We had to take Lara to the doctor this morning to get a flu shot, but she woke up with a cold yesterday and has a bit of a fever, so they wouldn't give her the shot since she has a fever. So, since we were out and about, we decided to make a stop at Kohl's (they have GREAT sales going on this morning!) and then walked over to the pet store so she could look at the animals. I wanted to cry when we walked in. Among the puppies, there were about six dachshunds. Both long and short hair and SO adorable. But it made me sad because I know that these puppers are coming from puppy mills. Still, I wanted to take all of them home so they wouldn't have to be in that pet store anymore. As I was looking at an adorable male piebald, one of the sales guys came over and said, "Isn't he a cute dachshund?" I told him that we have one at home, and he told me that the dachshund is the best selling breed. I SO wanted to say something about pet stores contributing to the puppy mills, but I bit my tongue. A few minutes later, the salesman emerged with the male piebald and asked me if I wanted to hold him. It was all I could do to keep the tears from spilling over. He was such a cutie! I put him on the floor, and he RAN around the store. I was glad to see him get some exercise. I wanted to stuff him in my coat and run out the door. It just made me so sad because I know that there are people out there who will purchase a pet for the holiday season, and then a lot of those pets will end up in a shelter somewhere because after the excitement wears off, they will realize that their new pet is too much work for them. Makes me mad.
Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. :soapbox: When I took Chilie to the vet last week, they had a big display in their waiting room about the atrocities of puppy mills and articles encouraging people to rescue a pet. I was glad to see that.
I can't go into a pet store anymore for that very same reason - it is heartbreaking....... And as long as they sell....they will keep getting them....... Doesn't sound like a soapbox to me - just someone who cares !!!! Wish the guy would have looked the other way ! Hope Lara gets to feeling better......
I'm the same with the pet stores. PetSmart will only handle the rescue animals so I can go there, otherwise I just can't do it either. I want to ask too many questions and I know it really wouldn't make a difference. Even if the local store owners agree with what we tell them, the big management makes the rules, so they are limited in what they can change.
I hope Lara feels better soon. Colds are so miserable for the little ones.
Petco only has the rescue groups and humane society in with dogs too. We had another one open by us this weekend. They had an artist doing caricatures so we got one of Zack and Zena. :2funny:
Merion & the ZZ's
merion, it wasn't {Pau; from Egg Harbor was it?
I need to tell you about a former coworker of mine. this no longer happens due to a horific accident she was in, BUT Cathy used to visit the pet store in the mall. She would then carefully look over the kennels, and then ask the clerk, when was the last time their kennels were cleaned, I guess our state has some really strict laws. She would also ask if they had any other dogs in the back that were ill. She would also make comments about what a sad state the puppies were in. She would also ask lots of questions of the clerk about specific dogs, especially if there were customers who looked like they were interested in buying! Would also make comments about how many of that breed were turned in to shelters. Also asking what do you do with the dogs when they get too old to be cute puppies!!she would leave the store and come back later. then do it all over again!
We have two PetSmarts here in Greenville, but a Petco will be opening sometime in the next few weeks. It will be closer to our house than either PetSmart. I wondered if they did rescue animals, too. It's good to know they do.
Oh my Beth. I can barely stand to read it, I can imagine actually being there like you were. It is overwhelming to think of the thousands of animals in bad situations out there. Those poor babies. People can just suck sometimes, it make no sense to me that you can create a life just for the purpose of making a few bucks!!!!
I can't go into pet stores at all, or the pound. It just breaks my heart. The best I can do from here on out is to rescue, always rescue. Dan and I hope to get a big dog some day, just some big ole furry mutt, although I am partial to collies.