The poor little puppy!!!
That reminds me of a sad story.
My neighbours got their first puppy... he was just old enough to be away from his mommy. The puppy pooped & peed on the kitchen floor the second day they had it... the father noticed it & I never saw the puppy again... I was told he returned, but with him being abusive to begin with, I bet anything he killed it... but I had no proof... then a few years later they got a house trained puppy, which was very friendly when they first got her & then she turned horribly mean... I couldn't go in my backyard with our her snarling & snapping at me through the fence... & it seemed every time I went outside they would put her outside... once a friend & I were pulling trees frim beside the shed (the fence ran along the shed) & out of no where the dog stuch its head through the fence & almost bit me... I was pinned right against the shed... I had to choice but to hit the dog in the face with the trees I had pulled out, then my next challenge was getting the dog off my friends shirt... I didn't want to hurt the dog, but I was left with no choice, I hit the dog hard with the tree several times until she finally let go... then we had to try to run to the end of the shed & then run past the garage... The poor dog stoped us several times & time after time I had to hit her... I still feel bad to hitting her, but I try to think to myself that it was either hit her & run or stay there & get bitten...

Is what I did considered Animal Abuse?