that poor dog...

[Setsunaela]

I was in a pet store (that intelligent mart for pets) and they were doing one of their adoption drives, where they have cats and dogs from local shelters in cages in the back so you can see and touch them if you want, and adopt them right there. I was looking at the most adorable little Chihuahua puppy that was shaking like a little leaf, and kept sticking his little snout out of the cage to sniff around, when a little four-five year old boy came up and smacked the puppy right in the face, so hard the whole cage shook
I saw his mom watching him, she saw the whole thing, and then just took his hand and was gonna wander around the store and shop! No punishment, not even a little "hey we don't hit the puppies honey" nothing!
Luckily the lady at the adoption desk saw it as well, and asked an employee to escort them out of the building as he had abused a pet..
I'm a little worried for whatever pet they have at home that they were shopping for, though, if that sort of thing happens in a pet store >.>

[Gawdzillers]

I'm surprised the dog didn't go into Psycho Murder Mode, as chihuahuas often do.

[Setsunaela]

I was a little shocked as well, but all the dog did was yelp a bit and cower in the opposite corner...
if I could afford another pet, I'd have adopted him then and there.. he was the sweetest little pup.

[Andara Bledin]

I would totally have reprimanded the kid right then and there, no hesitation and no waiting for momma to notice.

You do not abuse animals around me!

^-.-^

[Zellie Crescent]

If I would have seen that I would have yelled at the kid, I wouldn't have cared if the mother said anything to me or not. I have a chihuaua named Gracie and she's a sweetheart, I can't believe that anyone would hit such a cute innocent animal.

[Midorikawa]

If I would have seen that I would have yelled at the kid, I wouldn't have cared if the mother said anything to me or not.

You and me both. Animal abuse DOES NOT fly with me either. Seeing the way my German Shepherd, Mogli, reacted around me at first angered me to no end at the person that made him afraid of men. He's gotten over it, but it took months of love to overcome who knows how long he was abused.

[xx_wolfie_xx]

my reaction is to pop the kid in the face. goose and gander and all that jazz

[PepperElf]

i think it's the age. not saying it's justified but many 4 year olds don't understand that pets aren't the same as their toys that they throw around.

but yes, punishment is indeed in order. mom only spanked my older nephew once. and that was because he kicked the cat. ... hard enough that the cat went airborn a little.

he never did that again.

[LillFilly]

Soo, tell us the juicy bits; did mom flip-out that they were being kicked out of the store???

I'd hate to think what will happen if that kid ever gets a hamster or fish with that kind of parent!

[georgie]

that poor dog !!!!!!!!!!

that makes my blood boil. bet that mother would have caused uproar if the pup had bitten her son.

[Setsunaela]

yeah the mom was totally flipping out, screaming.. said something about how if anyone cared about that dumb dog it wouldn't be sitting in that cage looking for a home..

[XCashier]

yeah the mom was totally flipping out, screaming.. said something about how if anyone cared about that dumb dog it wouldn't be sitting in that cage looking for a home..

Sick.

Is there any way other pet stores and shelters can be alerted about them? These awful people have no damned business owning a pet rock, let alone a living creature.

[chainedbarista]

age has squat to do with it; mom is underparenting and shouldn't have bred if she's not prepared to do the right thing when junior screws up.

my mom would have had my ass if i ever considered doing such a heartless thing, but we were raised to love animals; the only thing i could be accused of is being too enthusiastic and loving.

yes, a verbal reprimand for spawner and spawnee for their behavior. *twitch*

[Dreamstalker]

When I was too young to know any better, I grabbed the cat's tail in both hands and bent it double. She instantly reached out with a paw and smacked me across the face, I screamed, mom came running in prepared to see blood everywhere...

...amazingly, Livia had kept her claws sheathed (there wasn't even a mark). Mom said later it was like she was disciplining a kitten; no actual aggression, just *bop* "now don't do that".

yeah the mom was totally flipping out, screaming.. said something about how if anyone cared about that dumb dog it wouldn't be sitting in that cage looking for a home..

People like that piss me off...finding a new home is caring.

[Magpie]

yeah the mom was totally flipping out, screaming.. said something about how if anyone cared about that dumb dog it wouldn't be sitting in that cage looking for a home..

And this explains everything. Poor kid, going to grow up thinking that animal abuse not only isn't a big deal, but that it's justified. (It's worthless, right? It is not worth more, because it's entertaining me.) ick.