You may have seen 7x7’s efforts to help us find Violet, the puppy that was stolen earlier this week from the San Francisco SPCA Adoption Center. It is disturbing that someone would do such a thing, but especially unconscionable since the perpetrator is putting this puppy’s health and life at risk. Violet has not yet completed her series of vaccinations, including the inoculation for rabies and the final vaccination for the parvovirus. Puppies who are not fully vaccinated should not be allowed to touch the ground because they are susceptible to the many pathogens that they might encounter. For that reason, and countless others, we are doing our best to spread the word about Violet’s abduction and are offering a $500 reward for her return.

We suspect that the thief who took Violet will either keep her as their pet or sell her online.  As we’ve been stressing since we launched our anti-puppy mill campaign last spring, buying pets online is not a good idea.  We encourage those looking for a new pet to save a life and adopt from a shelter.  All of the cats and dogs here at the SF SPCA have had medical and behavior assessments, are spayed or neutered, have been given their latest shots, and are microchipped.  We have been around for 144 years. You will not get that same commitment from whoever is selling an animal on Craigslist. Dogs bought online usually come from puppy mills, where life for dogs is unbearably wretched.

Please keep an eye out for poor sweet Violet.  And please do your part in ending the demand for puppies online. Only then will can we end the cycle of cruelty.