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| - Stopped in here to grab some dog food with the free dog food coupon (to drop off at a rescue), saw a young, hippie-ish couple in the store holding a kitten and a small trash can speaking with a store employee... I grabbed the food and went to the checkout counter. Something about the interaction between the employee and the couple made me sidle closer and I overheard the employee tell them that he didn't have time to make any calls for them, that they had to go. The couple left and I asked the employee what was going on. He said they were homeless, picked up kitten off street, had dreams of traveling the country with the kitten, have realized that this won't work, said he can't take the cat and that he didn't have time to call around, and that they're just stupid.
Maybe certainly so, naive is what it appeared to be after I met them. I couldn't believe the callousness as he sent them out in 105 degree heat onto a busy road during rush hour with an unrestrained kitten in their arms. How long until the kitten squirmed away, ran into the street with the kids (legally adults, kids to me, I'm old) running behind them, cars everywhere nailing their brakes, hitting each other, hitting people and/or the kitten... Seriously? You can't even offer them the use of a phone and a list of phone numbers to rescues? You can't offer to hold the kitten and call animal control? You can't let them sit for a few minutes in a side room to cool off, collect their thoughts? I can NOT see this happening at a PetSmart or a Petco, I've seen the opposite too many times.
I ran outside, offered to make calls, saw the desperation in their eyes and I took the kitten. Walked back into the store, imposed on the employees to get me a box and hold the kitten while I put it together/ran out to get my phone, etc.
Note to employees... these animals are your livelihood or at least your part time income if nothing else. You should at least act like you care.
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