# Puppies as prizes?



## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Seriously? There are several different pageants giving away puppies as prizes now. 

Puppies given as prizes at child beauty pageant on TLC's 'Toddlers & Tiaras' (Photo, Video) - National pet news | Examiner.com

It's hard not to watch "Toddlers & Tiaras," the documentary series on TLC focusing on child pageants. There's the glitz, the hair spray, the fake tanning, and best of all -- pageant _dads_! (They can out-twirl and out-shimmy most of the pageant moms.) 
Imagine my surprise when one recent episode featured a pageant that gave away not just giant trophies and savings bonds, but real, live, _puppies_! Oh my. Is that a good idea? Puppies are a lot of work and a lifetime commitment.
"I'm going to win a puppy," declared Makynli Miller, 5, who was competing in the Kings and Queens of America pageant in Louisiana. (Watch the video, below.) Luckily, Makynli won one of the titles of "beauty supreme" and got to take home one of the puppies. "I'm going to name him Sweetcakes!" the adorable girl announced to her mother, already loving the little dog.
But what happened after the pageant? Did Makynli, in fact, get to keep the puppy, or was it given away?
"Yes, she kept Petey [the puppy] and they were crazy about him," Makynli's pageant coach, Christy Cosby, tells Pet News Examiner. "Unfortunately he was ran over just a few weeks ago and the family was devastated."
Watch a clip from the show, below. Makynli talks about the puppies at 2:37 in the video and at 4:42. (You will also not want to miss watching Tootie, age 10, a fierce competitor with major attitude at 2:08.)


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

That's so screwed up. 

When I was a teen my family bought an Australian Shepherd puppy at a firefighter benefit auction. Somebody had donated her to the fire department to be auctioned off.


----------



## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Oh, that is such a bad idea.


----------



## lorihd (Nov 30, 2011)

how horrible!


----------



## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

That's awful  It's bad enough when people give dogs away but giving them to children! No way, they have no idea what life they're going to


----------



## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

I have seen articles where the poor 8 week old puppy (so, not even complete vacs) being held up by a stranger as the foto is being taken....Breeder even attend the party.

Sad and scary that someone would do that.


----------



## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

there have actually been several pageants that have given away puppies recently.


----------



## keiko (Dec 4, 2011)

I'm also horrified by child pageants!


----------



## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

My Aunt's charity auction auctioned off a lab puppy one year, my Aunt called and was all excited about it, she knows how involved I am with my dogs, she wanted to make sure I told "all my doggy friends" about it so they would have lots of bidders, I told her not only would I not be coming to the auction this year because of it, the breeder was not respectable in my eyes when they could auction off a pup to the highest bidder not caring who it would be or what kind of home the puppy would have. 
(I did donate to the charity but not through her group)


----------



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I don't even like when they give away goldfish as prizes.
There's a non-profit in the area that offers housing and jobs for people with developmental disabilities, and they do an auction/raffle event every year. One of the "items" in the raffle is a puppy. The organization started out as pet shop years ago, and now have a "family attraction" farm which includes a petting zoo, shops, and a big pet shop with lots of puppies for sale...


----------



## cpatrzyk (Sep 21, 2008)

NO!!
(why not just give away the kids?)


----------



## alexand (May 9, 2012)

Yes,I'm horrified by child pageants,too.


----------



## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

Now I like child pageants even less than before and I really did not like them a single bit. Sad.


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Now, I'm not gonna say that I know the exact circumstances in which this puppy was run over, but odds are that someone was not looking after it properly...as might happen with an unprepared family that just happened to receive a puppy they didn't really want?


----------



## Rico's Daddy (May 8, 2012)

cpatrzyk said:


> NO!!
> (why not just give away the kids?)


 
From what little I've seen of those pageants, the kids would probably be better off.


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Rico's Daddy said:


> From what little I've seen of those pageants, the kids would probably be better off.


Agreed. I'd take one. I think a little weeding would do one of those brats some good. You know, as a totally selfless act to improve their character .


----------



## heronponie (Sep 27, 2011)

Devil's advocate. I knew someone who won a puppy as a prize years ago. (Not a pageant- I think it was a raffle or something). The family previously weren't interested in having pets, but they did step up to the plate. The dog was cared for and loved well into old age. Since then, they have gone on to provide a loving home for several other dogs throughout the years.

Sooo... pageants are insane and puppies are not appropriate prizes, but once in a while something good can come of it


----------



## catz (Dec 10, 2010)

There is a show that has started a few weeks ago in the UK called Keith Lemon's LemonAid and the family who win the gameshow get an animal as a prize. The first animal to be given away was a little 6 week old pug puppy and the second was a chicken. 

The show claims to have vetted each family to make sure they are suitable but there has been major uproar and lots of complaints. They also claim that the puppy came from a good breeder who preformed health tests but that seems very unlikely as well as the breeder is only 17 years old! 

Keith Lemon himself was bombarded on his twitter account from angry viewers but he basically made fun of their concern and deleted the account. Its disgusting.. 

Keith Lemon's ITV1 Show, LemonAid, wants families that want a puppy - StarNow.co.uk


BBC News - Keith Lemon's puppy prize sparks complaints


----------



## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Our local humane society is doing this. They donated a puppy to another local chrity as a raffle prize.
Thinking outside of the box to save lives? - Albany Animal Welfare | Examiner.com

"
Executive Director of PAWS, Bob Robbins says “We saw an opportunity to help another worthy charity while saving the life of one of our dogs at the same time. Definitely a win/win situation!” The dog will be part of the silent auction at the event. The lucky high bidders will still be required to go through Paws Humane standard adoption process assuring that he will be in a safe and appropriate home. Mr. Robbins hopes this “creative marketing” will not only save this dog’s life, but will raise awareness of his organization and the work they do."


----------



## Floppy (Feb 26, 2011)

Theres an area 'teacup' breeder who gives away puppies as prizes for winning facebook contests -_-


----------

