"The animals have no voice but ours..."

Thank you, Oprah

April 11, 2008
Jennifer Vanderau
 

I must admit, I’ve never admired Oprah Winfrey more than I did last Friday.

The afternoon talk-show giant produced an expose on puppy mills that had animal welfare groups buzzing days before the broadcast.

Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue, near Philadelphia, placed a billboard along Chicago streets (where Oprah’s show is filmed) that in addition to showing an adorable little pup, said: “Oprah: Do a show on puppy mills. The dogs need you.”

Oprah listened. As did millions of viewers, including those like myself, who had to record the broadcast to watch at a later time.

The episode not only discussed the concept of puppy mills – places where dogs are treated as commodities, nothing more than breeding stock to sell puppies – but it also showed hidden camera footage of actual animals living in cramped, unhealthy quarters.

In addition, the show pointed out that people who maintain these puppy mills have realized a lot more money can be made with puppies than with cattle or crops. Indeed, they see the animals in their “care” as nothing more than produce and a way to turn a quick profit. So much so that the thought of keeping these animals inside a home is as abhorrent to them as keeping them in tiny cages for their lives is to animal-lovers.

The saga of puppy mills can be a fascinating and horrifying glimpse into a vastly different way of life and the spotlight from the episode proved that to countless people, many of whom before seeing the show may have had no idea what’s really out there. 

The broadcast went on to discuss the impact on animal shelters across the nation and world, as well as the importance of spaying and neutering our pets.

I think, though, the coup de grace came when Oprah Winfrey herself made the statement: “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.”

You know, I try to use all the media outlets at my disposal to talk about animal welfare. Our staff and board members fight every day so that we can give a voice to four-legged souls who don’t have one. I know a lot of animal-lovers throughout the tri-state area who help homeless pets in any way they can, through adoptions, donations or support.

But all of that, can’t really touch the impact Oprah Winfrey had in one hour on Friday, April 4, 2008.

Ratings reports I’ve found say that Oprah gets around 8 million viewers per original airing (I’d wager that was a bit higher on Friday) and nearly 49 million viewers a week. She’s made little-known authors famous, turned self-help people into household words. Look what the woman did for Dr. Phil alone!

And now, she’s taken a stand for our four-legged friends. I can’t stress how huge something like this really is. Television is a widely influential and powerful medium and Oprah is a juggernaut all on her own. It’s incredible.

If you missed the show, log onto oprah.com and put puppy mills in the search field to get a recap.

I found a quote from a man who lived in Lancaster, one of the biggest places in this state for puppy mills. He said that he had seen signs in his neighbor’s yards opposing puppy mills, but until Oprah’s show, hadn’t really realized how devastating the practice really was. He said after the broadcast, he wants to put anti-puppy mill signs up in his yard, too.

They started the hour with a tribute to Oprah’s beloved cocker spaniel, who had passed away recently. Indeed, the entire show was dedicated to Sophie, who obviously held a special place in the talk-show queen’s heart.

I have to tell you, I’ve never felt more connected to Oprah than when the camera panned back to her face, following the tribute to Sophie and she wiped tears from her eyes, pronouncing that she had known watching that would be hard. She had to take a break to compose herself before continuing.

Say what you want about Ms. Winfrey, she’s an obvious animal-lover, something that she demonstrated to millions of viewers and fans on her show last Friday. What an absolutely fantastic message to send to people all over the world.

I know the battle with puppy mills is still waging and will be for years to come. But with the words of Oprah, lawmakers and other influential people, we’re starting to see a chance for change. A chance to get these animals out of a world where they’re seen only as cash crops, no different than an ear of corn or bale of hay, and into a place where they’re treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

From all of us in the trenches, fighting that battle every day, I’ll repeat the words I murmured to myself as the credits rolled:

Thank you, Oprah.

*****

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