Oprah Winfrey has adopted a cocker spaniel puppy from Petfinder member PAWS Chicago, a rep for the shelter tells Us Weekly.According to Usmagazine.com, Oprah "adopted an 8-week-old blonde-colored cocker spaniel on Sunday. ... The pup -- one of a litter of six -- was named Amanda by shelter staff, but [shelter rep Lisa] Nowak isn't sure if Winfrey renamed her."
This is, of course, great news for adoption advocates! Oprah vowed her next dog would come from a shelter during her episode last year that exposed the horrors of puppy mills (and featured Bill Smith of Petfinder member Main Line Animal Rescue).
Of course we're thrilled that she's made good on her promise -- but she'd become a bona fide pet adoption advocate even before this week:
- She donated to PAWS Chicago in honor of her late cocker spaniel, Sophie.
- She aired a show recently about Yorkies rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri.
- Her Web site features a photo gallery of her employees' rescued pets.
Let's hope that Oprah's enormous influence will inspire thousands of
others to make adoption their first choice when they're thinking of
getting a pet. And for anyone who REALLY wants to be like Oprah: There
are nearly 2,000 adoptable cocker spaniels and cocker mixes waiting for their forever homes on Petfinder.
Like always she sets a great example and what a cutie! Amazing what a bit of grooming can do. Perfect dog for Oprah don't you think?
She's a role model and let's hope for the support of more celebrities. I hope they'll soon realize that there's a lot of abandoned animal waiting for their help.
I am so angry.It's my understanding that PAWS Chicago is a well funded,non-animal control,and very high volume organization. If I am mistaken, someone please let me know.Yet it appears that, when given the responsibility for stewarding the most teachable moment in the history of this country, re:rescue dogs, they could not have failed more miserably.It seems obvious that they entirely failed to properly quarantine and observe these pups for at least two full weeks before permitting them to leave PAWS' care and control.
I am so, so tired of this, seemingly chronic area of irresponsibility in the rescue community. Do we really need to be shooting ourselves and each other in the foot this way? Whenever an adoption fails for illness, behavior, or failure to skillfully make a match, it reflects poorly on rescue as a whole; has a chilling effect; and impacts the ability of the next dog to be adopted.In each such case, the problem can inevitably traced back to a failure of responsibility on the part of the rescuer or the rescue. organization.
Putting the horror of Parvo into an adoptive home is entirely preventable, but it requires that a rescue commit to responsibility over quick turnover and/or volume.In this case, the chilling effect will reach, what...40 million prospective adopters?
Angela, or anyone else with firsthand knowledge of this particular situation,please let me know if my assumption about PAWS' failure to sufficiently quarantine is invalid. I will be happy to apologize if I am, in fact, talking "through my hat." For now, I can only say, thanks so much, PAWS, for the huge black eye.
It is sad the accusers no so much about parvo, but not that sometimes the vaccinations don't prevent the discease. It sounds like all involved tried to insure the pups good health. Sometimes bad things still happen and it is no one's fault. Maybe it was just another part of God's plan to help Oprah make the world more aware of the dangers in our world. I am sad for Oprah and for Angela and for those who are so ignorant as to point fingers and place blame where there is none, and without knowing the full story. Angela to me it sounds like you were trying to do a good thing, and you did!!
I am not going to respond to any ignorant comments I have found on the web directly. The people who matter most to me know the story of the puppies, who I loved and rescued because they had nowhere else to go.
For more info and updates about the puppies please check out my website - many of the rumors you may have read this weekend are not true.
http://thedeskofangelabrown.com/puppies
Thanks,
Angela
This is a sad tragedy, and my heart goes out to Oprah for her loss. Unfortunately, this does however help to show that all living things can and do get sick. This is no matter where the puppy originates, whether it is a pet store (which vaccinates against parvo), a breeder, or one of the best funded animal rescue organizations in the country. I do not blame PAWS, although this can generally be controlled through proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures. However, when an organization such as PAWS comes out publically saying that pet stores are bad places and by falsely saying they only get from puppy mills because their dogs are all diseased, hopefully this will help educate the general public that this is simply not true. All living animals can get sick.
You may want to know that this dog died of Parvo obtained at the PAWS shelter! Do your research people... Not all breeders are bad... we do have healthy dogs
Angela,
those were your puppies? you have no business dealing with new borns. Due to the fact that you did not vaccinate them properly . Places called Puppy Mills get closed down for doing less then what you did. Murdering an entire litter of puppies due to your inexperience and greed. May those poor puppy souls haunt you to your grave. Parvo is one of the most preventable disease in the dog kingdom. They die screaming and in great pain. as their little bodies go septic after their tiny tummies bleed and shut down the ability to absorb food and water. Shame on you. Shelters and fosters should be licensed before they touch a dog especially a neonate
Yep and now the pup has DIED of parvo, and the 2nd pup is barely alive. Guess that 9mil bucks for PAWS didn't include how to properly quarantine pups prior to adoption.
So glad Oprah has done this. It seems that more high-profile people are looking to shelters for their next pet. This must be inspiring many others, whether or not high-profile, to do likewise. Yea!
Betty, I love that story!
I adopted an 8th month old purebred cocker spaniel from the local humane society in Lexington KY at the beginning of February 2009. His name is Cooper!
This is my second cocker I've adopted from a shelter. My first was Bridget who will be 10 years old this summer. I adopted her at age 2 from a shelter in 2001. She now lives with my ex-husband. (I still have visitation rights) But she is very happy where she is.
Hi,
Oprah's pup is one of my 11 cocker spaniels from a litter that my new dog Lizzy Ann had. I took in Lizzy Ann on the day of my mother's memorial service last November and found out a week after I got home she was pregnant.
For the full story check out my myspace blog - http://www.myspace.com/chiangie
I am so glad Cockers are being recognized as a breed that fills shelters all over this country - so, no need for breeding too many more.
Angela
Your Huskys one here are so cute i will by one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Betty, that is a great story! I'm so glad you found the perfect pup. You should submit it to our Happy Tails so we can see her picture!
http://www.petfinder.com/happytails/
I would like you to know about my dog i adopted from a shelter. My husband died 3 day's before his 69 birthday and when we would ask him what he wanted on his cake he would tell us this.I am out of here. So i looked for a dog for over a year after i lost my dog and husband.When i found my dog under her picture on petfinder was i am out of here.Is this not the funny's thing you ever heard? I tell my little muffin that her dad send her to me to keep me happy.My dog is a yorkie poo.
Thank you for your time i just had to tell you this.
Betty P.