Prevent animal cruelty

I had to wait a few days to post here because I was too furious to collect my thoughts. The other night we went to a puppy class at one of the big chain pet stores. But shortly after we arrived a young couple came in to the store with a puppy they had just rescued from an abusive owner right on the street. The little guy couldn't have been more than 6 or 7 weeks old and this man was dragging her down the sidewalk, yanking on the leash and kicking her when she wouldn't keep up. Her paws were all bloody and she was bloated from worms and shaking from the cold. She looked mentally terrified of the world already. The people who brought her in were in tears and looking for a vet.

The people who worked there took charge of the situation and helped the rescuers to get help but meanwhile the rest of us were stunned in to tears and curses. It is ridiculous to treat any dog that badly but how can someone look in to the eyes of a tiny puppy and think that brute force will do anything but damage the dog? It was heartbreaking. Please help stop dog fighting and animal abuse by educating yourself and other dog owners about it. Get training for your dog and yourself. Donate time to the dog owners community and money to the shelters to rehabilitate these dogs. Most importantly, don't let neighbors get away with this kind of horror. The people who brought that puppy in yelled at the man who was abusing the dog and he tossed it aside and told them they could have it. I am not advocating putting yourself in danger, but please call animal control if you see someone mistreating their dog that way.