Dogs are a very popular companion pet, so it is common that dogs are used in the media, whether they are used in commercials to help push products or even have entire television shows revolve around the dog. Anyone heard of Lassie or Rin Tin Tin? Dogs are a feel good animal, and many people find them to be so stinkin' cute. What great marketing material!
As a child, I remember reading books from the series Clifford, the Big Red Dog. The premise of Clifford was that he was the smallest dog in his litter, but grew to be 25+ feet tall. I remember reading these books as a child thinking about how cool that would be to have a dog that large to climb on. I would dream about all the fun places we could go. Clifford was also turned into a television series.
Another well-known dog in the media is Lassie. Lassie was a popular television series that ran from 1954-1974. The premise of each show centered around Timmy getting into some trouble and the dog running off to warn the family that he needed help. Lassie is one of only a few animals to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Although Lassie aired before I was born, I remember watching it in syndication and the show still remains popular to this day.
Rin Tin Tin, K-9 Cop was a television series that ran in the late 80's and early 90's. It followed the crime fighting lives of a Canine Officer and his dog partner, Rudy.
Anyone remember the movie Beethoven from the 1992? The movie plot followed the slobbery life of a St. Bernard wrecking havoc on a house. The family's veterinarian secretly wanted to kill it and tried to stage a fake attack to have the dog euthanized. In the end, the vet was ousted and Beethoven was returned to the family to slobber away.
I'm sure there are many more movies or television shows that highlight dogs, but my point is that it is a popular topic. Not only are they featured in television shows or movies, but companies use them in commercials for marketing purposes and the "cuteness factor". Many celebrities tote their dogs everywhere, tweet about them, and talk about them to media outlets. Dogs are faithful companions, easy marketing tools, and a great discussion topic. I have yet to meet someone that doesn't have a dog story!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Puppy Mills
If you've never heard of puppy mills, prepare to be enlightened. The ASPCA defines a puppy mill as a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. An overwhelming majority of the dogs sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. Dogs that originate from puppy mills can have a slew of health issues as selective breeding is not used to weed out health problems. Dogs that are kept for breeding are forced to have litter after litter of puppies. One of the signs of over-breeding is swollen teats on the females. Because one male dog can mate with so many females, the young females puppies are invaluable to a puppy mill.
Dogs that are used to breed litter after litter are often kept in inhumane conditions. They are confined to wire crates that are stacked high. The dogs spend years in these crates and are only removed to be killed once they are no longer able to produce litters. They are never taken out to use the bathroom, so they go in their crates and it just falls through the wires. The puppy mills reek of urine and feces. As a result of being confined to their crates, when rescues occur, most dogs have to be carried to the cars and trained over time how to walk on normal ground. Many of these dogs die from exposure to the elements as they are often kept outdoors or stacked high in a cramped, enclosed structure. The Mid-West is the most common place to find these puppy mills and they have rough winters. Not the environment for fluffy little dogs to live in 24/7.
It is important to enlighten people on the issues surrounding puppy mills to prevent them from profiting. Oprah did a great show involving the Humane Society and Lisa Ling to investigate and rescue some of the dogs. I don't think many people realize that puppy mills supply pet stores with their dogs. Talking about this issue and putting stories in the media will help people realize just how disgusting this practice is. There is currently no legislation that makes the practice of puppy mills illegal. Hopefully if the demand for these dogs dwindles, the puppy mills will be forced to shut down operations.
Dogs that are used to breed litter after litter are often kept in inhumane conditions. They are confined to wire crates that are stacked high. The dogs spend years in these crates and are only removed to be killed once they are no longer able to produce litters. They are never taken out to use the bathroom, so they go in their crates and it just falls through the wires. The puppy mills reek of urine and feces. As a result of being confined to their crates, when rescues occur, most dogs have to be carried to the cars and trained over time how to walk on normal ground. Many of these dogs die from exposure to the elements as they are often kept outdoors or stacked high in a cramped, enclosed structure. The Mid-West is the most common place to find these puppy mills and they have rough winters. Not the environment for fluffy little dogs to live in 24/7.
It is important to enlighten people on the issues surrounding puppy mills to prevent them from profiting. Oprah did a great show involving the Humane Society and Lisa Ling to investigate and rescue some of the dogs. I don't think many people realize that puppy mills supply pet stores with their dogs. Talking about this issue and putting stories in the media will help people realize just how disgusting this practice is. There is currently no legislation that makes the practice of puppy mills illegal. Hopefully if the demand for these dogs dwindles, the puppy mills will be forced to shut down operations.
Adoption vs. Breeder vs. Pet Store
People have differing opinions on where they should obtain a dog when they make the decision to get one. My choice was pretty clear-cut when I decided I wanted a dog, but this was because of my previous experiences. You see, growing up, we were never allowed to have pets in the house until my Mom surprised us with a dog when I was in high school. I was ecstatic to say the least. Sure enough, the dog Xero ended up being my companion. I fed him, I walked him, and he slept in my room. I loved that dog to death! Unfortunately he became very protective of our family and bit two people. We ended up having to put him to sleep and I was devastated. I thought the world was ending. Xero was adopted from a family that no longer had the time to take care of him and he was approximately 1.5 years old. My family thought that the previous owners abused him, causing him to exhibit aggressive behaviors towards certain types of people. This caused me to be afraid of adopting a dog because they come with learned behaviors. I don't want a repeat of what I went through with Xero. There are negatives and positives to adoption, purchasing from a breeder, or purchasing from a pet store.
When you adopt a dog from a shelter, you can feel good about the fact that you saved that dog's life. Many shelters put dogs to sleep that they are unable to adopt out, or don't have the room to hold. Tampa Humane Society doesn't kill the dogs if they don't have space, rather they just turn dogs away. They will also not accept dogs that they feel they won't be able to adopt out. Adopting a dog gives the pet a good home. There is a bit of a risk involved, though maybe I am just skeptical from my previous experiences. You never know what the dogs previous life was like. It couldn't been used to fight, could have chronic health issues. Another problem is that if they have behavioral problems, adult dogs can be harder to train than puppies because they are set in their ways. If you're looking for a purebred dog, you'll be hard-pressed to find one in a shelter.
Purchasing a dog from a breeder is a good way to go if you want a purebred puppy. This type of purchase requires a lot of research. Not every breeder is a good one. It is important to communicate frequently with the breeder, and if possible, visit the location to ensure the dogs were raised in a healthy environment. Reputable breeders can be found through the American Kennel Club or Continental Kennel Club websites. If you have the ability to register your dog through either of these clubs, this is a benefit as it basically ensures your dog has not been inbred. Most breeders offer a health guarantee in that if the dog has health complications in the first year of it's life, they will cover the medical costs. AKC and CKC registered breeders have the guarantee and give you an fallback if the breeder is not working with you per the guidelines. You have the ability to report them.
The third option is purchasing from a pet store. An overwhelmingly large amount of dogs that are sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. This means that the dogs are kept in confined spaces and used for one purpose and one purpose only - breeding. By purchasing from a pet store, you are essentially supporting puppy mills. I don't recommend this as an option when looking for your new pet.
As you can see, there are multiple ways to obtain a dog. I believe that it is important to do your research and base your decision on that. Adopting a dog is a great way to obtain a dog, it's just not for me. It is important, however, that if you purchase from a breeder, you do your research. Just because it's a breeder doesn't mean it's a good one!
When you adopt a dog from a shelter, you can feel good about the fact that you saved that dog's life. Many shelters put dogs to sleep that they are unable to adopt out, or don't have the room to hold. Tampa Humane Society doesn't kill the dogs if they don't have space, rather they just turn dogs away. They will also not accept dogs that they feel they won't be able to adopt out. Adopting a dog gives the pet a good home. There is a bit of a risk involved, though maybe I am just skeptical from my previous experiences. You never know what the dogs previous life was like. It couldn't been used to fight, could have chronic health issues. Another problem is that if they have behavioral problems, adult dogs can be harder to train than puppies because they are set in their ways. If you're looking for a purebred dog, you'll be hard-pressed to find one in a shelter.
Purchasing a dog from a breeder is a good way to go if you want a purebred puppy. This type of purchase requires a lot of research. Not every breeder is a good one. It is important to communicate frequently with the breeder, and if possible, visit the location to ensure the dogs were raised in a healthy environment. Reputable breeders can be found through the American Kennel Club or Continental Kennel Club websites. If you have the ability to register your dog through either of these clubs, this is a benefit as it basically ensures your dog has not been inbred. Most breeders offer a health guarantee in that if the dog has health complications in the first year of it's life, they will cover the medical costs. AKC and CKC registered breeders have the guarantee and give you an fallback if the breeder is not working with you per the guidelines. You have the ability to report them.
The third option is purchasing from a pet store. An overwhelmingly large amount of dogs that are sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. This means that the dogs are kept in confined spaces and used for one purpose and one purpose only - breeding. By purchasing from a pet store, you are essentially supporting puppy mills. I don't recommend this as an option when looking for your new pet.
As you can see, there are multiple ways to obtain a dog. I believe that it is important to do your research and base your decision on that. Adopting a dog is a great way to obtain a dog, it's just not for me. It is important, however, that if you purchase from a breeder, you do your research. Just because it's a breeder doesn't mean it's a good one!
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