The Pocket Puppy

Designer over-the-shoulder kennels and brand name clothing are the newest fad for the well-to-do pet craze. Is keeping up with the Jones’s really necessary when it comes to man’s best friend?

Paris Hilton has one; I image her side-kick Nicole Richie has one, too. A lot of publicity surrounded Ellen DeGeneres ignoring the “NO RIGHT TO TRANSFER” policy of her newest pup. An unbelievable amount of attention is being placed on the newest fashion accessory, “The Pocket Puppy”. Designer over-the-shoulder kennels and brand name clothing are the newest fad for the well-to-do pet craze. Is keeping up with the Jones’s really necessary when it comes to man’s best friend?

The mutt originated from the natural urge to procreate between pure-breed dogs. Now we have Chinese Crested Afghans adorning our sofas, and we trip over the Toy Saint Poodle that greets us at the door. Not to mention the ever-so-popular German Peruvian Short-haired Medium Schnauzers imported from Korea. (I always heard dogs were a specialty in Korea.)

All sarcasm aside, these mixed-breeds may shed less by design, as President Obama’s family searched for because one of his daughters has allergy issues. I will admit there was no doubt that the issue of in-breeding kept us away from purchasing another pure-bred German Shepard when we decided instead to adopt two mutt sisters from the Nassau County Humane Society.

Had anyone without fame adopted Ms. DeGeneres’ Brussels Griffon mix terrier and given it to their hairdresser’s family, this would not have been a topic for mainstream media. The dog was removed from the home of the hairdresser and was placed into yet another home. I’m sorry, but if you adopt a dog and can no longer keep it, why on earth can you not give it to a loving family? She did not adopt this animal to give it to a business for animal testing! Apparently, children in the home under the age of 14, is a deal-breaker for the original organization who sold, yes sold, the dog (this writer would love to know the price paid) to the DeGeneres household. Don’t most all-American families with a dog or two have children under the age of 14 in the home? What kind of breeder were they dealing with? Children and dogs, why, they go together as much as apple pie and ice cream! I’ve read the hairdresser had two pre-teen daughters, and that violated a part of the DeGeneres’ original contract that also included a hefty $500.00 breach of contract clause.

We need our celebrities to quit creating a market for over-priced mutts. Purchases to responsible breeders or donated funds through reputable shelters and rescue centers should be the focus, not lawyers trying to get their names into press releases by representing ill intentioned breeders!