[John1960]

Group president: Winfrey uses ‘powerful voice to defend those without one’

Animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has named Oprah Winfrey its “Person of the Year.”

PETA names Oprah ‘Person of the Year’ - Celebrities- msnbc.com

[EmergencyOps]

Her show did do some great work on that week-long expose of puppy mills.

[floridasandy]

oprah wears fur so either PETA sold out for some cheap publicity or they don't believe what they advocate.

[Sharon R.]

I think Oprah's still got a lot to learn. Good for her for exposing puppy mills, but a lot of people think that all breeders, even the responsible ones, are puppy mills. The word breeder is a dirty word according to a lot of people.

[Blutime]

I can no longer respect Oprah. She may have helped with the puppy mill situation which is good. But just the fact that she would have her name tied to such an extremist group is totally distasteful. I show my dogs and also test for hereditary health issues, Responsible breeders take care of what they produce. Any animal I have placed goes with health certification and a promise from me to take the animal back if the new owners can no longer care for that animal. All pets are spayed or nuetered before placing. They hope to get rid of all breeders. It will be a great shame when there are no longer companion animals for people. Companion animals will be greatly missed by many who they help.

[BrianH]

I hope she told PETA where to stick their "award".

[EmergencyOps]

Originally Posted by Sharon R.

I think Oprah's still got a lot to learn. Good for her for exposing puppy mills, but a lot of people think that all breeders, even the responsible ones, are puppy mills. The word breeder is a dirty word according to a lot of people.

A lot of people do think that. I can't recall if she highlighted responsible breeders or not; if she did, she may have stated that responsible breeders never sell to pet stores. I advocate adoption, but I do believe that responsible breeders hold themselves to a higher standard than the run of the mill backyard breeder or puppy mill owner. Responsible breeders allow you to see the parents, have proper documentation, and will accept a dog back at any point in its life for whatever reason.

But you do have to see where some people are coming from, with millions of companion animals being killed in shelters each year...it makes them wonder why breeders would want to bring more litters into this world.