Britney Spears: Bad for Dogs!

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:49 am

Spears Dogged for Poor Pet Ownership

12/18/2006 12:11 PM, E! Online

Sarah Hall

Apparently, Kevin Federline wasn't the only warm-blooded being Britney Spears ousted from her home this year.

Once the proud owner of pampered pooches Bit-Bit, Lacy and Lucky, Spears ended the year dog-less, a feat that earned her the title of World's Worst Celebrity Dog Owner in an online poll of readers of Hollywood Dog and New York Dog magazines.

"Britney was the overwhelming choice," editor Hilary O'Hagan said in a statement. "She once had three Chihuahuas and never left home without at least one of them on her arm. As soon as she met K-Fed and had kids, they disappeared."

In an interview with Teen People in September, Federline admitted that he and Spears had decided the dogs no longer fit into their lifestyle.

"We gave all the dogs to friends of ours," Federline said at the time. "It's just too much with the kids and all these dogs running around all over the place. It just wasn't really working."

Shortly thereafter, Spears decided it wasn't really working with Federline either and filed for divorce.

So far, her sons Sean Preston and Jaden James are still in the picture.

Spears' poor pet-owning skills were deemed worse than those of last year's title-holder, Paris Hilton, who came in second this year for treating her dogs like accessories. Serena Williams came in third for lying about owning her pit-bull, Bambi, after it bit a security guard earlier this month.

Oprah Winfrey was named the Best Celebrity Dog Owner, in part because she supposedly provides each of her five dogs with its own nanny.

Meanwhile, in other dubious Spears achievements, a home-video clip of the singer burping and babbling incoherently was the number one celebrity viral video of the year, according to viralvideocharts.com.

The footage, shot by Federline, was viewed over 3 million times by the Website's count, giving it an easy lead over the second-place clip, TV footage of Federline apparently being notified of his impending divorce via text message—a stirring caught-on-tape moment that received close to 2 million views.

Spears was also Yahoo's most searched topic of the year, as well as the most searched celebrity—and that's in a year when she didn't even release an album. Nor is the "Oops" singer planning on leaving the spotlight behind again anytime in the near future.

"I'm just getting started," she wrote on her official Website earlier this month. "I look forward to a new year, new music and a new me!"

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:49 am

Actually she probably did those Chihuahuas a favor. Toddlers and Chihuahuas are not good together and the dogs would have came out on the losing end.

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:12 am

flopstock;490965 wrote: I would have thought that should have earned her 'best pet lover' of the year.

Think how many people neglect their animals or kids.... folks wonder why they didn't just give them to someone who would love and take care of them..

That's what she did. I applaud her.

I agree! :-6

And kids are A LOT of work, I know I'd be overwhelmed if I had to take care of 3 dogs in addition to taking care of my kids.

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:36 am

Whats so bad about what she did? What did she do wrong?

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:45 am

She did what a ton of other irresponsible people do- dumped one longterm responsibility for another one. How responsible is that? If you can't handle three tiny dogs, how the heck do you take care of three human kids? Also, she showed everyone that it's okay to be irresponsible when it comes to caring for a pet. You may think it's great she gave them (supposedly) to friends, but what about the idots who can't and they take theirs to the pound and think it's actually okay, that that's what people do when you don't want to take care of a pet? When she took on those dogs, she took them on for their natural life- NOT just until they became inconvenient. That's what she did wrong.

I get about 5-15 calls a week from people who "can't' keep their pets any more, often because of a new baby in the house, and they want t me to take them off their hands. Britney and Fed are just another couple of losers in the pet owner world.

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:54 am

So, should she have gotten rid of the kids?

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:59 am

The fact is, she didn't drop them off at the pound. I don't approve of that either. I have rescued many cockers either from the pound or from people who (for no special reason other than the high maintenance of a cocker) can no longer keep them. Finding a home for a dog that will probably be miserable in a home with multiple toddlers is not a bad thing to do in my book. When I have a cocker that will no longer be shown, bred from or used in field trials, I try to find them a home too. Otherwise, they will just spend their last 10 or so years sitting in my kennel when they could be on someone's bed.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:07 am

No, she shouldn't have gotten rid of the kids (actually....)

but she should have thought about what she was going to do with kids when she got the dogs in the first place. Few people ever think of that stuff. The kid comes and the pets go out the door. People treat pets as disposable goods. Britney did the same thing by giving them away. Itw asn't because the dogs didn't get along with the kids, it was because she "couldn't" handle all of them. If some people could give away their kids, I think they would do that too. I mean geez, dogs are work but a child is far more work for a longer time. I just don't see how you can handle a child (or three) if you can't handle three tiny dogs. Or even one dog as is the case with some. I'm sure I won't change your minds about this, but if I had had any respect for Twitney, it would be long gone by now. So her kids will grow up thinking you just get rid of pets when you get tired of them.

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:31 am

[QUOTE=RedGlitter;491189] I just don't see how you can handle a child (or three) if you can't handle three tiny dogs. QUOTE]

you just can't really compare a relationship with a family member with that of taking care of an animal. :-6

LilacDragon · Post by **LilacDragon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:43 am

sunny104;491219 wrote: [QUOTE=RedGlitter;491189] I just don't see how you can handle a child (or three) if you can't handle three tiny dogs. QUOTE]

you just can't really compare a relationship with a family member with that of taking care of an animal. :-6

?

I guess it depends on the relationship you have with the family pet.

Red is dead on - if you can't handle 3 chi's then you are going to have MAJOR issues with a child.

As for Brittany - she got her dogs (or at least one of them) from one of the most notorious mills in the country, carried them around like they were some kind of new Gucchi bag and then dumped them.

What would be really interesting to know if she actually spent any time with the dogs besides those photo op's. Somehow, I doubt it. Dogs require work and I have a hard time picturing Brittany taking a dog for a walk to do it's business.

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:43 am

I have no strong feelings for Ms. Spears one way or the other, but I didn't mean her dogs and children didn't get along. I just remember my sister torturing my dad's tiny toy poodle and accidentally falling on it and breaking its leg. Toddlers are hard on any dog and tiny toy dogs are very fragile. I just don't like to see this situation for the dog, and at the very least, the dog is not going to get the attention he is accustomed to once babies are in the picture. I am not a mother and have never wanted any human children, but I think having children is not something that is planned. No one should expect to plan their whole life before getting a pet. It is just impossible. I also remember rescuing my own kitten from the neighbor's baby who didn't realize you can't hold the kitty by his neck:( and kitty will be happy about it. And let's face it, Ms. Spear's children aren't going to live in the real world anyway. Responsible pet ownership is one small facet of the things that they won't experience normally.

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:08 pm

LilacDragon;491229 wrote: [QUOTE=sunny104;491219]

?

I guess it depends on the relationship you have with the family pet.

I don't consider having a pet to be a relationship and it definitely does not compare to what you share with your parents, siblings, spouse, children, etc.

Red is dead on - if you can't handle 3 chi's then you are going to have MAJOR issues with a child. that's not true. I could have tons of kids and be fine. As for pets, I'm still not sure we want that responsibility because it's different.

..................

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:09 pm

flopstock;491304 wrote:

Hell, I wish my folks had found homes for us rather then keep us because it was the correct thing to do..

:wah: I wished that too!

LilacDragon · Post by **LilacDragon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:54 pm

I don't consider having a pet to be a relationship and it definitely does not compare to what you share with your parents, siblings

that's not true. I could have tons of kids and be fine. As for pets, I'm still not sure we want that responsibility because it's different.

Of course the relationship between my dog and me and my children and me is different! To think that they are the same is, well, silly.

If you don't have pets, then how can you compare the care of a dog (or two or three) to the care of a child? It is more difficult to raise a child then it is a dog so if you think that someone who can't take reasonable care of a 3 pound dog would make a good parent - IMHO - you are mistaken.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:07 pm

For petes sake people. She didnt feel she could properly care for or pay enough attention to the dogs so she gave them to someone who possibly could. It does'nt make her a bad person or parent in any way. In fact it might show that she would be a good parent by being able to recognize her dog caring skills or lack thereof. Maybe she wants to focus all of her attention on her kids. Which in my opinion is much more important.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:09 pm

On another note. Anyone who puts an animals welfare above people are just plain wacko. We should treat our animals with care,love, and respect but not to the detriment of humans.

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:30 pm

LilacDragon;491413 wrote: Of course the relationship between my dog and me and my children and me is different! To think that they are the same is, well, silly.

that's what I was saying in the first place...you're the one that said: "I guess it depends on the relationship you have with the family pet."

If you don't have pets, then how can you compare the care of a dog (or two or three) to the care of a child? It is more difficult to raise a child then it is a dog so if you think that someone who can't take reasonable care of a 3 pound dog would make a good parent - IMHO - you are mistaken.

I've had pets in my life before.

I'm not saying they are more difficult, just different and not everyone would put in the same sacrifices (or whatever you want to call it) for a pet as they would for a family member. Of course anybody can take 'reasonable' care of a dog, a child can even do it, I never said otherwise. You said: 'if you can't handle 3 chi's then you are going to have MAJOR issues with a child." And I disagree. Like Britney, most people probably wouldn't hesitate to give away a pet for whatever reason because to most people it is just an animal. And that doesn't mean that you will make a bad parent or "have major issues with a child"

PS you can stop arguing with me now...especially if you're going to keep contradicting yourself.

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:34 pm

YZGI;491424 wrote: For petes sake people. She didnt feel she could properly care for or pay enough attention to the dogs so she gave them to someone who possibly could. It does'nt make her a bad person or parent in any way. In fact it might show that she would be a good parent by being able to recognize her dog caring skills or lack thereof. Maybe she wants to focus all of her attention on her kids. Which in my opinion is much more important.

exactly. :-6

it also hit me that it's not a matter of not being able to take care of a dog, it's that you don't want to and that in no way means that you will be or are a bad parent.

LilacDragon · Post by **LilacDragon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:56 pm

sunny104;491441 wrote: exactly. :-6

it also hit me that it's not a matter of not being able to take care of a dog, it's that you don't want to and that in no way means that you will be or are a bad parent.

And this attitude is exactly the reason that 1.5 million dogs are euthanized every year in the U.S. People get them because they are cute but when they become too much of a burden, they are dumped at the local shelter or along some country road.

Sorry - but Brittany epitomizes the attitude of a lot of the young people today - I want what I want when I want it and when I am done with it, I throw it out.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:53 pm

sunny104;491441 wrote: exactly. :-6

it also hit me that it's not a matter of not being able to take care of a dog, it's that you don't want to and that in no way means that you will be or are a bad parent.

Sure it does. On both counts. It means you're lazy and selfish and don't want to stick it out for the responsibility you took on. That is a crappy trait in a pet owner *and* a parent who will pass that right on to the kid.

YZGI- we've had enough hate threads in the past about putting people before animals. Let's not have one where we don't even need it, as that is not the issue here. Thanks!

I have to say I'm really amazed at the reaction this post has drawn. I expected more than just a few to see where Twitney went wrong. This is the problem people like LD and me and other animal workers face on a daily basis.

:(

LilacDragon · Post by **LilacDragon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 5:03 pm

that's what I was saying in the first place...you're the one that said: "I guess it depends on the relationship you have with the family pet."

Sorry - I will clarify it for you.

If my house caught on fire - I would save my children first.

However - my dogs are very much a part of my family. They go places with us, sleep with us and attend family holiday gathering and such with us. I spend almost as much time training my dog as I do helping my 8 year old with homework.

Taking a pet into my home is a commitment - much like having a child. It is my responsibility to teach both my children and my dogs to be good citizens - although the requirements are vastly different. It is my job to keep both my children and my pets safe from predators and disease. It is up to me to make sure that they are happy and healthy for life.

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:05 pm

So, everyone who thinks she should have kept the dogs with two small children really believe a tiny toy breed is safe with two toddlers? If she had chosen a sturdier breed, I would have thought she should try to teach her boys to play with them properly, but even in the most dog wise families, I really think a toy breed is a big mistake with very young children. I am not saying this because I think the dogs weren't important, just the opposite. I think they were in peril and the best thing that could happen was for her to find them new homes. I also will repeat myself when I say I don't think it is shirking your responsibility when you know your pets are better off in someone else's home. This doesn't mean the pound or the side of the road, but a real home with the condition (I always have this in writing) that if things don't work out, the dogs come back to me and no one else.

Rain · Post by **Rain** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:43 pm

Here's an idea, let's ask Michael Jackson where Bubbles is

But of couse where are ALL of the animals at "never land"?? But poor Bubbles. That cute little chimp Jackass used to carry around. Chimps can get big and aggresive. Maybe Bubbles grew up and became another of Jackass's *problems* huh?

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:51 pm

Rain;491604 wrote: Here's an idea, let's ask Michael Jackson where Bubbles is

But of couse where are ALL of the animals at "never land"?? But poor Bubbles. That cute little chimp Jackass used to carry around. Chimps can get big and aggresive. Maybe Bubbles grew up and became another of Jackass's *problems* huh?

That's a little off the subject, but a full grown chimp is bigger than MJ. I doubt most men could handle an adult chimpanze. We used to have a rescue shelter for all kinds of monkeys and chimps in our area before the electric company declared them a business and made it impossible for them to afford the electric bill. They had a chimp that was 165lbs. He bit the thumb off of the man who started the shelter:-2

Rain · Post by **Rain** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:56 pm

I thought the subject was about ppl giving animals away.

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:59 pm

Rain;491608 wrote: I thought the subject was about ppl giving animals away.

OK, I just thought it was about Brittany and her Chihuahuas:) It can be expanded, I guess.:-6

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:54 pm

Which is worse, her keeping the dogs she no longer wants or her giving them to a loving home. No, it isn't right to decide she no longer wants them, but perhaps she didn't realize what she was taking on when she got them. I'd rather see them loved and wanted, than kept and neglected.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:09 pm

"Here's an idea, let's ask Michael Jackson where Bubbles is But of couse where are ALL of the animals at "never land"?? But poor Bubbles. That cute little chimp Jackass used to carry around. Chimps can get big and aggresive. Maybe Bubbles grew up and became another of Jackass's *problems* huh?"

+++++++++++++++ So, let's DO go just a little "off topic" and pay attention to Rain's question. What DOES happen to animals abandoned by stars?

Once people like Michael Jackson have animals like chimps and orangutans or perhaps someone like the (INCREDIBLY VAPID) Paris Hilton decides to "own" a kinkajou....an incorrect message is sent that it's "OK" to keep animals like these!

Of course, they're really CUTE when they're little...but, these aren't animals who were ever bred to become "pets," and so, once they become adults, they are "difficult" and must be put aside.....just like Britney's little dogs.

The sad fact is that, because they're "cute"....too many animals are doomed to miserable lives in totally inappropriate surroundings.

My heart breaks for them...Paris Hilton "caring" for a kinkajou is just pathetic.

Perhaps Britney and her dogs worked out well...(lucky dogs) but that was just ONE case!

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:28 pm

I did a little research about Bubbles. According to Wikipedia, Bubbles lived at a cancer research center until 1985 when MJ acquired him. After he bit several people, and became too hard to manage he was relocated. "The New York Daily News reported that Bubbles is alive and well and living at a ranch in Sylmar, California. The ranch manager, Bob".

I have never heard of the type animal Paris Hilton has, but I looked them up to. They live 20 to 25 years. That's a big committment.

LilacDragon · Post by **LilacDragon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:33 pm

Well, since Brittany is so well known for being so responsible, I am sure that her dogs were carefully placed into loving homes.

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:47 pm

Do we know her:-3 About 90 to 100% of celebrity news is made up and embellished to sell magazines or get us to their websites. I don't take any of the supposed "news" about the various celebrities serious. It's just a bunch of baloney if you ask me

I am really amused by coworkers and friends who really get into this stuff.:wah: