How much is that doggie in the window?

That's one of Summy's songs -

How much is that doggie in the window
The one with the waggly tail
How much is that doggie in the window
I do hope that he is for sale

We went to the mall last weekend, and ofcourse we stopped outside the petstore, where four rabbits were eating, drinking, and sleeping in a display window. After observing them for a little while, Summy asked to go in and look at the puppies.

Have you ever seen the happy puppies in one of these pet stores? It is a nightmare. The pet store in our mall is especially notorious for selling pets from puppy mills, and for having sold sick puppies. I don't know about the truth behind any of those stories - but I do know what I see.

I see about fifteen puppies of different breeds, each (sometimes two of them) in a cage that seems about a foot square. Maybe the cages are bigger, but definitely not big enough for them to walk around in.

I see the floors of their cages, not solid floors, but mesh ones that cannot be very comfortable to stand, sit, or lie down on. I believe they do this for easy cleaning of the cages.

I see their puppy dog eyes eagerly waiting for a child to "try" one of them, so they can get out and play for a little while. (I have heard that they get to stay out of their cages and roam the store in the night - maybe, but they still spend the major part of the day in the cage).

I can never come out of this store not feeling depressed, and I don't understand the people who buy their dogs here. It is a prison for the innocent in the center of a mall in "the land of the free".

Summy said, "Mommy, I want to bring this puppy home.", pointing at a little one (her first request of the kind).

I want to bring him home too, Summy, I want to bring all of them home. But if we bring them home, more puppies will fill those cages. (Many people buy a puppy from these stores because they cannot bear to leave the puppy they fell in love behind in the cage).

The way to stop this cycle is to not buy pets from a pet store. If we want to rescue an animal, it will be best to adopt one from a shelter.