Here's Why The Pioneer Woman Is Catching Serious Heat Over Dog Treats
Ree Drummond, that intrepid TV Pioneer Woman, is pioneering new territory — in addition to her cookbooks, her magazine, her bakeware, her bedding, and whatever else her merchandising department can dream up, she's entering the realm of Rachael Ray by marketing her very own line of dog treats. While her Instagram post from August 21 promised "cute little samples" for your "sweet doggies" that were dropped into select bags of Purina at Walmart, the reaction from her fans was anything but sweet. Or cute. What could these fans possibly find to object to? It's not like these dog treats contain weed killer or anything (we're looking at you, Rachael).
Well, for starters, some fans seemed to object to her partnering with Purina, complaining that it was not a quality pet food: "Garbage-filled" and "trashy stuff" were some of the descriptions given in her Instagram post's comment section. One fan, however, was more upset by the Pioneer Woman's partnership with Walmart, declaring they did "not want to make the Walton family richer while they keep their employees impoverished." Um, has this viewer not noticed that Pioneer Woman products are all over Walmart's housewares section? Ree + Walmart have been 'shipping a good long time, and are probably not going to break up any time soon.
Perhaps the oddest group of dog treat protests, however, came from those who chose to interpret her pro-doggo stance as an attack on all things feline. While Drummond's not one to gush about kitties in every blog post, she has Instagrammed a few from time to time, and even 'fessed up to smuggling a cat onto an airplane when she was in ninth grade (the cat, named Tiger evidently "thought it was fun!").
So, cat lovers, the Pioneer Woman isn't a hater. Maybe she'll even come up with some kitty treats later, if you learn to ask nicely. Walmart haters, sorry, that ship has sailed, and Drummond is definitely on board, so save your breath. And Purina haters? Well, these treats are natural, grain-free, and contain real meat as a first ingredient, so they may not be as bad as you fear. In fact, they might be quite a bit healthier than some of what the Pioneer Woman eats herself.