A routine trip to a California PetSmart turned into an emotional moment for one woman after she stumbled across a heartbreaking sight in the store’s adoption center.
Daisy Napoles, 28, was visiting her local PetSmart in Modesto on August 19.
There, she noticed a small white cat named Buddy curled up inside one of the kennels.
At first, he looked peaceful, snoozing quietly in his little glass enclosure.
But when Daisy took a closer look, she realized something was very wrong.
Buddy’s fur was crawling with fleas.
“It was honestly devastating,” Daisy explained. “My heart was breaking seeing him sleep through his discomfort in a tiny glass box“.
“He was very obviously full of fleas anyone could have seen it. I’m not sure how it got to that point, and nothing had been done.”
Buddy’s information card said that he had been brought to the store back in June, was neutered, vaccinated, and only a few months old.
The $130 adoption fee described him as “extremely friendly and independent” and “an all-round good guy.”
But to Daisy, what stood out was how uncomfortable he seemed and how long it looked like he had been waiting for someone to notice.
She didn’t immediately raise the alarm with store staff because she was with her toddler and everyone seemed busy.
But Daisy couldn’t shake what she saw, so she decided to post a video on TikTok.
In the short clip, Buddy can be seen resting quietly while tiny fleas crawl over his fur.
The video quickly went viral, pulling in over 780,000 views and almost 50,000 likes.
The comment section filled with shocked and angry pet lovers, many expressing heartbreak over Buddy’s condition.
One commenter wrote: “That’s horrifying, thank you for doing something.”
Another added: “My outside cats get treated way better than this! Makes me so upset.”
Others were more sympathetic to the rescue staff, acknowledging the struggles of overcrowded shelters and limited resources.
PetSmart later released a statement confirming that they had taken action as soon as they were made aware of the issue.
“The safety and well-being of pets is our top priority,” the statement read.
As soon as we were made aware of the concerns regarding Buddy, we immediately notified the local partner to take action.
Buddy was promptly removed from the adoption center to receive veterinary care, and all other animals were checked.
To protect the health of all pets, the adoption center was thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
For Daisy, the situation was a wake-up call about how much responsibility goes into running adoption programs.
She said she doesn’t want the blame game to continue online but hopes people focus on making the system better.
“I hope pet stores can do a better job at collaborating with shelters and have a bit more organization when it comes to animal care,” Daisy said.
“Something could have been done by a PetSmart employee, a rescue volunteer, or even a passerby. This is a lesson learned for everyone.”
Daisy is no stranger to animal care herself, she is currently fostering five one-week-old kittens whose mother recently passed away.
She said this experience only deepened her resolve to encourage others to get involved.
“Rather than getting angry about the situation, I want people to consider fostering, adopting, or donating to their local shelter,” she said.
“I hope people can start spreading more kindness and feel more empathy toward the cats and dogs that give us so much unconditional love.”
While Buddy’s story shocked thousands of people online, the outpouring of attention has also brought hope that he will find a loving home soon.