The ASPCA commercial.

[Keri Roman]

I am very angrey with the commercial that you keep putting on channels that my children watch with that song in the arms of an angel.IT MAKES THEM CRY HYSTERICAL EVERY TIME IT COMES ON. IT'S TO THE POINT WHEN AS SOON AS THEY HERE THE MUSIC THEY COME RUNNING TO ME TO COVER THERE EYES AND EARS CAUSE THEY CAN'T CHANGE THE CHANNEL FAST ENOUGH. MY CHILDREN ARE NOT YOUNG THERE 12 AND 13. TAKE THE COMMERCIAL OFF THE KIDS CHANNELS!!!!!!!!!! IT'S SAD AND WRONG TO MAKE THEM SEE THOSE HORRIBLE IMAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Calipzo22]

I've seen the commericals and there are plenty of other commericals with sexual innuendos, cursing, alcohol, ect. Why don't you start sending messages to those people to while you're at it

[Keri Roman]

My children don't watch channels with those commercials so there not a problem but this cruel commercial is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Erin Brown]

I feel for you and your kids, Keri. Your anger says to me that your kids are kind, gentle little people who can't stand cruelty to animals.

What if you were to point out that the animals they're seeing on those commercials have been helped by people just as kind and loving as your kids?

It's horrible to see a child you love realize the cruelty people do in this world. I tried to give my kids hope by teaching them how to help by participating in blood drives, food drives, animal rescue, etc. My poor kids were stuck with how bad people can be, but they felt better when they helped.

I don't mean that critically of you at all, since it's clear you're just doing what a mom is supposed to do, which is protect your kids. I'm just trying to suggest ways to help your kids and you not feel so awful. My nieces and nephews and little neighbor kids volunteer all the time, including at our local animal shelter. They really do feel better because of that, even though they know they aren't fixing everything bad.

I'm really sorry for how bad you're feeling, Keri, and for how sad your kids are. It really does just stink. Maybe if your kids felt empowered, like this was THEIR cause too, those commercials wouldn't hurt them like they do now.

[Cynthia]

Keri, I understand that the commercial can be emotional, but the ASPCA's mission is to make the public aware of animal cruelty and to get help for the animals in their care, and Sarah MacLachlan was kind enough to lend the song and her voice to the cause.

Since I don't watch children's channels, I don't know to which channels you are referring, but I have only ever seen the commercials on Animal Planet and Discovery. What you might want to do is, if you feel the commercial is being shown on an inappropriate channel or during an inappropriate show, is to email each channel individually to lodge a complaint. It is the channels themselves that make the decision to air the commercials.

Perhaps it might help to discuss animal cruelty appropriately with your children, and make them aware of what they can do to change things. I volunteer at the ASPCA shelter and we have volunteers as young as 14 working with our shelter cats. They seem to do quite well and see many of the pets you see on the commercials. It really helps them to deal with the real-life animal abuse in the world because they know they are doing their part to help, and they no longer feel helpless. Maybe getting them involved with the cause could help them to feel empowered. You can look for volunteer opportunities in your area to help animals.

[Erin Brown]

Whoa, Cynthia and I said almost the same exact thing! Weird but cool!

I do know what commercials she's referring to; they're shown on channels such as ABC Family. One of my little newphews became really upset and his mom helped him phone me, since she knows my local involvement with animal rescue, fostering, etc. We talked, and when I saw him the next day, I showed him photos of animals that I'd been involved in helping, and told him their hopeful stories and happy endings. He was very teared-up that those animals had needed that kind of help in the first place, but he felt so much better to realize that his own family members are making a difference in our little corner of the world. Two of his older cousins (he's five, they're 11 and 12) told him their own stories of working at the local no-kill shelter. He came away from this talk feeling determined to be one of the good guys who help animals in need, and his parents are very glad to allow him to start volunteering when he's old enough. (The shelter has an age requirement, so he has to wait a couple years.) But his cousins and my neighbor kids (we all live in the same smallish town) are excited to let him start helping with their summer fund-raising for the shelter, which is usually old-fashioned bake sales and lemonade stands.

Incidentally, he's been at every Race for the Cure since he was born, the huge one in Peoria, Illinois. He's been a volunteer at the water tables since he was three. And believe me, he knows what breast cancer is, because his own mom was orphaned by it at his age. And that's pretty darn sad. But he and his brother and male cousins get out of bed, usually on a cold rainy day at 4:30 AM, and work those tables like little men. They are PART of the cause, and I that's better for their emotional health than if they were sheltered from the horror of it.

[pam]

I totally agree with you on this matter. My grandson covers his eyes and ears when he hears the commerical start. There is enough bad in the world without subjecting small children to this commercial. I know it it a good cause but children watch these channels by themselves. I think it is entirely wrong to show this on a childrens channel. I get angry everytime it comes on because it upsets him so much and I either change the channel or cut it off until the commercial is over. No matter what anyone says it is WRONG to show this on a childrens channel.