Monday, October 20, 2008

Puppy Mills






Mum thought you would like to see these pictures of me walking around the garden. She wanted to say that she watched the Oprah show on puppy mills last week. Boy, that made her sad. It talked about in the US where demand for cats and dogs at pet stores, has resulted in breeders breeding cats and dogs in cages like chickens and other livestock. Many of these breeding mothers never get any medical care, never get to run around, never leave their cages and most importantly never get any love.
It said that 99% of pets in pet stores are bred this way(in the US). Then at shelters people are not adopting the cat, kittens, puppies and dogs there reslulting in thousands being put down every day. That bit made my mum cry. All those lovely pets being destroyed because people don't understand.
Now mum bought me from a nice breeder. She interviews you and won't let her kittens go to just anyone, and you have to go and visit with her before you can take your kitty home. She was a vet nurse too, and lived on a large rural property with lots of rooms for her kitties and their parents.
All the other kitties mum has ever got have been from either a friend, been stray cats or have come from a shelter. Mum says that she knows lots of other beans were shocked by this show too. Please if you would like a cat or kitten to join your family, please visit your local shelter and give a wee sweetie a furrever home.

11 comments:

  1. That's waht Mommy says, adoption is the only option!

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  2. Our mommy believes in rescues we are all rescues:
    Kodak was a stray that wandered up to moms house
    Winton was a shelter cat-he had been dumped their by his other owners when he was 4 years old and mom pulled him out.
    3 Perf was at a pet adoption-he had been someone else's cat as well and they had given him up and Blossom was a stray that was being beaten up by the local toms and mom couldn't stand her being out getting beaten up....so now we are a 4 cat household!!!

    Kodak, Winton, 3 Perf and Blososm

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  3. We were very sad when we saw that show on Oprah, too.

    I came from a responsible breeder, too. My Mommie went to her house to pick me out. But Harley was rescued from the shelter!

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  4. That's horrible and sad beyond words... I found it quite depressing to visit pet stores when in the US actually, they have a very different view on how pets should be kept and sold...

    Mind you, this kind of behaviour, at least something similar, can be seen in pet stores in more southern European countries too. Many people, too many people all over the world, need to be more caring and appreciative towards animals, that give us so much and get so little in return. Like Gandhi said - The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.

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  5. It is such a sad situation :( The only pet I bought from a pet store, was a tabby kitten over 20 years ago. She was the best kitty ever :-) All our pets since then have been from people seeking homes for litters they have, needing to be rehomed or a rescue.

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  6. My mommie can't watch shows like that because she is upset for days. I picked her when she came in the shelter. There was no turning back! I know a good thing when I see it.

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  7. Thanks for coming to my purrthday party.

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  8. Yes, Poppy, yes! I see so many beautiful, friendly dogs and cats go into the local shelter and leave in body bags. I have begged many a person to spay/neuter but so many just don't get it. "They're just animals."

    I just deleted a bunch of shelter photos from Upson Pets and my computer today. I'd been putting it off again because it is so depressing.

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  9. I never saw the show but it sounds horrible. I totally support rescue groups. Fortunately where I live, the majority of pet stores refuse to carry live pets. They do work with shelters and rescue groups to hold adoption events. The animals are then brought to the pet store for a number of hours, sometimes a day or two, in hopes of being adopted out. Those who are not, are returned to the shelter until the next adoption event is held.

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  10. This was a really great post, Poppy. We believe it is very important for people who want to bring a purebreed into their home to go and check out the breeder, like your mum did. Mum thought the saddest thing about mills is that many of the breeders don't have names. It just seems so inhuman.

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  11. Oh Poppy Q you have such a lovely garden to stroll in. Mom gets really upset when she sees so many unwanted kitties. It breaks her heart. She always said if she would ever win the lottery, she would build a huge home and take in as many homeless animals as she could. If only every family would save an animal... how much better it would be!!

    Hugs,
    Toulouse

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