Some stories make you want to cry.
In Missouri recently, a Golden Retriever-Labrador mix was found on a highway after her owner threw her from a pickup truck when she was just seven weeks old.
The puppy, named Ritchy (pictured above), is struggling to stay alive - but without the help of two groups and the person who found her and took her to a veterinary clinic, it's doubtful Ritchy would have made it this far.
When I read this, my emotions went from stunned disbelief to anger to sadness. I'm incredulous that someone - anyone - could do something as callous as throw a dog from a vehicle. With shelters and rescue groups readily available to take in strays and unwanted dogs, doing something as thoughtless as tossing a dog on the side of a road is more than wrong. It's unnecessary.
The fact this happened in Missouri isn't unusual. Although the state's agricultural department is pledging to crack down on bad breeders, Missouri is considered the "puppy mill capital" of America. By one estimate, it's home to more than 4,000 shoddy dog-breeding businesses.
Ritchy's immediate care was paid for by a Second Chance grant of $200 awarded by American Humane, but she needs to see a specialist for a worsening bladder problem. American Humane is working with the Coalition for Animal Rescue & Education (CARE) in Missouri to pay for additional medical care.
Let's hope officials in Missouri are able to put unlicensed and unqualified breeders out of business - and that Ritchy, now 11 weeks old, makes a full recovery and finds a good home. Six other puppies thrown from the same truck weren't so lucky.
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