Earlier this week, a customer at a PetSmart store in Greenville, N.C., carried his puppy around by its collar, sometimes giving the dangling dog a good shake.
Perhaps taking the saying, “The customer is always right,” way too far, not a single PetSmart employee confronted the man about the abusive way he was carrying his dog.
A photo of the man holding the dog by its collar at the checkout stand is going viral. “He put the dog on the conveyor belt to have the harness rang up,” the caption says.
The photo, taken late Tuesday afternoon, was posted the next day on Facebook by Tammy Mitchell Whaley. An employee told her friend she was afraid to say anything to the man because she feared losing her job if she did so. Whaley called the store manager, who told her he didn’t know why no one reported the incident.
“This is suppose to be a place of business that cares and supports animals?” Whaley wrote.
On Thursday, Sheriff Neil Elks posted the photo on the Pitt County Sheriff Facebook page.
“Thank you for caring about our community and the people and creatures that live here,” he wrote.
“We have gotten other messages from you, the concerned public, and want you to know that this behavior is disturbing to us, as well. Because the location is in Greenville city limits, the sheriff has directed the witness to contact Greenville Animal Control.”
PetSmart has not commented on the photo. If you want to voice your concern, the corporate office can be reached by phone at 888-839-9638 or by filling out this form.
More disturbingly, Elks wrote that his department has “seen several alarming cases recently of animal abuse.”
Photo via Facebook