Written by PETA
UPDATE: As a result of PETA's complaint to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (DOA), the office of Susan West, director of the DOA's Dog Law Enforcement Bureau, has advised Heavenly Angels and Dreamland Divas Director Grace James that the planned puppy giveaway is a violation of Pennsylvania law and has assured PETA that puppies will not be given away as prizes.
Just when you thought kiddie beauty pageants couldn't get any creepier, PETA has learned that children's beauty-pageant company Heavenly Angels and Dreamland Divas is planning to give away free puppies as prizes to the winners of a competition in Pennsylvania next weekend. Hello? How out of touch are these people?
Giving away live animals as prizes is against Pennsylvania law, and for good reason. Puppies need constant attention, expensive veterinary care, patient and gentle guidance, and someone who will commit to caring for them for life. Not every family is willing or able to do this (let alone those who are busy traveling to pageants), and puppies who end up with people who never really wanted them are often turned over to shelters, passed along to anyone who will take them, chained up in a backyard, or even abandoned on the street.
Let's remind the pageant's director to comply with Pennsylvania law—which the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture itself has advised pageant officials on—and cancel plans to give away animals as prizes.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
Just came to the PETA site for the first time today. I was walking to get a coffee one morning at a lightbulb went off in my head. I seriously couldn't bring myself to eat another peice of animal flesh again. Not sure what set the trigger off. It just happened.
Dear Sir I urge you not to do this Giving live animals as prizes is wrong! Do you know what can happen to an animal thats not wanted? It can not only end up in a sheter it chould also end up being sold to a lab! A lot of loving animals that should have been placed in good homes end up being sold to labs instead Please dont treat animals like things and cancel the give away before its too late
Amazing. How do these IDIOTS come up with these things?
I actually knew a family who bought a pedigreed puppy to be one of those 'All-American' families with a pool, white fence, and puppy. They only let it stay in the washroom and when the dog developed problems in his hips and back legs due to a lack of room and exercise they dumped him at the shelter.
And these are the sorts of people they want to give puppies to. Give me a break.
I agree that giving puppies (or any animals) away as prizes is a bad idea, but I also believe that beauty pagents for children is a bad idea altogether. Beauty pagents teach children that what is on the surface is more important than what is inside, when the reverse is true. I don't care for adult pageants either, but at least the women in those have made their own decision to participate in them.
By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your personal info in accordance with our privacy policy as well as to receiving e-mails from us.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
Follow PETA on Twitter!