ST. PAUL – On Jan. 15, a man stopped by Pawz ‘n’ Klawz in St. Paul, an animal and pet store that also provides pet grooming services. He brought in “Lil Zeke,” a 12-week-old puppy.
Debby Hunter, owner of the shop, said the man “asked for us to groom [Lil Zeke].” But hours passed and the man never came back to pick up the dog.
“I tried calling the phone number. It’s weird. Because for them, it’s ringing. But nobody answered. There’s no voicemail. And for us, the number comes up as a no-service,” she said.
Hunter posted the story on social media, asking if anybody from the community recognized the name that had been left, and ultimately, seeking someone to help care for the pup.
A week before, another person came in and abandoned a dog at the pet store. In that case, a groomer at the shop took the dog home with them.
According to Hunter, the local animal shelter had no more room for dogs, and even if they did, she said the surrender fees required to be paid for dogs can be problematic for a lot of people who cannot care for their pet.
Asked how often people abandon their dogs at their shop, Hunter said, “Not very often, actually,” making the past two weeks an anomaly.
Lil Zeke was only the third dog abandoned at the shop within 10 years, she said. As of the end of the day on Jan. 15, Hunter said Lil Zeke had thankfully found a foster and possibly an adoption home.
Hunter, who also runs a social media page for lost and abandoned dogs, cautions people looking for a new pet, suggesting they do not buy pups from pet stores.
At Pawz ‘n’ Klawz, Hunter does sell fish and some live animals in her shop, “But no puppies.”
She believes many pups sold at pet stores come from puppy mills, and while pet stores do sometimes have rescue dogs or puppies available, Hunter asks people to still exercise caution when searching for a new furry family member.
