Anna, don't think for a moment that we are offended; in fact, 13 years ago my Sadie was purchased by my then fiance from a pet store as a Christmas present for me; we had gone together to look at the puppies and fell in love with her. A few days after he surprised me with her, she became extremely ill (it was Xmas Eve) and we rushed her to vet where she was put on IV, etc. etc. Needless to say, her very first Christmas was a miserable one for her . . . in a few days she was allowed to eat ground beef mixed with rice, and I remember standing over the stove cooking with one hand, while cradling her in my other arm . . . we really bonded.

When she was out of danger we immediately contacted the pet store for an explanation and reimbursement for her vet bill, but of course they turned a deaf ear and soon after closed up shop . . .

BTW, there was a Shiba puppy at the filthy pet store I visited, and I wonder if today's Dog of the Day (also a Shiba) was purchased from a pet store. Sadie, like this dog, has epilepsy. It was not discovered until only a few years ago. It is fairly common with mill dogs, I have since learned.

Sadie is also undersized for her breed, and not the sharpest knife in the drawer, either . . . but we love her bunches! Her papers state she was bred in IOWA which is considered to be "puppy mill central" according to one website I visited . . .

I was so naive 13 years ago that I remember wanting to call the breeder to chat about Sadie's parents, maybe get photos of them for Sadie's little Baby Book and maybe sending photos of her to them for their scrapebook . . . If I had ever gone through with contacting them, it would have been a rude awakening . . .