During the holiday season, I was shopping at a local mall and decided to visit the resident pet store. Usually, I avoid these types of pet shops, because I dislike the sale of dogs in stores. There is something about seeing stacked cages of dogs that is unsettling. However, I needed to refresh my distaste for caged dogs and remind myself that greed sometimes trumps humanity.

Oh, I was reminded. I peered through the glass wall, separating dog from human, as if the dog was nothing more than a deli meat on display. I felt sad. A dog should not be treated so poorly -living on a metal grate void of cushion or padding, only inches separating waste from body- what kind of life was this? Imagine you had to stand barefoot on a metal grate, sleep naked on a wire bed, and lie inches above your waste.

I assume they received the daily basics: fresh food, water, and a cage cleaning. But, there is much more to life for a puppy than food and water. There is walking, running, stumbling, playing, snuggling, touching, sniffing, biting, wrestling, jumping, exploring, and learning. These puppies were deprived of such. I wondered: how will this affect their development and social skills, how does this shape their personality?

As I stood there, pondering the sight, people stopped at the viewing window and made ouuu and awww like sounds; their attempts to articulate the thought -look how cute those puppies are- that their brains were serving up. The puppies were absolutely cute, with their little wrinkly faces, oversized paws, fluffy tiny bodies, and yawns bigger than their heads- so adorable. But No! I refused to be sucked into the cuteness of the puppies, the single reason this pet store with its viewing window thrives- praying on the soft spot in all of our souls. I refused to forget the bigger picture; the puppies are cute, but their living conditions are abhorrent.

It may be legal, but it is inhumane. Living in a box cut off from normal puppy-hood is no way to start life. Dogs are not inanimate objects like watches or earrings; they don’t need to be on display. Dogs are living breathing organisms, with complex brains, social systems, and developmental needs. Not respecting those needs and denying them the opportunity to live and function as free spirited puppies- that is inhumane; living on a wire grate- that is inhumane; living just inches above your waste- that is inhumane; denied the regular sensation of touch from fellow dogs and humans- that is inhumane.

I knew what to expect when I walked in the store, but I still needed to be reminded. We may treat our companion animals well, but there are individuals and businesses that do not. Please use discretion when you select your next companion animal, and ask your friends and family to do the same. Don’t support pet stores, breeders, etc., more interested in your money than the loving treatment of their dogs.