Oprah Takes On Puppy Mills

There’s no disputing that Oprah has the power to make good things happen, and she works hard to ensure they do. There’s also no doubt that she’s a huge animal lover.

This past Friday, Oprah dedicated that episode of her talk show to her late cocker spaniel, Sophie, who had passed away last month at 13 years of age. And it wasn’t just any old show — this show exposed the evils of puppy mills. It’s a hard show to watch, but I encourage you to do so, or at least learn more about puppy mills. Here are a few key points:

The conditions in which the animals live in these places is deplorable, and though the puppy might be healthy, often the mother is forced to carry litter after litter with no break, and when she’s no longer able to serve her purpose, she’s killed. Dogs in puppy mills live in their own waste without proper medical treatment. The video (shot undercover) showed a dog being euthanized as well as dogs in trashbags being tossed into a dumpster.

Oprah has always gotten her dogs from breeders, but after the emotional show, she said, “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.”

Let me encourage you to make sure you know where your pets are from before you buy from a breeder. As a nation, we can say NO to puppy mills and the mistreatment of animals by no longer spending our money with them. Celebrities all over are getting friendly with shelter pets — join them!

Oprah picture courtesy of tv.hollyscoop.com

Oprah and dogs picture courtesy of dreamdogsart.typepad.com