No, it's not animal abuse, although it may seem like that. What I don’t agree with is when puppies are removed sooner than they should be. I was just at Target a few days ago and there was a young gal that was carrying a very tiny Chihuahua. Since animals are a magnet for me, I immediately went over to pet it. When I mentioned the pup looked very young, she said he was only a month old. I would be highly suspicious of someone, especially a breeder, who was willing to remove a pup from its mother at that young of an age. The Humane Society recommends removing them from their mother at 8-10 weeks of age. Weaning should be gradual, starting at between 3-4 weeks of age and ending at between 7 and 8 weeks. If puppies remain with their mother and litter mates longer than 3 months, they may not develop the desire for a relationship with humans and we all know how important it is to have a strong relationship and to bond with a new puppy. Removing a pup too soon is detrimental as well because they don’t learn the skills necessary to interact with other dogs.