Oprah Exposes Massive Pet Overpopulation and Puppy Mills--Invigorates Supporters of California Healthy Pets Act, AB 1634

I cried watching Oprah, not because of the horrible suffering, but because of her stand on the issue. Fifty years of my life has been dedicated to ending unnecessary suffering for our dogs and cats and this is the best thing to have happened in all those years. Attention is long overdue to the role of puppy mills and breeding in general in the pet overpopulation problem. It is difficult to understand why breeders will allow their pet quality dogs to be sold unaltered knowing full well that the dog will be bred to "recoup" what they paid for it. Thus it becomes the fodder that feeds the demon of pet overpopulation. Considering that at least a third of the dogs in our shelters are purebreds, why won't they admit their roles in all of it? It comes down to money. Common sense can tell anyone that you do not do things that cause you to lose money yet the breeding community continues to insist that they do lose money breeding. I have personally seen puppy mills and have been involved with fostering dogs from these mills. It is heartbreaking to say the least. These dogs are scared to walk on the grass or floors. They had severe problems with being housebroken, a reason why so many bought and paid for purebreds end up in the shelters. To refer to common sense again, why are we still buying dogs when we are killing them at alarming rates in our shelters? My motto is don't bred or buy while shelter pets die. I do hope the country will take heed of Oprah's sincere program and follow her lead. It may make a big difference and I pray it will.

Thank God for Oprah and for the people fighting for our dogs and cats. These gross breeders have come out of the woodwork in California to fight all the new spay and neuter laws. I have been to the capitol and seen them in action, they try all sorts of lies about AB 1634. What no one realizes is that breeders in California already have to pay taxes if they sell animals and already have to have a seller's permit. I have been rescuing dogs for 15 years around SF and have had many unpleasant exchanges with breeders. There are a few good ones but by and large, they just want to make puppies, sell them, don't tell anyone about it and pretend that it's a hobby.
I am so grateful that society is finally waking up to all the dogs and cats we destroy for no reason. AB 1634 will save so many animals, I cannot wait for it to pass. The few responsible breeders out there will not have a problem sharing responsibility for the overpopulation problem... the backyard breeders who don't pay taxes are already breaking the law so they'll just break the new law as well. I am a hug new Oprah fan now. Thank you Oprah for helping the US wake up and thank you to everyone fighting for AB 1634!!!

This was the most comprehensive, honest, and straight forward report I have ever seen on puppy mills its connection pet overpopulation and euthanasia. Huge kudos to Oprah for being brave enough to tell it like it is. I hope this leads to the sea change that is needed to save millions of dogs and cats from suffering in either puppy mill or shelters.

As a veterinary student and a future shelter veterinarian I am very excited that Oprah has taken the initiative to discuss crucial animal related topics such as this. Living in Southern California, I see stray dogs and cats (usually unaltered) roaming the streets on a daily basis & going into the local shelters breaks my heart. They are overcrowded and are forced to kill healthy animal after healthy animal because they do not have the space or the resources to house them all. The crisis of pet overpopulation rests on all of our shoulders and we all need to take responsibility to end the needless killing of millions of dogs and cats each year. We created this problem - we need to solve it, humanely. Spaying and neutering, as well as adopting your animals from your local shelter or rescue group are the best ways you can help end overpopulation. As someone who works with animals on a daily basis, and as someone who has personally rescued numerous dogs and cats off the streets and from the shelters, I strongly urge you to support shows that broadcast the truth and I strongly urge you to support laws (such as AB 1634) which have the animals' best interest in mind. I encourage you to educate others. I encourage you to learn the truth for yourself. I encourage you to visit an animal shelter. Look into all those dogs and cats eyes. They need our help. They cannot speak for themselves. But we have the power to speak for them. We can each help make a difference. I ask you to please help make a difference, for the animals sake.

Good for Oprah! There is no such as a responsible breeder -- 3 to 4 million animals are euthanized in shelters around the U.S. every year. No one should breed more animals when so many are already dying for homes. The conditions at the puppy mills shown on her show are representative of conditions at most typical puppy mills and breeding kennels. When people buy animals from pet stores and breeders, they not only contribute to the suffering of dogs in puppy mills, they doom homeless animals in shelters to death.

Words cannot explain how grateful I am that Oprah was willing to stand up and expose the truth on puppy mills. Maybe, people will no longer turn a blind eye to the problem of pet overpopulation and think twice before picking up a puppy from a pet store. Being a vet student, I can't tell you how heartbreaking it is to see so many dogs and cats that are just desperate to be loved, to see you smile, who want nothing more than to lick your face, that have to be killed just because they were not the lucky one to get a home that day. True responsible breeders want to help ALL dogs, care deeply about their breed and only want good genetics in their breeding pool. They are not high volume breeding operations that treat dogs like machines and force them to live in filth just to make a profit. If you truly love dogs and cats you can help thousands of them in an instant by supporting the Healthy Pets Act(AB1634). It is a fantastic bill that will help curb irresponsible breeders and negligent owners who let their intact dogs roam the streets. Take the time to visit your local shelters and talk to the workers whose shoulders sit heavy with the responsibility of having to see the life disappear from all these animals happy faces. Talk to your shelter veterinarian who has one of the toughest jobs you could ever imagine. See for yourself what the "bad" breeders don't want you to see--that pet overpopulation is a real, sad, and serious problem with thousands of purebreeds ending up in shelters and being euthanized every month. If we all work together we can reverse these horrible conditions so that maybe one day the numbers of animals being adopted will outweigh the animals being needlessly euthanized in shelters across the country. So please do what you can to help this important effort: adopt from a shelter, spay and neuter your pets, foster a shelter animal, educate your friends and family, and tell your local legislature to support AB 1634.

Words cannot explain how grateful I am that Oprah was willing to stand up and expose the truth on puppy mills. Maybe, people will no longer turn a blind eye to the problem of pet overpopulation and think twice before picking up a puppy from a pet store. Being a vet student, I can't tell you how heartbreaking it is to see so many dogs and cats that are just desperate to be loved, to see you smile, who want nothing more than to lick your face, that have to be killed just because they were not the lucky one to get a home that day. True responsible breeders want to help ALL dogs, care deeply about their breed and only want good genetics in their breeding pool. They are not high volume breeding operations that treat dogs like machines and force them to live in filth just to make a profit. If you truly love dogs and cats you can help thousands of them in an instant by supporting the Healthy Pets Act(AB1634). It is a fantastic bill that will help curb irresponsible breeders and negligent owners who let their intact dogs roam the streets. Take the time to visit your local shelters and talk to the workers whose shoulders sit heavy with the responsibility of having to see the life disappear from all these animals happy faces. Talk to your shelter veterinarian who has one of the toughest jobs you could ever imagine. See for yourself what the "bad" breeders don't want you to see--that pet overpopulation is a real, sad, and serious problem with thousands of purebreeds ending up in shelters and being euthanized every month. If we all work together we can reverse these horrible conditions so that maybe one day the numbers of animals being adopted will outweigh the animals being needlessly euthanized in shelters across the country. So please do what you can to help this important effort: adopt from a shelter, spay and neuter your pets, foster a shelter animal, educate your friends and family, and tell your local legislature to support AB 1634.

i wish Oprah went deeper in to the puppy mills both in the us and other counties. If the USA would stop giving USDA permits to puppy mills and foreign brokers you would not be seeing pets in stores for sale.

You should contact AKC or your local all breed club for a referral for a purebreed dog. If you want a mixed breed or shelter dog go to your local shelter.

If the USDA would stop importers and puppy mills. You dont see many pure breed dogs in rescue, that is because breeders of the purebreed dogs rescue our own. IF the shelters would turn the dogs over to purebreed rescue clubs instead of making money by putting them up for auction. Which is no better then a pet auction just done for a shelter vs screening and finding a good home for a purebreed through the breed rescue.

the purebreed dogs you see in shelters are not from show breeders or responsible breeders but back yard breeders, importers and petstores.

Get your facts correct about what dogs/cats are in rescue vs attacking every breeder.

i wish Oprah went deeper in to the puppy mills both in the us and other counties. If the USA would stop giving USDA permits to puppy mills and foreign brokers you would not be seeing pets in stores for sale.

You should contact AKC or your local all breed club for a referral for a purebreed dog. If you want a mixed breed or shelter dog go to your local shelter.

If the USDA would stop importers and puppy mills. You dont see many pure breed dogs in rescue, that is because breeders of the purebreed dogs rescue our own. IF the shelters would turn the dogs over to purebreed rescue clubs instead of making money by putting them up for auction. Which is no better then a pet auction just done for a shelter vs screening and finding a good home for a purebreed through the breed rescue.

the purebreed dogs you see in shelters are not from show breeders or responsible breeders but back yard breeders, importers and petstores.

Get your facts correct about what dogs/cats are in rescue vs attacking every breeder.

i wish Oprah went deeper in to the puppy mills both in the us and other counties. If the USA would stop giving USDA permits to puppy mills and foreign brokers you would not be seeing pets in stores for sale.

You should contact AKC or your local all breed club for a referral for a purebreed dog. If you want a mixed breed or shelter dog go to your local shelter.

If the USDA would stop importers and puppy mills. You dont see many pure breed dogs in rescue, that is because breeders of the purebreed dogs rescue our own. IF the shelters would turn the dogs over to purebreed rescue clubs instead of making money by putting them up for auction. Which is no better then a pet auction just done for a shelter vs screening and finding a good home for a purebreed through the breed rescue.

the purebreed dogs you see in shelters are not from show breeders or responsible breeders but back yard breeders, importers and petstores.

Get your facts correct about what dogs/cats are in rescue vs attacking every breeder.

The reason why so many dogs have to be put down is because America isn't spaying and neutering their pets." - Oprah Winfrey

LOL.. now Oprah is being quoted abut spaying and castrating.. as if she were an expert.. well here is what the real experts say:
As a result of rescue and shelter sterilization policies, education about the practical aspects of the surgery, and an aggressive campaign by responsible breeders, veterinarians, and welfare groups, about 75 percent of dogs have been spayed or castrated(1) and canine populations in shelters have dropped. However, this decrease is not enough for radical groups that oppose all pet breeding. Some of these groups insist that responsible owners do not keep intact dogs, and they blame breeders for the number of dogs in shelters(2). Not content to depend on education campaigns to convince the remaining 25 percent of owners to capitulate, they promote severely restrictive laws that require spay and neuter of all dogs unless owners buy permission to keep their animals intact and pay yet again to produce a litter.
(1)1) 2007-08 pet ownership survey of the American Association of Pet Product Manufacturers
We also do not have any data on how many animals entering the shleter system are ALREADY spayed/castrated. Most animals killed in shELTERS are "pit bulls' ( media hype keeps some OF THESE very good dogs from ever finding a home ) and feral cats ( almost all ferals and their kittens are killed the day they arrive at the shelter)
Breeders are not the "problem"..

You speak so eloquently, but you fail to mention that this bill you vaunt so highly would help the very breeders you claim to despise, the commercial breeders who supply pet stores. The people damaged are the hobby breeders who raise their puppies and kittens in their homes and treat them as part of the family. The hobby breeders who screen prospective pet purchasers in an effort to make sure that their puppies and kittens go to safe and loving homes. The hobby breeders who take their little ones back if tragedy or disaster should strike and the purchasers can't keep their pets. The hobby breeders who support their breed rescues so that the puppies and kittens born at mills have a chance at a good life once they are abandoned because they weren't properly socialized or they were not healthy. It never ceases to amaze me that people like Ms. Mancuso can't seem to make the connection. Makes me wonder if she wants people to have the opportunity to have the pets that they want to own.

AB 1634 EXEMPTS PUPPY MILLS FROM THE LEGISLATION.

I show Bulldogs, work with Bulldog rescue AND Pit Bull rescue. AB 1634 targets ME! The COMMERCIAL USDA BREEDER (PUPPY MILL) is EXEMPT from all of the provisions of this bill. Wake up people to the real motivation behind this BAD legislation...eliminating the right to own a pet, eliminating the right to buy a healthy, well bred dog with a sound temperment, eliminating the right to show and breed responsibly the breed of your choice and making the ONLY source of puppies from the PUPPY MILLS in the US and the imported puppies from the PUPPY MILLS overseas.

This is BAD legislation hiding behind good intentions. If I stop showing and breeding my 1 litter every 2 to 3 years, where do you think your next pet is going to come from in 8 years???

ALL of my puppies sold as pets are on Limited Registration and spayed/neutered. My sales contract REQUIRES the puppy/dog be returned to me if the owner can no longer keep the animal FOR ANY REASON. I know where every puppy I have bred is and how he/she is doing for its whole life.

I AM A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER.

AB 1634 makes me a criminal.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions (and hidden agendas). Think before you jump on this bandwagon.

AB1634 will do nothing to stop puppy mills! Stop the rumor madness that responsible breeders are the problem! At least Oprah made that point, repeatedly. A sweeping law that exempts puppy mills but penalizes responsible breeders is insane!

I show and have bred bulldogs but, seeing how many peolpe are breeding bulldogs because of the high price they sell for, I have retired. I am disgusted with the total exploitation of backyard breeders and the so called responsible breeders and the show dog breeders. These people breed for the money and nothing else with the only difference being that the show dog breeders hide behing the fact that they show their dogs. I see dogs show as a way to market their puppy bsiness. If your dogs do well in the show ring your will have more of a demand for puppies. Many claim they breed every now when in fact, they are putting out 2,3,4 litters a year. I have shown and believe me, there is noway they can show that many dogs in a show. They sell the puppies from about $1500-$3000+ TAX FREE! So now tell me, do you really think they breed for the love of the breed or the love of the money?

I show and have bred bulldogs but, seeing how many peolpe are breeding bulldogs because of the high price they sell for, I have retired. I am disgusted with the total exploitation of of these dogs by backyard breeders and the so called responsible breeders and the show dog breeders. These people breed for the money and nothing else with the only difference being that the show dog breeders hide behing the fact that they show their dogs. I see dogs show as a way to market their puppy bsiness. If your dogs do well in the show ring your will have more of a demand for puppies. Many claim they breed every now when in fact, they are putting out 2,3,4 litters a year. I have shown and believe me, there is noway they can show that many dogs in a show. They sell the puppies from about $1500-$3000+ TAX FREE! So now tell me, do you really think they breed for the love of the breed or the love of the money?

Our club sponsors a 501 3c breed rescue. We are OPPOSED to AB1634. Responsible breeders are never the problem. Owners who no longer want their pets, fail to keep or contain their animals, or who no longer can financially care for their animals are the reasons there are so many animals in the shelters. Most of the dogs in shelters belonged to someone. AB1634 does not address high volume commercial breeders who sell to pet stores. The dogs are from out of state. The estimate that 1/3 of the dogs are purebred is also high. Most of the dogs I have seen, and I have been to many shelters in LA County are mixes - closer to 90%. I have often been called to rescue my breed only to find out it is a mix that doesn't even look like the breed I rescue.

Puppymills and importers are the reason so many dogs end up in shelters. People breeding for profit, not knowing or caring about the health of the dog. Just look at the "breeds" that are out there, puggles, jugs, dashapoo and many more, puppymillers are just putting the dogs together and seeing what they get. Then by calling it a "designer" breed they sell these pups for hundreds and even thousands of dollars. These puppies are raised in horrid conditions, taken from the mother too early, with very little human contact and no socialization they are then bought by a family, usually for the children, when the unsocialized puppy is no longer cute, and cannot be controled the dog ends up in a shelter.
I think every puppy should be microchipped with the information of the breeder BEFORE it can be sold, pet stores cannot sell an animal that is not chipped, this way when animals go to the shelter, the shelter can check the chip, and will know who bred this dog. The shelter can contact the breeder and the breeder has the option of pulling the dog or being charged by the day, for everyday the dog stays at the shelter.
This way there are records of every breeder and every dog that enters a shelter, if the same breeder has 100 dogs enter a shelter, then that breeder should be fined or lose their license.
You will find that the majority of shelter dogs come from puppymills or importers, not good breeders. A good breeder will always take their dog back, and if one of their dogs does go to a shelter, they will have someone pull the dog immediately.
Attacking good breeders is not the answer.
Any bill that does not include puppymills or importers will have no affect on the shelter problem.

Responsible breeders are not the problem, they are exempt under the new spay/neutere ordinance in Los Angeles. Hwoever, "responsible" is the operative word - most are not. The only breeders who can be called responsible are the ones who spay and neuter all their kittens/puupies that they sell AND take them back when or if the buyers either don't want them anymore or can't keep them anymore. THey must be responsible for all the animals they bring into this world. Unfortuantely, there are very very few breeders like this. The puppy mills must be shut down - there is a huge difference between a puppy mill and a licensed responsible breeder. But in the breeders' collective selfishness, they will keep the puppy mills open if it allows them to continue breeding. You have to be a moron living in a cave to think that spaying and neutering will not help the problem.

This is the best thing Oprah has ever done.

Responsible breeders are not the problem, they are exempt under the new spay/neuter ordinance in Los Angeles. However, "responsible" is the operative word - most are not. The only breeders who can be called responsible are the ones who spay and neuter all their kittens/puupies that they sell AND take them back when or if the buyers either don't want them anymore or can't keep them anymore. THey must be responsible for all the animals they bring into this world. Unfortuantely, there are very very few breeders like this. The puppy mills must be shut down - there is a huge difference between a puppy mill and a licensed responsible breeder. But in the breeders' collective selfishness, they will keep the puppy mills open if it allows them to continue breeding. You have to be a moron living in a cave to think that spaying and neutering will not help the problem.

This is the best thing Oprah has ever done.

AB1634 exempts commercial breeders and pet shops. It will radically decrease the number of puppies available from responsible breeders. As a result there will be in increase in puppies imported from other states and countries for sale in pet shops. Many of these puppies will come from substandard breeders. It will also increase the number of puppies purchased over the Internet - even more of these will come from substandard conditions because there is no oversight and the purhaser doesn't see the puppy before purchase.

Responsible home-based breeders, the kind of breeders who produce the very best puppies - puppies that almost never turn up in shelters, are not exempt. The criteria AB1634 requires of home-based breeders for exemption are highly unrealistic and difficult to meet. They show no understanding of biology, animal husbandry, or dog culture. What's more the criteria will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (more than 500 hundred jurisdictions exist in the state) and each one has the option of choosing not to offer the exemptions/permits at all. Many breeders will give up their hobby or move out of state.

I can't believe the gall of AB1634 sponsors throwing out the puppy mill red herring in its support. The tactic they are using is called the 'big lie.'

Okay this is a of line dog poo as far as I am concerned. AB1634 does nothing to the puppy mills and out of state breeders of puppy mills. Cross breeding. Why do it. It causes more genetic problems down the road. Before these people decide they want to breed a chihuahua to a great dane, they think it would be funny and wonder what they would look like. That is exactly what they do is not think. It may be to extreme but a labradoodle, a puggle, come on. Give me a break. Until you know the genetics of a breed and know what the outcome will be, I consider it ANIMAL CRUELTY. DON'T DO IT! People who breed and show dogs do it responsibly. The difference for pet quality and show quality can be just color. That doesn't mean they are not a quality dog though! The amount of problems that you find with someone who does not have a top quality dog has numerous problems. Ask to see their medical records, Do they even have any??? Another thing, If you buy a car from a guy who is on the side of the road with a for sale sign, Something is wrong with the car, if there wasn't, he would sell it in a better manner maybe at his house where you can track him down. Pets are the same way. They sell dogs down our main road here on the side of the street, it is sad. People like this should be put in jail for animal cruelty. I took the liberty to ask somone selling Pits and Mix poodle looking things if their dogs came with Parvo. They told me they had everything. It wasn't an issue of lack of understanding, they had no clue what I was talking about. Education people. They should be fined and permanently banned from breeding or owning pets! To find 40 pets living in one home, that is to an extreme. Can you say Puppy Mill. And what about the way this is written, it is horrible! Protect those doing right the show people AND Responsible breeders. Get rid of the puppy mills and importing!!!

Thank you Oprah!!!!!!

Animals are not on this earth for our pleasure. Animals are living creatures that should not be objectified or placed in contests that value specific physical traits!!!!!! There is an animal population problem and all breeders are just adding to it. PLEASE if you want a dog or cat go to a shelter and get one. Don't buy a "designer dog" from a breeder!!!!! If you have to have a purebred go to a rescue that specializes in that breed. Please stop breeding and give the shelter animals a chance at a good life!

Tina

Obviously you are not a religious person, as the bible does give man dominion over all the animals. That being said, we should be good stewards of that responsibility. However, what in the heck is wrong with holding contests? What about the cutest pet contests, or the cutest baby?? Your logic seems incredibly twisted when you say all breeders are adding to the pet overpopulation problem. The shelters are not full of pure bred dogs, breeders are not creating the problem. Maybe 20% are truely pure bred and they are usually the first adopted. Irresponsible owners are creating the problem so doesn't it make sense to attack the root of the problem? The shelters are full of mutts who are the product of irresponsible owners who let their dogs run loose and do not spay and neuter. These are the people that get a puppy and then throw it away when it gets to big or they are too lazy to train it. These are the same people who do not vaccinate and license their dogs. The only thing that will help the shelter problem which is not as great as you are being let to believe, is an aggressive public education campaign in responsible pet ownership and massive low/no cost spay & neuter program targeted at those areas of a city that most of the unwanted pets are coming from.

Come on, breeders and owners are NOT the enemy. If there is an enemy it is the mindset of animal shelters that all animals that show up show be killed. I have worked in rescue for 20 years and cannot believe how hostile AC can be many times. Aren't we both working for the same goal? I guess not as it seems some shelters would prefer the "simple solution" of putting everything to sleep and blaming "irresponsible pet owners" and so-called puppymills or just plain pet breeders. Why aren't we seeking solutions on how to reduce euthanasia by doing the most obvious things, like outreach, better hours, accessible spay/neuter clinics? How is it that even with huge increases in population the euthanasia numbers are actually coming down? Look a little deeper into this issue and don't decide on emotion. I have been doing this for 20 years and I definitely see the problem getting better.

My sister is an AKC breeder and she gets emails all the time from other breeders and the AKC supporting puppy mills and opposing laws for the puppy mills.

Or mandatory spay neuter (cause the AKC wants puppy mill breeders to be unlicensed so they can hide what they are doing)

My sister explained to me that the AKC mostly gets its money from registering puppy mill puppies so they get AKC breeders to oppose laws for puppy mills.

My sister hates that about the AKC, and is so disgusted with them she is quitting involvement with the AKC.

She said that some responsible breeders are getting tricked by the AKC into supporting puppy mills. The lies they make up about new rules and laws are ridiculous, and they even know they are lies.

I read their emails. It is bad.

Some of these breeders even work with puppy mill breeders directly, making up stories and lies to oppose new rules or laws. They are friends with the puppy mill people!

The stuff about AB1634 not affecting puppy mills is just silly, and I have seen emails where some of these breeders know it is silly and not true, but they still use these fake excuses to oppose laws on behalf of the puppy mills.

Read the text of AB 1634 VERY CAREFULLY. Note that it states all animals used under the federal Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. 1231 et seq.) are automatically exempt from the bill.

THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT IS FOR THE COMMERCIAL HIGH VOLUME PUPPY MILL BREEDERS AND THOSE THAT BREED DOGS FOR RESEARCH.

AB 1634 GRANTS COMPLETE EXEMPTION TO THE PUPPY MILLERS AND BREEDERS OF LABRATORY ANIMALS!!

Please do not be fooled by AB 1634!

AB1634 does exactly the opposite of what you would intend. Reputable breeders are NOT the problem. They are in the very small minority and should be supported and encouraged. These are the people that raise their litters in their home, do all the health clearances on their dogs, breed occasionally, for outstanding health and temperament, carefully screen their buyers, require all their pups be spay/neutered, and require that if the buyer can not keep the pup they be returned to the breeder to either keep or rehome to another good home. Yet these are the very people are who this bill would criminialize.
Commercial puppy millers with hundreds of dogs will be exempt. These are the people who confine their animals to wire cages in miserable condtions and breed them on every season. They don't care what 2 animals they breed together, not even if they are the same breed, they don't screen their buyers or guarantee their pups, they don't require spay/neuter, they just ship them off to the pet stores with no concerns for their future after they get their $$$. These are the people this AB1634 SUPPORTS.
If you want to really help the dogs & cats, here are some measures that actually DO work.
-free or low cost spay/neuter clinids.
-free or low cost puppy and dog training classes
-vaccination and spay/neuter and release of feral cats. When you kill them, more will just move in to take their place. If they are instead altered, they will keep their territory but not reproduce.
-more funding for USDA inspectors to adequately do inspections as are already required by current laws and enforce those laws. The horrible conditions depicted on the tapes were in violation of current laws.
-implement Nathan Winograd's proven successful methods to reduce euthanasia rates in pounds
-buy dogs only from reputable breeders who show or trial their dogs, raise the pups in their home, have only a few litters per year, and have contracts requiring responsible ownership. Or from rescue groups or humane societies. Never buy a cat or dog from a pet store, or from squalid conditions because you feel sorry for them. That only encourages the puppy millers to create another one to take its place.
-support animal welfare, NOT animal rights. Be vary afraid. The messages of the animal rights people sound good on the surface, until you do some serious investigation. Their not-too-hidden agenda is to eliminate ALL pet animals, ALL farm animals, ALL zoo animals. Is that a future you look forward to? Do you want your next pet to be a black market pup snuck in from Mexico stuffed in a car tire?
-be a part of the solution. Volunteer for a rescue and foster a dog or provide transport.
By the way, I watch the humane societies, and VERY few of the "purported" purebreds are anything like purebred. Many of the are so random bred that noone can even guess any of the breeds involved in their ancestry. But they list a breed, because it makes them more adoptable. For example I've seen dogs listed as Labradors that were anywhere from 20 to 150 pounds, any color including for example white with big brown and black spots, with short long or medium straight or curly coats, long or short tails, ears long or short or standing up or curled back or missing, etc. Why are they called Labradors? Because people think of Labs as nice and good family pets. It might help them find a home. Most of those few that actually DO look purebred are rescued if they aren't adopted.

Hallelujah! Oprah finally saw the light! This is HUGE. I hope everyone was able to stomach watching the whole show because awareness is needed to stop the inhumanity. We should be able to close down EVERY puppy mill in this country! LET'S DO IT PEOPLE! Don't breed or buy while beautiful , life-loving animals in the shelter die! SPAY and NEUTER- it saves lives!

Oprah is an entertainer not an expert regarding what is right for dogs and cats. Oprah is an entertainer with little to no regard for what she spews out for her political agenda. Oprah failed in many ways to examine the entire subject. She is now catching on to what responsible breeders have known for quite some time about puppy mills, yet she has failed, again, to investigate AB 1634 before she opened her mouth.

There is no way any one person, including Oprah, can make that decision. There are may different breeds with various health needs and requirements. Oprah while trying to do good is slamming her foot deep in her mouth again. Stay out of politics and get back to entertaining. If you must foray into such critical subjects do your homework! Oh yeah, don't turn your back on people who support you when something better comes along Oprah! No on AB1634

By the way Oprah, where did you get your dogs? Who walks them and cares for them? Where do they sleep? Is your yard fenced in, if not how do you keep them under control? Did anyone ask you these questions before you were handed your dogs? No they probably gave you the dogs because of your name. I say start making the celebrities who carry around little dogs in purses more responsible.

I just want to thank Oprah. Dogs, puppies, cats and kittens; the ones that end up in puppy mills and shelters didn't have a choice. They didn't want that kind of life and they didn't ask for that kind of life. They all deserve a long and happy life like all of our beloved babies. Not cruelty and death. The images of these animals are so difficult and sometimes impossible to watch, it is very easy to turn away; not because you don't care but because it is so awful to face and you feel helpless. BUT!!! We are not! It is easy and it is way overdue, our actions. Spay & neuter. It is a great start. These animals need us to just start. And hopefully in the future there will be even more solutions but for now this is the first phase for bringing down the horrific numbers of pet overpopulation. Let's do it!! Please.....

1) The American Kennel Club provides registry services for puppy mills, AKA: VOLUME BREEDERS, with the assent of their AKC members.
2) Puppymills are defended & represented by NAIA, and AKC's Patti Strand, the same people who opposed puppymill inspections and Airline Safety Rules for animals.
3) What's to like about puppymills or dogs dying while flying?
4) Over 2/3 of puppies being sold in newspapers include the letters: "AKC".
5) Fully HALF those ads say "AKC Champion Lines", linking hobby breeders to puppymills/backyard breeders.
6) Nearly ALL purebreds come from AKC breedlines.
7) 26% of dogs in shelters are purebred, according to the AKC.
8) Oprah reported on conditions in puppymills and
**These things make OPRAH a bad person????**

The breeders posting on this space are the same yapping bloggers who attacked Oprah before the show even aired! Now without so much as apology for peremptory character assaults, they are still attacking.

For months they've been spreading Internet lies like:
"it's only feral cats being killed",
"breeders are not part of the problem", and
"Nazi's, vegans and ARs are trying to take away the public's dogs"
"there will be no more dogs!"

California Breeders have had NINE months since AB1634 went to the California Senate to show us what they are made of AND to help with our shelters. AND?
What have they done?

NOTHING FOR HOMELESS ANIMALS
NOTHING FOR THE SHELTERS
NOTHING for Society
Why: It's ALL about THEM!

They lost EVERY ONE of their claims in Federal Court.
They used our public Fair grounds, colleges and parks to solicit donations to fight more court cases and fund more NAIA lobbyists.
Oh...
And they started a petition to declare they shouldn't be required to chip or alter their dogs. (They already don't)
How NICE for them!

Their indignant clamor regarding 'responsibility' DID attract some attention. California's Board of Equalization (BOE) recently promulgated notices requesting they START paying their sales taxes according to state law which has been on the books forty-plus years.

It remains to be seen if Animal Control will start enforcing licensing at shows and places where large numbers of dogs congregate, but they probably will. Zoning violation notices will follow. Then trials and fines and more proclamations of innocence, persecution and 'Brownshirt Nazis'.

Public sites with prohibition on 'political activity' will likely begin warning of exclusion of dog shows whose superintendents flaunt the law. But they'll employ the same tactics: ignore the law and do as they please.

And meanwhile they have a new Chorus:
'Nathan Winograd is the solution',
'a spay decision is one made with a vet'
'microchips cause cancer'.

And all the while, dogs die. More puppies replace them and the cycle continues to burden societal institutions as breeders make untaxed incomes. So what's new?

Like 5 year olds, they've got an excuse for EVERYTHING; it isn't them; and there isn't a problem! If you've ever been on a jury in a criminal case, you've heard these whines before.
The LAST thing breeders are doing is BEING responsible. Except for putting a million unaltered animals into an uneducated and irresponsible public's hands.

Oh yea, and the other 'answer' according to breeders: 'we the people' should "EDUCATE THE PUBLIC" (at public expense).

Grow up! License your dogs, obey your zoning limits -or buy a kennel, get your mandatory BOE sales permit, and pay your taxes!

Don't like the way shelters are being run? Get your furry butts in there and run them... or at least clean them. Spend YOUR money and TIME. 'Nathan' doesn't tell you someone ELSE is going to do it, does he? You want government out of your 'business', then DO the job or QUIT BREEDING. But in either case, stop your petulant lies and whines.

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