My Petstore Pug
 

Seven years ago, my husband and I were wandering through the mall and browsing the puppies in a pet store with no intent to buy. We saw the cutest little pug dog, she was $1400. We weren't looking for a pet, so we carried on. A month later, we were wandering through the same mall, and saw that she was still there. Noone was buying her! We went over to the cage to talk to her. She listened intently and responded by tilting her head back and forth. We felt sooooooo sorry for her. She was so small that her little feet fell through the grates in the bottom of the cage, so she couldn't move around. The pet store owner had her in the bottom row of cages, she was shivering like mad. Even I could feel how cold it was in there. No toy...no blanket. I approached the manager and pointed out that she was cold. He said, "Oh they all do that, she's fine". It broke our hearts, so we bought her. She's always been timid and afraid of everything, which was my first hint that she came from an unkind place.

Soon after getting her, we discovered she has a partially collapsed trachea. We have learned to live with that and help her the best we can.

She also started to develop Hip Dysplasia just after her first year of life. It was mild enough that she was still able to go for short walks of 15 mins at a time.

Last year, at 6 yrs of age, Tang had to have 12 teeth extracted despite my efforts of brushing her teeth 2-3 times per week, and using an Oral Cleansing Gel recommended by my vet. The vet said her teeth were bad due to poor genetics. She has always been fed dry dog food.

Fast forward to today, my poor little pug dog has a genetic disorder called Spondylosis. It is to the point now where she can hardly move. Her back legs have almost no mobility, she can't run or jump or play. When she stands her back is sloped like a slide, soon I am afraid she will just be dragging her back end along. She has developed incontinence and literally does not feel when she has to pee or poop. It just falls out. She is on medication for pain and inflammation, in hopes that it will help. It isn't doing anything. I worry that she won't even make it to Christmas.

THIS my friends, is why you don't buy from a pet store. Yes, I'm happy we bought her. We gave her 7 wonderful years of life, but this is SO unfair to her. She has lived half of her life expectancy. She is a wonderful, well behaved, loving pet...and she deserved so much more.

I am so sad and angry. :(:mad:

I wish that I knew then, what I know now. I will NEVER spend $ in a pet store that sells puppies again. I won't even step foot in one.

Thank you for listening. I just had to share with other dog lovers like me. People, that I know will understand how I feel.

I am so sorry!!:( Bless your heart.

I am so sorry. It is terrible what the pet store puppies go through and then the genetic maladies they suffer from...It makes me sick that people breed dogs and sell them like electronics or any other commodity.

I know your precious pug was grateful to have such an awesome home for her 7 years. I am sorry it couldn't be longer...:(

Your story broke my heart.....I am so sorry your pug had to go through all this pain for all of her life. She was very fortunate to have an owner like you who truly cared about her & tried to help her as best as you could.

I'm so sorry that this is happening to her. Don't regret going into the pet store because she would never had had those seven wonderful years if it hadn't been for you! You really helped out a poor defenseless pup. Be very proud of yourself. :)

Thank you :rose40:

I am so sorry and I am sending healing vibes to your precious lil baby <3

Look what you have done for this little one.
You have given her, so far, seven wonderful, loving, caring years.
Chances are she would not have had that if you did not buy her.
Don't regret it for one second.
I often think where my Buddy would be if I did not buy him and I
shudder at the thought.
Yes, we have learned much from YT about puppymills and pet stores.
I also will never walk into any pet store that sells dogs/cats. I avoid
them altogether. I hope they all go bankrupt sooner or later when
word get's out about where their pups come from.
All we can do is try to spred the word.
Good luck to you and your pug. I hope she can be kept free of pain.

Your dear little pug's story broke my heart. I'm sorry you *and* her are going through this.

Poor sweet thing. You did a wonderful thing getting her

oh my, you made tears run down my face with your story.. what a wonderful person you are with a heart of gold... i will pray for all of you.

I'm sorry if I made you cry. I too was crying when I wrote it.

Thanks for reading.

we are here for you anytime...

I'm so sorry that Tang is not doing well. :( You gave her 7 wonderful years and I pray that with the vets help she will be with you a little longer. :hands:

Before I knew any better, we got our Yorkie, Rudy at a Pet Store. He's 2 years old now and knock on wood, no health problems yet.

Take Care....please keep us informed.

I agree.
I wish there were more people out there with a warm heart like yours.
Your baby knows that you love her and that you will always love her.
It was fate that you took her home that day and even though things are tough right now your life is forever enriched because of her.

My heart breaks for you and little Tang,,,,,nobody deserves this. So glad that Tang found you,It broke my heart to see dogs for sale in your pet stores in the US ,needless to say I did not buy anything I would not give them a penny.

This broke my heart I have a Pug that is the true Joy in my life the happiest Pug alive but he came from a great and reputable breeder.

I am so sorry to hear about your little girl. Which is why I never have or will buy anything from any pet store that sells puppies.

As NO breeders sell to pet stores they come from puppy mills ONLY!

I do agree that all those poor puppies need homes but if we contribute to helping these scum bags make money they will continue to do this.

They take NO care, no vaccines, NOTHING for these poor puppies.

And let me tell you I got my pug from an AWESOME breeder and I only paid $800

You know in most cases these pet stores purchase these puppies for $200 or less a peace and like you said sell them for ridiculous prices like $1400 WOW!


STAY AWAY FROM PET STORES THAT SELL PUPPIES! A lot of them tell you they get them from local breeders. But as i said earlier NONE of them come from breeders but puppymills!

http:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW4cp0AvC4w



NOT ONLY DOGS:

BridgettesMomma - what a powerful message those youtube videos send. Although it was really hard to watch, I am glad that you shared those with us. Education is the key. I will be passing those on to anyone and everyone who will watch. Hopefully one day puppymills will be a thing of the past. It makes me sick that anyone would treat a living breathing animal in that way.

I just don't know how these people sleep at night. They are heartless. :mad:

:aimeeyorkCOCO :aimeeyorkPEBBLES :aimeeyorkTRIXIE

I definitely understand how you feel. In college, I wrote a term paper about puppy mills after I brought a Pomeranian at a Pet Expo. I adopted a Pomeranian with collapse trachea and he was sick every week. He could not play for long periods without wheezing. I just want inform people not to buy dogs at Pet Expos, because they are just like pet stores. They travel from city to city selling dogs with genetic defects at civic centers. I hope your dog feels better, so that you can spend more time enjoying and loving your pet.

You sound like such a loving person and the best home that this sweet little girl could have had. I know that if no one buys from a pet store then they will eventually go out of business, and I have never and will never buy a dog from one. But I can't imagine what could have happened to this wonderful pet if you had not come along and rescued her. So what happens to those sweet babies?

I am very sorry this has caused you so much pain, You just have to know you gave her the best life you could .. who know's where she would be today if she was left in that pet store. I am sure she is happy just to be somewhere where she is loved dearly and adored. She has gotten to spend her life in a wonderful home with a wonderful mommy that loves her.

What a sad story! Tang is so lucky that she had someone to love her, but she never should have been born into a life like this because of irresponsible breeders, assuming that was the case. I know this is difficult for you. It's such a shame that it happens, and that it continues to happen to so many people - and puppies.

I do agree they are hard to watch. Especially the the NON dog ones where they step on the hamster, cut the birds nail all the way down, and neuter a rabbit that's not fully sedated with a dull blade. How awful!

But I do think these are absolutely necessary to show people the seriousness of these horrid puppy mills and animal vendors!

I just googled the pet store that we bought Tang from. Surprise, surprise...look what I found!

BCSPCA Press Release - Pet Habitat in Burnaby Charged with Animal Cruelty - May 4, 2005

I sure wish that I knew then, what I do now. Not that I regret getting our little pug (she's a sweetheart), but it sure would have saved some heartache :(

I rolled my eyes at the comment Don't all petstores sell puppies that come from puppymills or mass breeders? :rolleyes:

Anyways, it's late and I'm babbling....just thought I'd share.

My parents bought us a German Short-haired pointer when we were teens from a petstore. He was 'on sale' for $200 because his markings were not right and noone wanted him. He was 6 months old. We loved this dog sooo much! My dad especially just fell for him. At age 6, he died peacefully from a spinal cord tumor that grew into his brain. He did not suffer and he died in his sleep. I do not know if that has to do with genetic conditions or not, but that was the only pet store dog we ever bought. What a horrible way and age to lose a pet. :( I try to never go to pet stores and look at the dogs... they all pull at my heart and conscience and I can't buy them. :(

it makes me really angry that Petstores even exist. Stores should be to sell Pet items not pets. I hate those Mall petstores .. I used to go in there and they all look so miserable, sometimes i wish i could take them all home. You have taken this pug into your life and given it the best 7 years. You are a special person.

Make sure you post somewhere on the web the name of that pet store and the bad business they do to let others know...

OH GOSH.... I am soooo sorry I didn't even respond about your baby. My head is not in the right place today.

I am so sorry you are going through this with your baby. Puppymills make me sick, how they can do this to living beings. My heart breaks for you and your baby. I hope you get more time to give her all the love you can until its time to let her go. (((HUGS))) to you and her.