[cragarmom]

My BF and I went to the mall yesterday. It was mobbed, so we ended up parking near an entrance in a different area than where we usually park.

It was the entrance near the pet store.

The pet store is off the "main thoroughfare" of the mall, so we usually never go past it. But yesterday, we had to walk right past it, and I wanted to go in.

Why on earth did I ever do that?

I was just looking at the assortment of puppies, feeling sorry for them all cooped up in those crates, when I spied a white miniature schnauzer. She looked exactly like my Cragar. She could have been his littermate (if she was older, that is...). She was the only one in there that wasn't doing some kind of OCD-like behavior (pacing in circles, biting the cage, howling, endlessly nosing the food dish around the crate, etc...) She was just standing there.

When the throng of people finally moved and I got to stand almost in front of her cage (which was behind glass, of course), she looked straight at me, then sat down. She never took her eyes off of me. She just sat there and looked. I turned to look at my BF and I could tell he was gritting his teeth. We were forced to start moving again by the mob of people there (and her eyes still kept following me), and we saw another white mini, although this was was endlessly pacing in circles and wouldn't stop. My BF tugged my arm - he wanted to get the heck out of there immediately.

I should never have gone in. I wouldn't want to buy a dog from a pet store, but I feel so bad for all those dogs in there. It's like that white mini's eyes were boring right through me, asking for help or something. Jeez, it makes me so upset. Even when I was trying to sleep last night, I just kept seeing her eyes, looking at me!!! I don't think I've ever been affected by a dog like that.

I just don't get it. Who takes care of those puppies when the mall is closed? All night and on holidays and stuff? And they were all puppies! Where do they go when they get bigger? I've never actually seen anyone buy a dog there! It just makes me sick and upset.

Sorry for the long post - I'm rambling now - I just don't get why places like that exist.

Joanne