I have a moral issue with my job

[Yetra Flam]

I love it, I work in a puppy store, my coworkers are all (mostly) awesome. I get paid well and never really have to work too hard. I'm treated with respect by my superiors. I never dread going, I am generally glad to be there, its the best job I've ever had.

However, I KNOW that all of our dogs come from puppy mills.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_mills

And I have to lie straight to the face of every customer and say "oh no we get them from selective, responsible breeders." And I know thats not true. We get shipments of puppies on trucks every week, like they're fucking cargo. My boss will send them "back" if they're too big or not "cute enough" where god knows what happens to them. I dont even want to think about that.

We get protesters and activists ALL THE TIME screaming at us, how we're evil. People are trying to shut down the store, I wouldnt be surprised if we get picketed.

It's like a big moral dilemma for me. The only redeeming thing the store has is that the puppies are treated well while we have them.

That and the whole boss hiring illegal immigrants and then soliciting them for sex - all the while making them work 70 hour weeks for 6 dollars an hour.

Fuck, i dont know, it makes me feel like I work for a tobacco company. I'm not a bad guy, but I feel like I'm working for the bad guys.

[Helvete]

I didn't even know these things existed, pretty horrible from the sounds of things.

It's a tough thing to do though, on one hand you've found a job which you actually enjoy but unfortunately you have these issues. I don't know what I would do.

[Miho]

Those puppy mills do sound awful. I don't think I would be able to work there for very long knowing that sad truth.

Stick around until you find a job as good as the one you're working at, with equal enough pay.

[Echewta]

Leave and report them to the authorities.

Staying means you are part of the game and who knows what else you could see the longer you stay.

[Adam]

Leave and report them to the authorities.

Staying means you are part of the game and who knows what else you could see the longer you stay.

That'd be my choice to. Its hard quitting a job when you have nothing else to go to. Have a look what else is around asap - lying to every customer will slowly deplete your soul. Plus Trade Descriptions might end up on the company case and could be closed down anyway so you may end up looking for work.

An idea might be is get your allies at work in an unofficial meeting and throw about the issue of you all walking out - might get some local coverage and then you might get a job as a hero in some other ethical puppy store.

[Guy Incognito]

tough choice, leaving and staying true to your principles is an option but if i was you i would stay and help treat the animals better. if you left you would be worrying about the animals safety. at least you can help improve their life once the arrive at your work.

[ms.peachy]

I want to tell you that absolutely you should leave and not even think about staying, but I am in a glass house, so I will not throw stones.

[Helvete]

That glass house being China.

[Adam]

That glass house being China.

She said glass but both just as brittle I suppose.

Bricks make excellent building materials - and weapons

[kaiser soze]

leave - sometimes "good pay" isn't worth the anguish.

[ms.peachy]

That glass house being China.

That wasn't actually what I meant, but I suppose that fits as well.

[monkey]

could you potentially work in the same field without having to work for that company?

i dont know what i would do in your position, but i would like to think that i would try to find myself a way out so that i wouldn't have to have the weight of that moral dilemma in my mind. i would like to have the strength to not just get out but to make a big fuckin' stink so that those owners are found out and their lies are made public. but ive never been in your shoes, and i dont know if i could based on the circumstances. :(

[checkyourprez]

morals are very important to me, honesty being one at the top of the list. so i see what you're saying. but i also think its easy for people to sit here and say leave the job, when they don't pay your bills.

how would quitting and being jobless be on you for a while? or quitting and getting a new job that you hate do your constitution?


i think if you can get another job sorted out and to your liking quitting is fine. but don't let your principles lead you to a cardboard box on the street!!


(also you can tell authorities how your employer is hiring the illegal immigrants and butt fucking them for cash, they would probably be interested in investigating that)

[Kid Presentable]

You should absolutely quit. Problem about that is that people won't quit sending you bills, though.

[monkey]

could you be a secret whistleblower? i doubt it would be too hard for you to find a daily news writer eager to find a good story. shoot, try a college newspaper writer. i could send a few your way.

[Yetra Flam]

I dont think it would be THAT difficult for me to find another job in the same field. The thing is, I have KNOW how shitty some places can be, and this is the first job I've ever had that does not make me miserable.

They SHOULD be shut down, but on the same token, all my friends there have families to support - being an illegal immigrant your employment options are somewhat limited.

I should not be contributing to the problem, no. It just upsets me when protesters scream at me for being evil and accuse us of being abusive to animals.

[Kid Presentable]

I say fuck it. You only have to esplain yourself to yourself. Fuck the haters. Ryde or die.

[Yeti]

I read that the Amish operate a large number of puppy mills.

By the way.....What do you call an Amish guy with his hand up a horse’s ass?


A Mechanic

[Echewta]

There is no excuse or justification that would make this appropriate unless you don't care about the puppies wellbeing.

[Burnout18]

I read that the Amish operate a large number of puppy mills.



My friend just adopted a boxer mix that was seized from an amish puppy mill. He was a stud there and he was not in good shape. It was underweight and used to being hit all the time. The dog was scared shitless of me when i came over to his house. It was like when your grandma's cat hides from you, i have never seen a dog act like that. The dog wouldnt walk through the living room past me, not even to get to his food and eat.

Now its gained a little bit more weight but the dog was used to living in a cage for most of its life, the muscles aren't developed well and shit. Man
fuck the amish.

Anyways, with that being said, if the morality of a puppy mill starts to outweigh the enjoyment of working there then time to move on. But hey, the real asshole is the owner of your establishment, not you. If that helps.

[Adam]

I like the secret whistleblower idea. Not sure how good your employment laws are where you live, they wouldn't be able to sack you if you did it here I think. The company could stay open and the manager could be replaced?

But if the protesters are there, then someone in authority must know as I imagine they have told them and not turned up on the off-chance.

I pretty much hate dogs and puppy farms to me are no different high intensity farming used in the meat industry for the majority of meat that people have on their plates - yet most are pretty ok with buying and eating it. But I realise some people think dogs are cute and therefore higher up the food chain - its a toughie weighing up all the pros and cons - good luck, cus I don't know what I'd do in your shoes although I already said I'd quit - but I'm fickle and have quit good jobs over just having a bad day before.

[Planetary]

leave that shit. i personally wouldnt want any part in an organisation that is associated with mistreatment of anything/one.

[Echewta]

Save the puppies, eat meat.

[mikizee]

Yeah become a whistleblower and then get paid great sums of money to be exclusively interviewed by 60 minutes.

[ms.peachy]

Yeah become a whistleblower and then get paid great sums of money to be exclusively interviewed by 60 minutes.

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure one doesn't 'get paid great sums of money' for that.

[mikizee]

whatdya mean, 60 minutes are the kings of checkbook journalism

[silence7]

Wow, I just watched a show LAST night about a guy going undercover finding puppy mills that http://www.petland.com was buying their dogs from. Pretty horrifying conditions the dogs were living in. Most of the dogs were sick before and after people bought them. One lady said casually that she would put dogs to sleep if they weren't perfect (or something to that effect) It just wasn't right.

It wouldn't be an "issue" at all for me, I'd leave. I understand needing a job and all, but karma, and having to live with yourself... :(


Animal Planet Investigates: Petland

Video: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2010/animal_planet_investigates_petland_050610.html

http://www.ecorazzi.com/2010/05/18/animal-planet-investigates-petland-draws-connection-between-retailer-and-puppy-mills/

[venusvenus123]

I think that exposing them would be brilliant. Call up the New York Post for example.

Leaving them for moral reasons without having another job to go isn't very practical. Save the puppies but end up on the street? :(

Good luck!

[Ty Webb]

look for jobs as a vet tech. i did that for a few years. then expose the fucks at your store. it was a good job except for having to put down old dogs and catsonce in a while and bag 'em and tag'em lol.

[Funky Pepp]

Is it illegal in the USA to run a puppy mill? Because, I don't know, but I think you could even be considered responsible if you stay there knowing what is going on if that's illegal, besides the whole moral issue...

[venusvenus123]

Yes, you should turn yourself in and go to prison.