Author Outraged at Obama’s “Absurd” Broken Dog Promise
Published on April 16, 2009 by K9 Magazine News Editor · 4 CommentsDr. Jana Kohl, author of A Rare Breed of Love: The true story of Baby and the mission she inspired to help dogs everywhere — the book that features both Barack Obama and Ted Kennedy advocating pet adoption as a means to end puppy mills — has expressed outrage over the President not fulfilling his pledge to adopt a rescue or shelter dog.
Having participated in Kohl’s book, inspired by a 3-legged puppy mill survivor who Obama is featured with, and having pledged his support to advance its’ mission, Kohl says, “In breaking his pledge to adopt a dog, the President not only made a mockery of the book he’s currently featured in on the subject of puppy mills and adoption, he will also be contributing to a pet overpopulation epidemic that’s costing us billions each year.
Do as I say, not as I do - Obama poses with dog
In these terrible economic times, when so many Americans are tearfully turning in their dogs to shelters because they can no longer afford to feed them, it’s particularly insensitive and out of touch for Senator Kennedy and the President to have gotten a dog from a breeder instead of choosing one from a shelter.”
In January of 2008 when Obama was campaigning at a Las Vegas town hall meeting, he replied to a question about animal welfare by saying: “I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other. And it’s very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals.”
Since taking office, the Obama-Biden administration, first with the Vice President buying a dog from a puppy mill that was cited by Pennsylvania authorities for violations, and now the President getting one from another breeder, have been named by animal welfare groups as doing more harm to the rescue-adoption/anti-puppy mill movement than any other elected officials in history.
“By failing to adopt dogs from shelters or rescue groups,” says Kohl, “they will be responsible for fuelling the dog breeding industry and adding to the suffering of millions of animals — those imprisoned in puppy mills and the 4 million at shelters who are marched to the gas chambers each year.”
Regarding the donation the Obamas are giving to the local Humane Society as a means to make amends for their action, Kohl says, “It’s absurd. The money they donate will be used to educate people to do the very thing the Obamas were unwilling to do — adopt!”
Jana Kohl, Psy.D. is a psychologist, animal welfare advocate and author of A Rare Breed of Love: The true story of Baby and the mission she inspired to help dogs everywhere.
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Tags: Social Issues
Baloney! If a child has an allergy it doesn’t make sense for them to adopt a dog from the shelter. PWD are great dogs for those with allergies. I support adopting from a shelter or rescue when it’s feasible, but in this case it wasn’t a feasible option. I would also be supportive of your mission if you didn’t paint responsible breeders with the same paint brush you paint puppy mills and backyard breeders with. I support getting a dog through rescues, shelters or responsible breeders.
A child’s reaction to a dog allergy wise has absolutely ZERO relation to whether it comes from a breeder or a shelter. There is, quite simply, no such thing as a ‘hypoallergenic dog’. A dog less prone to shedding – oh yes, there are plenty of those – plenty of them in shelters too – all of which would have had the exact same levels of allergy inducement as a PWD. The only baloney that’s being spouted is that the PWD is any different to any other low shed dog.
Actually, as a person who has talked to plenty of allergists (with allergies) — while there is no ‘hypoallergenic’ dogs there are breeds that definitely cause far lower reaction rates for many people with allergies and the PWD is one of them. So are labradoodles. There is a test that can be done for this to check the appropriateness of a given dog, too — some are less allergenic than others.
I run a rescue myself and have NO ISSUES with people working with responsible breeders if a rescue dog doesn’t suit them (and for a whole variety of reasons, one may not). If responsible breeders don’t breed, then breeds will be lost completely. I hve found it one of the great ironies of doing rescue and working with general rescue that very often the same people who are most vocally against buying breeds and who deplore others not taking a dog from a pound are exactly the ones who have their own house full of the breeds they cherry pick in rescue and get most excited when an interesting breed shows up at the shelter or pound.
I also do not see how accepting the gift of a pup from a breeder is going against a pledge to fight animal cruelty — that is absurd. Really, if we are down to this level of nitpicking –sadly so typical in rescue!! (and even as people ‘tearfully’ bring their dogs to shelters… ) and with so many huge cruelty issues in animal welfare (mills, maltreatment, poor legislation), then little will ever be achieved that actually benefits animals.
Encourage people to consider shelter animals, yes.
Labs and Golden Retriever shed a lot and need lots of grooming…mixing them with a poodle does not necessarily mean they will NOT shed depending on which side of the family the dog takes after,youcan have a litter that has both in it…like families who have curly headed children and then straight haired children .
I think everyone has a right to get a dog where ever they want to, I always recommend Rescue or the local animal shelter; but I also offer that people go to the breed club of the dog they are looking at for a pet and talk to a dedicated breeder or referral person,do their homework, do not buy from the webpages where you cannot see what you are really getting; instead how abt someone, who does contracts, advises, will take the pup/dog back if need be and return any money involved, or replace…
There are good dog people out there who are involved in healthy, good temperment dogs,do dog events and education…stop bashing them If they chose a purebred, who was specifically bred for a purpose/reason according to their jobs and a specific look or standard to go by. I have owned both. And, will continue to make my own choices, not the cause of the day nor the dog of the year.
A good,loving home for any dog, any breed is what is really needed, with a family who will give the health care and training to make the dog a good doggy citizen.
Thank you