My dog, my accessory?

(Originally published March 15, 2008)

I'm a long-time fan of J.Jill clothing. In addition to their being one of the few manufacturers of tasteful-but-not-stuffy apparel for women my age, they also support causes that benefit women in crisis or who are attempting to improve their lives. My bad: I shouldn't have assumed that a company that supports women's causes would also support humane causes. But that's exactly what I assumed until yesterday, when the company's latest catalog arrived in my mailbox. Click here to see what appalled me:

http://www.jjill.com/jjillonline/eCatalog/catalogS7.aspx?sku=0803-Sp3D2

Flip the page and you'll see a similar image: a gleeful woman carrying what appears to be a Rat Terrier in a totebag. The Rat Terrier, btw, is way too big to fit in said totebag.

It's bad enough seeing Paris Hilton, Britney Spears or other popwrecks (thank you, TMZ.com, for that colorful characterization) toting their little teacup dogs in handbags wherever they go. But J. Jill positions itself as a socially responsible company. Who was the nitwit who thought that stuffing a dog in a totebag would sell clothing to that company's demographic?

J.Jill, what were you thinking?