Gosselin’s send the children the wrong message – again.

Credit: INFphoto.com

First, I don’t watch Jon and Kate plus Eight.  I have seen the show in the past and quite frankly, it burned my retinas.

For those who aren’t familiar with this dysfunctional family, Jon and Kate have eight children.  First they were “blessed” (via fertility treatments) with twins, then they were “blessed” (via fertility treatments) with sextuplets.  A TV Network, TLC, thought that this would make fascinating TV so they gave Jon and Kate their own show.  Apparently the show went to the parents head quite a bit.  They started out in a modest home, struggling to make ends meet.  Over the past 5 years (that the show has aired) they have moved into a million dollar home (after all, they make $75K per episode of the show – times 5 years – it’s safe to say that they are worth some loot) and gotten more free trips (tummy tucks, hair plugs, toys, clothes, food, cribs, ect.) than you can shake a stick at.  It’s a disgusting display of greed on the parents part.  It’s one thing to accept help in a time of need, it’s quite another to take advantage of your children for monetary gain.

Anyway, Jon and Kate bought (I am assuming they bought the dogs but I could be wrong) two german shepard dogs from a breeder.  The dogs moved with them into their million dollar home.  Then Jon and Kate got a divorce.  Kate doesn’t want the dogs (on her million dollar lawn probably) and Jon bought a condo in NY so he can’t take the dogs.

The solution?

They are sending the dogs (now with the family for years) back to the breeders.  Yup.  So, not only do the kids (all eight of them – who have bonded with the dogs) lose but so do the dogs.  And what is the message that these two are sending to their kids about companion animals?  That they are disposable.  That, if things don’t work out like you want them too, you can just “get rid of” the animals.

I’ve said it before but animals are not disposable, they are not toys.  Before you decide to get an animal, you need to think about all those things that the animal will need.  Are you financially stable to add to your household?  Will you be able to afford the vet fees and food?  Are you committed to walking the dog every day?  Will you put time into training the animal to keep them and others safe?  And most importantly, will you be able to invest at least 10 years of your life caring for the animal?  Because, most animals will live beyond 10 years.  People need to think about their “purchase” before they do it.

The idea that animals are disposable is only a small part of a larger picture.  It’s unfortunate, but it’s the same mentality as with “food animals”.  The animals right to life is not considered, only the human’s agenda is.  Did Jon and Kate think about the dogs well-being when they shipped them back to the breeders?  No.  Do the dogs understand why their life has been turned upside down?  Do they understand why their family is gone?  No.  Jon and Kate’s lack of compassion for the two animals that they accepted into their family just pisses me off.  It sends the wrong message to their children, but worse, those dogs are now displaced.

I suppose I should be thankful for one thing.  At least the dogs went back to the breeder.  They didn’t go to the pound where they would have surely been euthanized due to overcrowding.  I guess that’s a bright spot, right?