URGENT: Tell Landmark to Call Off 'Take Home a Labrador Pup' Contest!

Victory! Animals Won!

Dear friends,

Landmark is now offering a life-sized stuffed toy as a prize instead of a pup! Don't forget to send a thank you email to Landmark!

* * * * * * * * * *

Landmark Bookstore in Chennai (India) part of the Tata Group, has organized an ugly marketing promotion that exploits puppies thoroughly. It involves buying a book from the "Woofus" series and completing a slogan to "take home a chocolate brown Labrador pup". This essentially means people who participate want to pay the price of a book instead of the price of a Labrador. When animal shelters across Chennai are overflowing with homeless puppies and abandoned pedigree dogs, this sort of irresponsible marketing will contribute to the existing dog over population crisis! Because of this, animals in shelters will have difficulties in finding loving homes & greedy dog breeders will continue breed more dogs at their puppy mills!

Please call Landmark Chennai at o44 2847 7777 and write to landmark@vsnl.com, citicentre@landmark-tata.com, lijin@landmark-tata.com, natasha@landmark-tata.com and madhu@landmark-tata.com asking them to call off this irresponsible cruel promotion and treat animals with respect! Suggest them an alternative like soft toys. (This contest closes on May 25, 2009 - Please tell you friends to email & keep adding pressure; this blog will be kept updated! Let your emails be polite but strong!)

* * * * * * * * *

So Why Why Animals Do Not Make Good Gifts?

Animals are not toys. They are sentient beings who, like us, require love and proper care to flourish. Intentionally or not, children or elders can be cruel to animals. Puppies, kittens, bunnies, chicks, baby ducks, and other young animals are especially vulnerable. Small children may unintentionally torment and/or harm animals, even breaking their fragile bones or causing other fatal injuries.

Adoration may turn to indifference or even hostility when a child loses interest in an animal, who may then go without necessary care. The child’s parents or the adult who gave the child the animal may become impatient and try to “solve” the problem by turning the animal over to a shelter, abandon on streets or give them to a series of homes, causing trauma, psychological scarring and behavioral problems.

Animal shelters are filled beyond capacity with homeless animals. Many of these are former “pets” who were easily acquired but, for one reason or another, didn’t fit into someone’s lifestyle. Whether they are dogs or cats, some people regard them as expendable. Unwanted animals are often passed from home to irresponsible home as the novelty of having an animal wears thin at each successive place. Many people experience little or no guilt when turning an animal over to an overburdened animal shelter or abandoning on the streets.

What You Can Do
Don’t ever give an animal as a gift! If you have the commitment, time, money, space and heart for animals; visit your local animal shelter to adopt - NEVER buy animals from breeders!