I hung out with this adorable 5 month old miniature pincher today at a pet store in Roppongi. I shall name him Rubio, since he looks and acts a little bit like my dog Ruby. Can you believe they keep him in this horrendous cage 24/7? He doesn't get walked or anything. The only slight taste of freedom he got was when I held him in my arms for five minutes today.
If anyone who lives in Tokyo wants to save this adorable little guy, email me and I'll send you his info. I would do it myself but I'm going back to the US tomorrow.
Poor little guy. I have a pet store here in Florida that keeps there pups in cages the same size and when they come out of there for "viewings" they smell like urine and are just SO excited to get out of there and see someone who isn't tapping them from behind the glass. I wish you could have saved him!
Posted by: Jenanime | April 16, 2007 at 05:24 AM
My partner and I actually rescued a similar puppy in NYC. She was a 6 mo min pin who had been in the cage so long that she had bumps and sores on the top of her head from jumping up and down. A pup next to her had gone a little crate crazy and kept pacing back and forth in the tiny cage. The unfortunate thing is that buying the pup just creates more demand...
Posted by: Margot | April 17, 2007 at 03:14 AM
So you're volunteering to help a torturer. Help them keep in business and earn money. All with your invaluable, free help.
Look, I like Tokyomango. Want to think you were just too naive.
Posted by: discussed | April 21, 2007 at 04:00 AM
Discussed,
Believe me, I've thought about this a lot. Someone does need to revolutionize the pet industry and make laws against surplus breeding. But I still want to save this one minpin. Besides, he'd make a great boyfriend for Ruby. And then you and I can start a non-profit where we lobby for pet breeding by pre-order only.
Posted by: Lisa | April 22, 2007 at 09:18 PM
Lisa
Surplus breeding means the seller (and the animal) wait for the transaction. On-demand breeding would mean it's the buyer who waits.
Few humans would like it. Brick-and-mortar shops are out there to cater for our need of instant gratification.
What you can do--if you come across the shopkeepers, tell them you are a potential buyer but don't like what they are doing.
The right thing to lobby for could be: Leave newborn mammals with their mothers--or more of their kind--until they are sold or come of some age.
Posted by: discussed | April 29, 2007 at 11:00 AM
This makes me hate humanity. I'd like to put the owner in a cage and see how they like it. Useless cruel people.
Posted by: matthew melnick | November 09, 2007 at 10:12 AM