for the dogs.

I love celebrities with power who use this power to make this world a better place.! Thank You Oprah for exposing this cruel practice, hopefully one day animal abusers will be punished more severely!

THANK YOU OPRAH
You've dne more good than you realize. Your show reaches millions and will help the cause of closing down these deplorable cobditions that exist today. Our Lord was just one man who cjanged the world through the gospel of love. We as God's children have to continue his message of love towards all and your show just led us all towards that goal

kyagirl - it's all here on the network, just not in this particular community. Go to the community page and search for words like vegetarian, farm animals, etc. and you'll find lots of communities with people working on these issues.

Thank you Oprah, please continue to banish those breeders!!

BUT....let's hope you stop wearing fur soon!

GREAT SHOW. The only pause I had was the comment about responsible breeders. I agree there are some out there who raise their dogs as family in clean, healthy, socialized conditions. However, the puppies that are sold often end up in shelters becuase they can't be housebroken, families develop allergies, the dog barks to much, got a new partner, had to move, etc etc etc. So these purebreds are put down just as much as the "mutts". Look at all the breed rescues out there. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE SHOW.

this show was very very important and i am so glad and thankful to oprah that it aired. watching it, of course, made me sick but i didnt turn away! my mothers business partner pulled me over the other day and said "did you see the show" and i said "of course." she then said "it really changed me. now i know what you talked about all those times you said you hated pet stores and puppy mills." so i know that someone i personally know was changed and that makes me very happy. i can't wait to help change other peoples minds and lives by sharing the knowledge of the truth. thank you oprah, and of course best friends. and thanks to the main land animal rescue (spelling?) for putting up that billboard!!!

Thank you Oprah! The show was great and I'm excited that such an important issue got the attention of Oprah's huge audience. I hope this will lead to better regulation of puppy mills and pet stores as well as more adoptions from shelters.

I'm also happy to see so many posts from compassionate people here on this website. I'm wondering though...if you all so passionately believe that dogs and cats deserve our respect and compassion, why doesn't this belief cross over to farm animals? Pigs are highly intelligent animals (more so than dogs) and yet they are very cruelly treated everyday and in much greater numbers. They deserve our attention just as much as pets - maybe even more!

Oprah,
Thank you so much for exposing the abusive methods used at puppy mills. I've known from watching your show that you're an animal lover. Hopefully next time that you get a pet, you choose one from an animal shelter instead of a pet shop, if you haven't done so yet.

Keep exposing animal causes through your show.
Sonia
Orlando, FL

Thank you Oprah, what you have shown is a horrible act of cruelty . Please don't let this be the last time you show this.. We need your help to stop this. Our animals are so precious, they give us so much love. Please please air this again and again until it is stopped. I am writing letters to every senator in the US to make them aware of what is going on.
Bobbie Glover
Auburn California

Thank you Oprah for raising awareness of the cruel and shocking puppy mill trade. I am an animal rescuer in Houston where approximately 11,000 animals are killed a month in shelters for a crime they never committed - being born! And this does not take into account the vast number of animals killed on the Houston streets and those who are still wandering the streets lost and confused. I thank you for being such a wonderful, caring individual. I hope you will consider highlighting many other barbaric cruel practices where animals are tortured and suffer unconscionable pain at the hands of Man; the cats and dogs that are skinned alive for their fur in China; the dogs and cats beaten to death for food in Korea and other countries around the world; chained dogs; animals used in research; animals used for entertainment; animals used for food; baby seals clubbed to death and skinned alive for their fur and many more abuses and cruelties that animals endure. It is time for animals to be treated with the respect they deserve!

Gosh..that was hard watching it again.

visit:
http://www.yahoo.com/s/851271

to view an interview ABC had with Lisa Ling about the episode on Oprah

Thank you Oprah!

Thank you very much Oprah for using your voice to help all of our furry friends.

Thank you, Oprah, for bringing to light in a national and public forum the horrors of puppy mills. I wasn't able to watch the show, but I wanted to thank you. I just hope this will not be the end to what you do. I hope you follow up and I hope to see/hear about future shows exposing dog auctions and certain pet stores and their links to puppy mills.

For those of you that are defending the AKC, I have to say that I did the same at one time. Before I did some research. A couple of years ago, the AKC had signed a contract with Petland to allow immediate registration of puppies in the store upon purchase as long as their parents had been AKC registered. All this means is that the parents have to have AKC papers. It doesn't mean you are getting a dog with excellent breeding. The AKC does very little, if anything, to ensure that puppies regiestered with the AKC are not ill, inbred or have genetic problems. This is left to the breeder. When the contract was announced at the AKC Annual Meeting, the breeders were so outraged that the AKC had to pull the contract. By the way, the reason for the contract - the AKC told their breeders was to keep show fees low and to keep other "registries" from "stealing" puppies that should be AKC Registered. I am going to have to do some additional research to find out if this contract has been revived. At the time, I vowed I would never support the AKC again. I am not a breeder. I don't have dogs, but if I did they would come from a rescue.

Just a little more food-for-thought on the AKC. I went to their website this morning to see what breeders are listed for Ohio. Before you can even search for breeders you have to agree to certain policies from the AKC including the following statements:

"AKC is not affiliated with and does not license or endorse any breeders, including those listed on this site. AKC has no control over their business practices and is not liable for any dealings between you and any breeders. AKC does not sell dogs and makes no warranty or guarantee as to the health, quality, parentage or any value of any dogs. The AKC accepts no responsibility for any transaction between seller and buyer. These listings are provided as a service to the public.

The sires and dams listed on this site are registered with AKC, as are the litters. Individual puppies of these AKC-registered litters, therefore, are eligible to be registered with AKC, subject to compliance with existing AKC Rules, Regulations, Policies and the submission of a properly completed registration application and fee. AKC registration does not indicate the health, quality or value of a dog. AKC registration simply identifies the dog as offspring of a known registered sire and dam."

Here's the link so you can read for yourself. They don't even stand behind their breeders:
http://www.akc.org/classified/search/index.cfm

Thank you so much Oprah for doing a great job of educating the public on the HORRORS of puppy mills as well as covering the importance of spay/neuter.

I am a bit surprised but maybe I'm just silly, at the attacks on AKC. While I respect and understand that many people would rather have a NON purebred it does not mean that all breeders in AKC and the institute itself is to blame for puppy mills. I agree that there are many breeders out there that are bad people and I understand that many people blame AKC for registering these dogs. What I see as a bigger issue is the designer breeds that backyard "breeders" are creating just to see what kind of animal they can make ;the snoozle ,the pugle, the labradoodle and so on. When I was young they were called mutts and they were free now they have fancy names anc cost thousands. These dogs that they make have health issues that AKC can't help with. AKC has lots of good programs that help breeders not to produce unhealthy dogs but those people out there making their own breeds are playing with fire and selling pet shops & people unhealthy dogs that either cost you tons to save or break your heart when they have to put down. I am not in support of any person that treats animals poorly but what must not be over looked is it's not all AKC it's the amighty dollar that drives this problem. I support Best Friends, I volunteer at animal shelters, I do own a purbred dog and I did not buy him from a pet shop I know everything about my dogs parents and grandparents and I do repsect the opinions of others but this is a supply and demand issue and an issue of making ALL shelters no kill shelters. By turning your back on AKC you will not solve this issue when you stop buying ANYTHING from pet stores that sell dogs you are doing something. I hope others can understand this is just my opinion and I do not mean to offend others on this post. Thank you

Thank you Oprah People should spend a day in the euthanasia room of their local shelter and then ask themselves, "Can I really justify buying a puppy? Even from a "responsible" breeder?"

Thank you so much! And I am so sorry you lost your beloved Sophie.

NOTHING CAN BE DONE UNTIL THE AKC STOPS SELLING WORTHLESS PAPERS TO ANYONE WHO HAS THE MONEY TO GIVE THEM. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? IT IS A BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE QUALITY OF ANIMALS. THE ADULT PUPPYMILL BREEDERS SUFFER AND SUFFER AND DIE WITHOUT KNOWING ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF A WIRE CRATE. THE CRUELTY AND ABUSE THESE ANIMALS LIVE WITH IS UNBELIEVABLE. IN THE END, WE ALL HAVE TO ANSWER TO OURSELVES FOR OUR DECISIONS IN LIFE. DO YOU THINK THE AKC IS GOING TO GIVE UP THEIR LUCRATIVE BUSINESS -- I DON'T THINK SO. THE CRUELTY AND TORTURE WILL CONTINUE. IF NONE OF THESE PUPPIES HAD THESE WORTHLESS PAPERS MORE PUPPYMILLERS WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS. IN THE END, I I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW PUPPYMILLERS AND PET STORES CAN JUSTIFY WHAT THEY DO OTHER THAN MONEY. THESE ANIMALS ARE BEING BRED TO DIE PERIOD!

Matt (QMD333), I couldn't have said it better myself.

TimRobertson,
I am SO sorry these people murdered your dog. Something must be done. This is unacceptable. I will do whatever it takes to help change these inhumane acts.

Oprah,
Thanks so much for the show. It was an important show and I know it will have an impact.

Dear Oprah,

I missed the first 30 minutes of your show on Friday, but my wife saw it from the start and when I walked in she was in tears. We have been on a conquest since Feb. 1st when my Dog Savanna went missing and was found by Animal Control. She had been with me for 141/2 years and was put into a Gas Chamber, killed and throwed into a county land fill within 3 hours after I found out she was picked up. Savanna was a house dog that did not deserve to die in this way. I wanted to cremate her when her time come and place her with her sister that died 9 years before. i'm fighting the laws in my state since that terrible day and hope to have my day in court for the laws that was broken. Since that day my Wife and I have been involved with trying to change the acts of animal welfare in the country. Your show could not have come at a better time. Alot of people are not aware of what is going on with Dogs and cats. The millons that are killed a year and abused. When I tell my story they break down and cry and become angry. People have to stand up and be the voice for these animals. They talk to us in their way as you know with the Dogs you have had. They are specila creatures that put trust in us. To be summited to conditions like puppy mills is a out range. The Federal Government must act and band this business in this Country. The fight must go on to protect our animal friends and action can only be done with a large group of people. The more people who will get involved and join can make change. Thank you so much for your show. i hope and pray it will wake up alot of people that will get angry and join in this fight to stop this abuse.

Dear Oprah......I watched the show with my son as we are both dog lovers and even at the young age of 7 he understands the importance of respecting animals. The one comment he made during the middle of the show was "what is wrong with people"! Thank You, Thank You! for educating so many people. You did a wonderful job of covering everything from abuse and neglect to spay and neutering.......You have made a print (paw of course) on some many people's lives that won't be forgotten! Maybe some of those people running those mills should be put in one of those boxes with a wheel outside of it to see how much fun and exercise they get out of it! XXXXOOOO

Thank you, Oprah, for doing a show on puppy mills! Keep up the great work.

Dear Oprah,
THANK YOU! Please invite Nathan Winograd to one of your next shows about puppies. Thanks, Pat

Oprah ia a powerful woman, and the tears that she cried for her own dog, and the charming letter she read at the end of the show, along with the video footage of the horrible puppy mills, is going to help shut down puppy mills.

However, there is one thing that must be corrected about the show...something that wasnt discussed:
HSUS head Wayne Pacelle, rightly said that we must spay/neuter our pets, and we must put puppy mills out of business......that this will help to decrease the murdering of animal in "shelters".
True.
But what Mr Pacelle didnt discuss is something that many people in the "animal shelter" business want to avoid: IF EVERY ANIMAL SHELTER BECAME A NO-KILL ANIMAL SHELTER.....THAT IS TO SAY THAT IF EVERY ONE OF THOSE SO CALLED "ANIMAL LOVING" PEOPLE WHO RUN "SHELTERS" MADE IT THEIR SHELTER'S POLICY TO NEVER KILL A HEALTHY ANIMAL AGAIN, WE WOULD ACHIEVE THE NO-KILL GOAL.
THE REASON WHY HEALTHY ANIMALS ARE STILL BEING MURDERED IN "SHELTERS" EVERYDAY ISNT BECAUSE "THERE ARE TOO MANY OF THEM". THAT IS A MYTH.
THE REASON WHY PRECIOUS SOULS ARE BEING MURDERED IN ANIMAL "SHELTERS EVERYDAY IS BECAUSE THE SHELTERS ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE IT IS MORE EXPEDIENT TO KILL SOMEONE, THAN TO GO THROUGH THE HARD WORK OF FINDING THEM HOMES, OR AT THE VERY LEAST FOSTER HOMES.
NO ANIMAL, I REPEAT, NO ANIMAL NEEDS TO BE MURDERED IN A "SHELTER".
That is what we have been force fed for years, but the reality is that NOBODY has to die. It is due to the human animal's arrogance and ignorance that allows shelter owners to just arbitrarily decide to "Kill them....there is nothing else that we can do". If it were a human shelter for the homeless, do you think that that whole "there are too many of them...we have to kill them" B.S. would fly?
NO. It would NOT.
But because of the human animals ignorance, arrogance and grand delusion of "superiority", we throw away lives that we erroneously think arent as valubale asour own.
WE ARE WRONG.
ALL LIVING SOULS ARE EQUAL.
WE ALL DESERVE LIFE, LOVE AND RESPECT.

The killing doesnt HAVE TO occur. Best Friends are No-Kill and they are doing fabulous.

Want to learn the truth about that whole nonsense of murdering precious cats and dogs in "shelters"?

Please go here:

www.nokilladvocacycenter.org

and here:

www.nathanwinograd.com

Or just listen to Best Friends. They say "killing isnt an option". That is why I support Best Friends.

Animal "shelters" however, obviously consider killling an option, which is why the killing occurs....because they LET IT.

We can decide to NOT ALLOW KILLING or we can decide to allow it. We have a choice. The right choice is to NOT ALLOW IT.

The HSUS, PETA, ASPCA have all supported killing in animal shelters.

It is time that we tell them that we wont allow such a disregard of precious life for a moment more.

If they want our donations they are to become no-kill supporters. Nothing else will do.

Thank you Oprah for bringing a crucial change in the world for the animals. This is an excellent start.

Thank you Oprah for bringing a crucial change in the world for the animals. This is an excellent start.

Thank You Oprah!!!

Hopefully the public will start to listen.

Please make sure to send your thanks to Oprah via email or snail mail. Visit Oprah.com and make sure she and her staff know how much we appreciate her bringing this horrible reality to light. Millions watch her every day, which means the eyes and hearts of people across the world have been opened to the wonders of adopting their next family member.
Let Oprah hear our thanks!

ron....dennis....
dang..i have seen some fancy dancing in my time, but I must say, never any as poor and clumbsy as yours was. You said the AKC has 15 inspectors, was it? Is that a WHOLE 15? And you say you inspected 5,600 in a year? lol Was that for the entire US? Wow, don't strain yourselves, now. I'm real glad to see you "suspend," as you put it, people who don't live up to your standards. Yea, I've noticed a slap on the wrist does alot to pursuade folks from stopping negative behavior. But than again, you don't really want to do anything about them because that would be like removing that BMW right out of your hands, wouldn't it? The AKC is a mult million dollar a year organization...or is it mult billion? Isn't it a fact all that really matters to the AKC is the money? You say your "constantly raising the bar." Well, here's an idea, raise it to the sky right now, not little by little, inch by inch. It may even look good for the AKC's image, anyhow, since now your tactics and what you really stand for and are willing to overlook are coming into the light more. If you spent have the effort you just did at defending your organizations actions, and more time fighting neglect and cruelty, you may not need to defend anything. You may even find out that you did a good thing for the furry ones that feed your mouths.

Hearbreaking but it needed to be exposed.
Excellent show. Thanks Oprah.
Please encourage all the people you can to donate a few hours volunteering at a shelter - it saves on expenses that can be put to life saving programs.

Thanks Oprah for the light you have shined on this matter. I knew about puppy mills but just not to the extent of what was shown. I cried through the whole show and are in complete disbelief on how very badly these dogs are treated and how many dogs are put down on a daily basis. This is a horrific matter and hopefully now that the facts are out there we can all do something about it. What I really want to know about this is; how come the government has not stepped in and done something to shut these places down or at the very least passed laws on regulating how they are run.
If we don't do something to push the government to act on this matter I don't see how it can change. I hope you will do a follow-up show on this matter.

Thank you,
Haunted and can't stop crying

I am ashamed to admit that I missed the show. What can we do to get this to air at night!!!
Us mommy and daddy’s of little fur babies would love to reach even more millions by showing this at night.

All my rescues are so grateful to Oprah!!!

I was at the vet yesterday and two men in line were talking about the Oprah puppy mill story. I'm glad people are talking about this. Now we need to start doing something because the AKC and these breeders are saying to themselves the American public has a very short attention span and all they have to do is sit back and wait for people to forget about this again. This is a golden opportunity and we need to continue to build on this momentum until we chase every one of these mills out of town.

Bless you, bless you, bless you! I'm sure your heart, as the hearts of millions of others broke into many tiny pieces as you investigated this issue and produced this program. Please, please keep hitting this issue hard. Shut them down! Shut all of them down!

Thanks for doing this show. Maybe this will finally light a fire under our legislaters here in WI. But you (and everyone else so far) have missed one very important point: Dogs are not the only victems. There are kitten mills out there too, and they need help just as much as the puppies.

Thank you Oprah!!!! I just watched the show. Great job on covering all the issues . Could of lived without the AKC message. "We in the rescue community know about that organization. "Please do follow up stories and keep the nation informed.

Thank you Oprah for exposing the cruelty, neglect and abuse of the puppy mills! If we all do a little bit every day to educate the public on this issue we can shut them down once and for all! Shame on the greedy,heartless owners of these factories out to make a buck!

Dear Americans,

I thought that we are most cruel people on earth to neglect & torture stray dogs in India. But I find that greed of money can drive the civilised society to trade with the lives of hapless puppies too. May be someday we will find dog meat also being sold as that is being done at China. Although we Indians are regarded as semi-civilised yet we do not trade with dogs and puppies or eat dog meat. Kudos to Opra or her exposure. R . K . ROY. Secunderabad, INDIA.

Thank you Oprah and I hope you keep spreading the word.

Oprah - your support means increased awareness which will translate into saving the lives and alleviating suffering of countless innocent dogs. Please stay on the case with this one!! Thank you.

Without your powerful commitment to right wrongs and expose evils, so many people would be remain completely ignorant about the horrors of puppy-mills - and so few people would know how to join the fight to end them!! Many thanks - keep updating the public, please!

yay, oprah! thank you!

Oprah, you are an example of how one person can change the world...please continue to bring to light the horrors of the puppy mills and educate people as only you can on how to be good stewards of the creations that God has given us. Dogs are a creation of God! Jan & Buster

I loved almost the whole Oprah show today with one exception...the statement from the AKC.

The AKC should be completely ashamed of themselves. They are in bed with puppy millers and have been for years. They enrich their organization from the blood and suffering of the dogs that are pumped out of this industry. For them to try and suggest that they care about the welfare of these dogs is laughable.

Oprah, My name is Ivette Cordero from Miami,Fl.
I am a college student and was currently involved in a classroom debate over having a "no kill" policy for all of U.S. You have enlightened so many Americans! I CRIED SO HARD when I saw your show. From begining to end. I did the "UGLY CRY" Well, God Bless You with happiness, health, and lots of love. I love you for who you are and what you do for others.

THANK YOU OPRAH!

I am the Founder and Editor of a local dog publication in Los Angeles called, Dog's Life: Be Your Dogs Best Friend.
In the current issue the cover story is about puppy mills. I am one of many media outlets, small and large, that have been trying to bring this issue to light in our own ways with hopes that just a few people learn something from it.
I am SO thankful that you did this show and have now exposed these atrocities to the masses.
I sat, watched and cried even though I've seen this type of footage and worse before, it is never easy to watch.
I truly believe that you have brought a level of awareness to the issue that all of the animal welfare community combined could never do.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of dogs,

Yvonne B. Mejia
Founder/Editor
Dog's Life Magazine
www.dogslifemagazine.com

Thank you Oprah for the priceless gift you have given to the animals through educating your audience about this important topic.

Thank God somebody with a lot of influence shed light on this horrific business!
Years ago, at least here in Colorado we had politicians who would help you when you called or wrote to them. I have within the past year personally written letters to all the politicians we have in office now and have not gotten ONE response back! All I did was give them the facts about "Commercial Breeding". I wish I had the money to put up a billboard about puppymills because we still need to reach people that didn't watch Oprah's show. I hope a record number of people watched her show today. Let's not give up the good fight! Susan Pew

Please visit "Milldogrescue.org", they are in Colorado Springs and have a lot of different breeds available for adoption!

What a huge gift you have given the animals by using your influence to expose the puppy mill trade! May I ask that you initiate a regular segment in your show featuring various animal welfare groups such as dogsdeservebetter.org that is working tirelessly to free chained and penned dogs nationawide? You have such great power to do good! Thank you again!

Thank you Oprah, but it's about time. This plague has been an issue for many years. At least for me it has been, and now, it's way out of control.

Gisele Veilleux

Thanks Oprah for bringing this horrible issue to the attention of your viewers. Hopefully, this will educate others on the abuses of these puppy mills. I would like to see a follow up to this if possible.

thank you Oprah, I have been so tempted to buy a puppy from the pet store, since they are already there, Thanks for opening my eyes and hopefully millions of others. You have done a wonderful thing, as always.

Way to go Oprah! When you speak, people listen. Thank you for your informative show on the puppy mill process and outcomes. I sincerely hope that enough people saw the abuse and neglect involved in this "ïndustry" to reduce or eliminate pet store puppy sales and shelter overcrowding!

Congratulations and thank you for an incredibly touching show. Hopefully everyone watching will take this message to heart. We currently have 3 cats and 1 dog.....all adoptions and all quite wonderful. Thank you again.

it was a long time coming, Oprah but you finally opened your eyes to the suffering of millions of animals in this great country of ours. As a subscriber to your magazine I often wondered, when I saw you featured with your beloved cocker spaniels, if you were aware what was happening to shelter and puppy mill animals, I could not comprehend how someone so sensitive and powerful as you would not do a show on the miserable lives of these wonderful animals. And here it is. The tone of the program was right on - no sensationalization, just the bare horrible, cruel and inhumane facts. You have now become a hero to me too Oprah. And I do thank you for that. Please mention these atrocities in your magazine as well ....many thanks, Nadine and Ceres (resuced lab from North Central Shelter, Los Angeles) and the love of my life

Dear belle,

Thank you for bringing up the AKC. While we realize there are many people who are passionate about their dogs and are responsible with them, we also are aware of the AKC's involvement with the puppy mill industry.

At a recent dog auction in Missouri, we observed an AKC inspector (whose presence was announced by the auctioneers) hand out discount AKC registration coupons to breeders. Over two days, 600 dogs were sold from one puppy mill to the next, and she was there to make sure everyone had their AKC registration in order. To read about that auction, CLICK HERE.

We ask you, Dennis Sprung and Ronald H. Menaker, why is the AKC courting breeders who buy and sell dogs at auction--just like livestock?

Please respond; we'd like to know.

Kelli Ohrtman
Best Friends Animal Society

Thank you, thank you Oprah. You have made a difference in many dogs' lives. I am so grateful. Pattie and the "Cocker Crew"

Thank you sooo much from all the pet lovers! I had to force myself to watch your show, I cried many times and I am very aware of the horrors of puppy mills as I volunteer in my community with a rescue group but one never gets used to the conditions and sadness of what takes place at those awful puppy mills. How can the law be changed? I pray that in my lifetime, these will all be outlawed and no one will ever have to do shows like yours today. Keep up the awareness, we have to put pressure on the USDA to change the laws! Also, the more the public becomes aware of the consequences of buying from pet stores and commercial breeders, the less dogs will have to be euthanized in shelters! You have so much influence, please continue to follow up on this topic.

Thank you so very much. Your efforts will impact literally thousands of lives.

Dear Oprah - Once again you've spoken up for the voiceless. Thank you so much for shining that bright light of yours into another dark corner. I know your show on puppy mills will make a difference, and all of us two-legged and four-legged critters thank you a million! Mary Raynard, Santa Fe, NM

Thank You Oprah!!! Please don't forget that this is not only puppies but kitties too. We all need to work together and help this poor babies. It was a very hard show to watch but it needed to be brought out in the open. Great job and please do more shows on animals. Londa

I won't even be able to watch the show as it will be too much for me to handle. I am a firm believer in animal rescue and adoption and always get my pets from shelters or even the streets. I give money to my local animal shelter by payroll deductions, it's easy ask your human resources department. We all can do something for the innocent animals that only want to love us.

My puppy, Riley, says rank roo.

Dear Dear Oprah,
What a heartbreaking show. I cried as I watched the euthanization of healthy, happy animals. This was humane euthanization. Many shelters still use a gas chamber. I am so glad you didn't show that.
The howling of dying dogs is something you can't ever forget. I have been in cocker rescue for many years now and have learned more than I have ever wanted to know about shelters. God Bless you for addressing the puppy mills. And dear God please help us save as many as possible.

I would first like to compliment the posting from "patrol sgt". It was so eloquently written.

Many, many thanks, Oprah, for producing the program on puppy mills in this country. You, of course, have educated millions of people today.

I believe, though, that countless thanks also need to go to MLAR, the puppy mill rescue group in Pa. who had the gumption to place that billboard where Oprah and her staff could see it. They were truly the ones that were finally able to open Oprah's eyes.

I watched the show and I vow to find out what we can do in Texas to shut 'em down; especially if we're currently doing nothing.

From Puppy Mills to Dog Fighting I thank you for exposing such shameful disregard!

Ms. Oprah Winfrey
> > The Oprah Winfrey Show
> > 110 N. Carpenter Street
> > Chicago, IL 60607
> >
> > Dear Ms. Winfrey:
> >
> > Thank you for your informative show today. We are very pleased that
> > a
> > renowned dog lover such as you has taken on the issue of unregulated dog
> > breeders - an issue we work towards addressing on a daily basis.
> >
> > The American Kennel Club has always been a strong proponent of
> > responsible
> > breeding, which entails giving careful consideration to health issues,
> > temperament and genetic screening, as well as to the individual care and
> > placement of puppies in responsible homes. AKC supports and promotes these
> > and other responsible breeding practices through numerous educational
> > programs.
> >
> > In addition to raising awareness, we have long invested significant
> > resources to directly address the issue of canine welfare. In 2007, our
> > team of 15 inspectors visited over 5,600 kennels throughout the country.
> > AKC spends over $6 million each year to inspect our customers, thereby
> > ensuring the integrity of our registry and the proper care and conditions
> > for dogs registered with us. In fact, of over 35 U.S. "registries" we are
> > the only one to conduct inspections, as well as being the only
> > not-for-profit all-breed registry in the nation. AKC is continually
> > raising the bar. When our inspectors find kennels that do not meet our
> > progressive standards, they educate those breeders. Those not willing to
> > come into compliance are suspended of their AKC registration privileges
> > and proper authorities are alerted in cases of neglect.
> >
> > Unfortunately, there are many breeders who choose NOT to register
> > with us
> > specifically because of our high standards, and once they are no longer
> > being inspected by the AKC, there is often very little oversight from
> > state or federal entities. AKC supports scrupulous enforcement of the
> > federal Animal Welfare Act, and state and local regulations governing the
> > humane care of animals. We also voice support for more resources to be
> > allotted to the USDA and other enforcement agencies to ensure that current
> > regulations are met.
> >
> > AKC's 5,000 affiliated clubs nationwide are comprised of people who
> > dedicate their lives - emotionally and financially - to improving their
> > breeds and to providing healthy, happy pets. We would like to work with
> > you to further educate the American public about how to identify a
> > responsible breeder and hope you will call on us when addressing this
> > topic in the future.
> >
> > Again, thank you for raising awareness of this important issue. Your
> > support is invaluable to all dogs and their devoted owners.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Ronald H. Menaker Dennis B. Sprung
> > Chairman of the Board President and CEO
> >
> >
> >
>

Oh Oprah! What a WONDERFUL job!!!! I really and truely hope that this is just the begining of your help and support. There are so many out there who have been fighting for laws to regulate these places. If ANYONE can do it, it will be you! Thanks so much for the help! Thanks from me, my two rescues and the millions of others out there!

Oprah, Thank you for your program on puppy mills. Please follow up.

I dont watch the Oprah show normaly, but i did today. I hope more and more people who are in the position to reach out to the public, as Oprah is, will become more aggressive in speaking out about cruelty and neglect towards animals. I hope also that everyday people, like you and I, will all do our part, whatever that maybe, to stop the needless suffering of all animals. There is no excuse for it to still be going on to this day. We have thousands, millions of animals rotting away in humane shelters all across the world that need good loving homes. Visit one today. If you can't adopt, donate, even if it's a dollar bottle of bleach or a bag of dog food. Donations are what keep them running. And boycott breeders. A homeless dog can lick your face and cover your clothes in dog hair the same as a purebred can. And while doing so, you can help put an end, once and for all, to puppy mills across the world. Don't close your eyes and ears to it anymore. Laws need to be harsher on those who commit crimes against an animal, and also they need to be upheld in our courts! Write your lawmakers today, ask them to put the laws on the books and make sure they are enforced. Thank you Oprah for bringing this matter to peoples attention. It needs to be brought out more so people can not claim ignorance. Be kind to animals, it is returned to you...and than some!

Thank you Oprah for program on puppy mills. The horrendous secret of America. Hopefully this will encourage people to not buy at pet stores but adopt a dog from a rescue thus saving many lives.

Dogs-4Life.com says Thank you Oprah and God Bless You !

The AKC has a dirty little secret - Many puppy mills are AKC registered and on their website. No doubt the cause of the preemptive message on the Oprah show.

I really need to take exception to the post that lumps BYB'ers/PM's and hobby breeders together.This is so far from reality that,as a hobby breeder,it concerns me.Yes,BYB'ers and PM's have a ton in common: breeding all the time,no testing,no concern about breeding inferior or sick dogs,no contracts and no new home reviews.ALL responsible hobby breeders test,eliminate inferior dogs from their gene pool,interview prospective new homes for our puppies,require contracts and we go one step further.We REQUIRE that any & all of our puppies/dogs that can not be cared for by the owner,be returned to us.AT ANY TIME & WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED.The next time anyone is in the market for a pet,consider the follwoing:1) pet rescue;2) specialty breed rescues ( most breed clubs have them across the USA and 3) buy from a reputable breeder ONLY.
How? Go to dog shows in your area and talk to exhibitors.If they don't have anything available,ask for referrals.Go to the AKC website for links to your lpcal breed clubs and contact them for referrals.Also,talk to your vet,they could have some information that you can use.
Prepare to be a FOREVER home to your pet,know how to give your pet a happy,loving home.Remember these are all sensient beings who deserve the best that you can possibly provide.

Thank you Oprah for taking a stand against these deploreable conditions, abuse and neglect. Not only are you helping those who are unable to speak for themselves (the furry kids) but the under-educated and unknowing humans whose puppy mill kids exerience heartbreaking and very costly health and behavior issues. You have a strong and compassionate voice that is respected and heard by millions. This is just the kind of support support we need to put an end the to inhumanity we inflict on these helpless souls.

Puppy millers are the worst....but the backyard and "hobby breeders" aren't much better. I adopted my toy poodle from our Humane society several years ago. He had been "owner surrendered" by a family that "bred" poodles and had family problems and could no longer keep the dogs. All 13 of these poor poodles were just in horrific conditions. They lived in plastic cat carriers 24/7. They were all SEVERELY matted with eye and ear infections. The vet at the Humane Society had to pull the last of my poodles 6 teeth, and repair a dental fistula that was open to his sinus cavity from severe periodontal disease. My poodle had never had his feet on grass. The first time he "played" I cried.

God bless you Oprah. Your voice will speak for many of us and for all animals. Now it will be up to everyone of us to continue to keep this awareness as strong as it will be after your show. There are many things to do in our communities. Lets do it.

Oprah,
No one really knows the extent of this abuse. Thank you for helping those that can not help themselves. These animals need you to expose their miserable lives. Thank you for making a difference. God bless you.

thank you oprah.I can only give you kuddos for how you are changing the world,one topic at a time!you sure impacted my world.thank you for changing my life and these animals lives...thank you thank you thank you from my rescues.jone

GOD BLESS YOU Oprah!!!!! This is a topic that needs to be brought out in the open. Oprah has thousands and thousands of people watching er ecery day. May this be the end of puppy mills, everyone needs to help!

GOD BLESS YOU Oprah!!!!! This is a topic that needs to be brought out in the open. Oprah has thousands and thousands of people watching er ecery day. May this be the end of puppy mills, everyone needs to help!

Oprah - Dogs like my two adopted puppy mill rescued Pomeranians thank you. My first puppy mill rescue dog, Bruce, loves everyone he meets and is my therapy partner. We visit the Ronald McDonald house to give children with serious illnesses and their families an hour with a soft, fluffy dog. My second rescue, Joya, cannot stand to have a stranger look directly at her. I figure in the 6 years she was in the mill, she gave birth to 33 puppies. When she was spayed, she had 25 teeth pulled because of neglect.

I am so happy to see that Oprah has taken a stand about puppy mills . Way to go Oprah..

If the show does have two topics this does not have to be a bad thing. Autism is an important issue and this can bring more viewers to the show who will also watch the puppy mill story. When people see the horrors of what these animals have to go through it will stick in their minds. We just have to keep riding this wave of media attention and not let it die.

Maybe this will be the beginning of more talk show hosts speaking out against puppy mills and the AKC. Compassionate people end up paying for the huge medical bills for these poor puppies and dogs. Thank you Oprah for speaking out. Hopefully, it will save millions of dogs.

Posted again on craigslist, it is easy and free. Great idea, Kelli!

I hope this national exposure will shut down puppy mills forever. If pet stores were not allowed to sell puppies then there would not be a market for these puppy mills. There needs to be a law enacted to stop the sale of puppies in stores.

ohh good!!!
Yes, I hope the whole show is about Puppy Mills too!

I'm not so sure that's right about the whole show not being about puppy mills. The show with Jenny McCarthy is a repeat. I think that's what they were going to show originally. Instead they're showing this show about the puppy mills. I really hope this is the case.

I just found out the whole show won't be about puppy mills....part of the show Oprah talks to Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete about being mom to a kid with autism.

Boy, I hear you, rescuerCalifornia! I don't often see the show but the magazine covers with all her purebred dogs over the years (and hearing about show topics like "how to find a breeder" based on her experience in buying her pack of Golden puppies) have long galled me. Lisa Ling must have done a very good job to have opened her eyes so completely! This will be one episode I WON'T miss.

I'm appalled to hear about the mink coat gifts! One step at a time . . .

I've been waiting years to hear these words from Oprah. Now, would somebody please put up a billboard about the fur industry? I don't want to read about Oprah giving any more mink coats as gifts to her friends. Lisa Ling who does the story on puppy mills will no doubt bring this industry to the forefront so everyone can see the true horrors these animals go through for greed.

I am particularly happy about this quote from Oprah:

"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," she says.

I hope the AKC Puppy MIll connection will get discussed.

The AKC now makes most of its income from Puppy Mill registrations.

AKC registered puppies come from places like this http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/PupMillNewsStory3.htm

(their inspection program is useless. a farce.)

AKC has a business deal with Hunte Corporation, the big puppy mill broker in Missouri, and Petland pet stores. They sell microchips to the puppy mills too.

This puppy mill money is what pays for all the AKC expenses like dog shows, and marketing purebreds as superior and desirable and valuable, and lobbying against regulation, salaries, perks, everything.

The AKC gets AKC breeders to lobby with the puppy mill and puppy mill industry groups against controls like licensing, humane laws, inspections. Anything that might cut down on profits and registrations.

AKC breeders that claim they are reputable are lobbying right with puppy mill breeders and professional lobbyists to oppose regulation.

The AKC is in the puppy mill business.

i just saw the preview, it already has me in tears!!

also, check out this short article;

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080402/ap_en_tv/people_winfrey

I just posted on craigslist too--took about four minutes... if everyone posts in their communities, we can really make a difference

Okay, let's get the word out! I'm off to Craig's list right now. Oprah loves her dogs, so I'm sure it will be a powerful show. We're turning the tide...can we end this misery in our lifetimes?

Great News, Kelli O.! I posted and emailed Oprah and Lisa a Big Thank You. Sent out email to everyone that might be interested, etc. Goal now is to get the public to watch, Listen and give each individual some small way to help; even if it is just that they do not buy from pet shops again! How long can we keep up the general public interest on this subject after the Oprah Show is a memory?

This is great news! When Oprah speaks, people listen. Once this airs, maybe some of these news magazine shows will jump on the bandwagon.

Wonderful!!! This is the best news I've heard in a long LONG time!!!
The exposure that an entire Oprah show will bring will help to blow the lid off this stinking cesspool of a 'buisness' and maybe *please God!* help to save thousands and thousands of lives!

I will be sending an email out to a lot of my friends and family on Wed. asking them to please watch or tape Oprah.
A lot of people really dont know what a Puppy Mill is. Just last week I was talking about it and 2 girls at work asked me what it was..when I explained it to them they were shocked. So..I think a lot of people watching this show will also be shocked.

Thank you MLAR and Oprah! This has GOT to open people's eyes and hearts to what is going on.

I know a lot of people respect Oprah so I do hope this is presented in a light which really gets the attention of the general public. So many people just don't know and when they find out they often say, "how is this legal?" I want people to be outraged not only at the commercial breeding industry but also at the fact that it leads to the death of millions of animals in shelters every year.

We treat dogs like paper plates and we should be ashamed.

This is HUGE. Thanks to all involved in making this happen!

YEA!!!!
Thank you MLAR.