MY MOM and I would always pass by pet stores and look at all the dogs that were on display. Seeing dogs of different breeds interacting with each other always seemed to catch my attention.

We frequently talked about getting a sibling for our first dog and, after passing by a particular pet store, we bought one. My mom was never an impulsive person but seeing this dog just called out to her—and me.  It was a cute Shih-Tzu with white fur. During the car ride home, I was just thinking about the countless possibilities and memories that I’d share with our new dog. I was excited to see how our current dog would react to finally having a sibling to play with. Even things like what to name her made me excited.  My parents decided to name her Mellai, so that she’ll have a name similar to our other dog Mellow.

About a week later we noticed that both our dogs started to develop a cough. Worried that it might be coming from our new dog, my parents decided to separate our dogs and bring Mellai to our tita’s home until Mellai got better. Sadly, things didn’t get better. We found out that she developed a parvovirus infection—also known as parvo—a highly contagious disease common in dogs who come from puppy mills.

Visiting Mellai for the last time is something I will never forget. Seeing our once cheerful dog in such a condition was something I wasn’t ready to see. Our tita told us that our dog stopped eating, which is a common symptom of parvo. I brought a small piece of chicken which, to my surprise, she ate. It brought me a small glimpse of hope that everything would be okay.

Unfortunately, my parents decided against the only option left to sustain her through the infection which was medical confinement. The hospitalization would cost a lot of money and there was no guarantee that she’d live through it or even live a healthy life afterwards. It was a decision I was strongly against, but deep inside I understood why my parents made such a decision.

Before we left our tita’s home we decided to say our goodbyes to Mellai. The next day, sadly, she passed away.

Ever since I was young, I have always wanted a dog, but due to my allergies, we weren’t able to get one. Instead, I would go to pet stores and look at the dogs they had on display. However, after going through my experience of losing Mellai, my views on these stores soured. Now, every time I pass by a pet store, I avert my gaze since looking at the store would be a reminder of what my dog just went through.

I no longer see the dogs on display as cute but instead see how they are inhumanely treated as they are stuck inside a cage the entire day. Witnessing all these dogs in one store is only a facade that hides the dark reality of how some of these dogs are treated. I observe how dogs from these places can easily contract numerous diseases as they are stacked next to each other. Ultimately, these dogs live in unsanitary conditions with caretakers who don’t take proper care of them.

Not knowing where and how these dogs were treated just makes me sad. After researching more into the topic, I found out that most pet shops get their puppies from puppy mills. These places often breed sickly dogs that often have a lot of genetic defects.  The motive to sell pets purely for monetary gain and disregarding any compassion for the dogs they have sickens me.

An even worse realization that dawned on me is that my experience is only one story out of countless. There are still puppies in the same stores that will be struggling through the same things that my dog went through.

Getting my first pet during the start of the pandemic made the lockdown a lot less lonely than it was. Seeing my dog greet me after a long day of school will always remove any stress that the day has brought upon me. As much as I love dogs, the experience with Mellai has made me reconsider getting another pet.

It made me realize that we have to stay vigilant against supporting puppy mills and make sure these dogs are being treated with the proper care they deserve. Instead, more people should adopt from places where they are sure that dogs are being taken care of.