How can I get my money back from a dog breeder?

Question

I live in California, I bought a dog from a breeder in Gulfport, Mississippi, from irresistibletinytreasures.com, the dog died 4 days after she arrived, the breeder said she would pay for shipping, she sent it COD, the breeder promised registration documents, and immunization documents, I never received them. I got her on 7/11/06 and she died on 7/15/06, I paid $3,300.00 for the tiny maltese puppy, I paid, $637.80 for vet bills, and she died of a porto caval shunt. How can people get away with unethical business practices like this? People need to know about the awful woman that did this to me.

Answer 1

Sorry to say, but you just bought a puppymill puppy. No dog should ever cost that much. Most likely, you will not get your money back. She has way too many dogs for sale to be a reputable breeder. I breed English Bulldogs and never let my puppies go without meeting face to face. You need to know what you are buying before you do it.

Answer 2

I am so so sorry for your loss. This is the reason that people should not buy pups from the internet, and why they should not have them shipped. Find a breeder locally and check out the breeder, where the pups are raised, check with the breeder's vet for a rferrence. Did you get any kind of written guarantee on the pup? Is there anything on the website about a guarantee? What exactly is the porto caval shunt? Something to do with the liver? This woman needs to be made to pay, but it could end up costing you more to try to get your money back than what you would get from a judgement. Check with a lawyer and get his advice on how to go forward with a lawsuit against her. Again, I am so sorry for your loss! The poor puppy!

I checked out the website. This is either a puppy mill or a puppy broker, no matter how much she denies it!! Too many kinds of dogs, too many pups, mixed breed dogs. People like this need to be stopped.

For those posters who posted nasty remarks to this question, have a heart. This person has lost a beloved pet. She needs sympathy and kindness, not harsh judgements. Blame the bad breeders, not the innocent people who suffer because of them.

Answer 3

Unfortunately they can get away with it because people like you still go to them. I have yet to find a breeder that is not contributing to the mortality rate of dogs. Every breed is dying in the shelter. Almost half of the dogs in shelters are purebreds that some fool spent the money to buy and then it got old, it got sick, didn't want it anymore. That is why there is a rescue for every purebred becuase people are breeding them and they are becoming wasted lives.

I certainly hope at that rate the parents were westminster winners!!!

My friend has the best little pure maltese from the shelter. She even comes over and plays with my beasts she has the best disposition of any small dog. and she only cost 60$ altered shots and everything set to jet!!!

Answer 4

How do people get away with unethical business practices like this? Because their customers are gullible and don't do the research they should before adopting a living, breathing animal.

You should have done your research before you shelled out the bucks for a dog from an unethical breeder in the first place.

The screaming red flags on that website (price, for starters) should have been enough to tell you that the place was a puppy mill and anything that came out of it was likely to be sickly.

Consider it karma.

Answer 5

I would certianly contact the Better Business Beuaru. Unfortunitly the breeder is often only in control and is responsible for:Deworming, initial pre-3 month shots, and disclosing any documented vet. information in re of disorders that were known, documented and or tested for. Often, disorders or flukes in anatomy are not really the items that are usually checked and serached for in re of examining new puppies. However seeing as though the breeder negelect to give you your documentation-she is and can be held liable for items. And since you have a"COD" reciept I would contact that particular local authority in re of that breeder. File an affidavidt with your country and or city as well as that of the one the puppy originated from. Often times these cases lead to the found properties of puppy farms and horders-Keep your chin up-=you could be saving MANY animals with this action

Answer 6

I take it you have contacted this woman about the puppy? And before you file in small claims court be sure that you don't have to file in the county she lives in. I'm sorry for your bad experience with this person and I think she should have to pay all expenses for the puppy, shipping and your vet bills. A responsible breeder will sometimes have to ship a puppy. It isn't a sin to do it. And sometimes there are no local breeders in your area, and rather than buy from a pet shop, I would do what you did.

Answer 7

I doubt very much that you will get any money back from her. What you can do and SHOULD do is blast her name and her business all over the place with the story of what happened to you. Word it carefully so she can't hit you with a defamation suit - This should halt her disgusting practice and save some pain for pupies and owners alike. Good luck

Answer 8

Don't be discouraged about ordering off the Internet, that is life today. You need to check with your state laws, her state laws, the postal service, and the Better Business Bureau. Hind site is 20/20. I checked the website. Please tell me you signed the contract. Good breeders guarantee their animals. She did, if you signed the contract. Contact her again and try to replace the puppy. The Vet can sign a paper saying the pup was unsound. It sounds like a congenital problem and the flight probably made it worse. In the future please research an animals pros and cons. Certain breeds are prone to different types of problems. I am so sorry for the loss of your new family member. I hope this works out for you. Good luck and email me a photo of your new baby, bye.

Answer 9

you need to take her to court. she sounds like she is running a puppy mill. i disagree with the fact that you ordered the dog on-line and had it mailed to you, but whats done is done. you need to get all the documentation you can, something that says she would pay shipping, the recipt from the cod, doctor bills, anything saying she should have been registered and any immunization records. this woman needs to be shut down. there is the chance that it was just a sick dog, and you'll need a vet to prove otherwise.
next time, make sure you see the dog in person before you buy it. and think about all the poor dogs stuck in local shelters that are being put to sleep because everyone is buying the puppy mill puppy instead.

Answer 10

Small claims court.....if she promised delivery and all the paper work then you should be able to get that back....as far as the price for the dog.....unless you can prove the dog died because of something the breeder did then you might have problems...but if it was only 4 days after you got her...the dog was probly sick before it was sent....you should talk to an attorney to make sure you have everything thing done right and have done everthing you can to prove your case.