I'm in a local small-chain pet store, and there's a 20-something girl with a small fluffy puppy, about 6 weeks old. This little thing is about the size of a large baking potato. Definitely not the result of a responsible breeder, and since this is San Diego, she probably bought it in a parking lot from a mexican smuggler who brought the litter in from Tijuana. Possibly crammed in a tire or car door.
Having seen this before, I know several things:
1. She doesn't know this puppy is not eating dog food yet. This puppy was ripped from the teat so someone could make a buck and they didn't care to wait for the requisite 8 weeks and supervise a weaning process.
2. The puppy has no shots. He or she has not, and likely will not see a vet. Ever.
3. The puppy has a 20/80 chance of survival. He's probably already sick, and she doesn't know it. He's slumped over, and she doesn't get that puppies are either asleep or they're really energetic, anything in the middle is cause for concern.
4. When this puppy dies, she will throw it in a dumpster and eventually find another smuggler (they're regulars in some areas) and get a new one.
5. This puppy had siblings. They will likely all meet similar fates.
6. There's nothing I can do.
Number 6 kills me. I feel helpless and frustrated.
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