Help! Pug pup purchased, 12 days later- fatal diagnosis by vet. What can I do?

[Mandynchicko]

12 days ago we picked up our boy, Doug from the breeder.

2 days in, he's at the vet with suspected hookworm due to chronic diahorrea and white gums etc. Another trip to the vet a few days later and more medications, he's good- small fortune later....

Fast forward to 2 days ago I noticed his breathing was laboured and he was snotty. ANOTHER vet trip and xrays etc he's diagnosed with Pectus Excavatum- His sternum is very malformed and there is absolutely nothing to fix it. The vet highly recommends Dougie being put to sleep. We are devastated to say the least.

We got Dougie at 6 weeks of age- we were under the impression he would be 7-8 when we could pick him up originally... I questioned the breeder and she was adamant he and his litter mates were old enough, so off we went.

I spoke to the breeder about Dougie's health issues and she advised "he was fine when we was with me", "no other sick pups" and offered to reimburse the money paid for Dougie, however is now refusing and citing I get a 2nd opinion. This pup has been a money pit and sick since day 1, but I've booked another vet at my expense for a 2nd opinion and she can't answer my messages asking if she wants to come so she can see for herself.

 

It's come to my attention she's a backyard breeder, Dougie has the worst Brachycephalic Obstructive airway they've seen also and he is technically the result of bad, backyard breeding. In my defence, I haven't bought a pup in 20 years- always RSPCA older dogs and 20ish years ago buying a dog from someone at home was 'the norm'. I feel like a moron- I'm aware and this has been a tragic and traumatic lesson to learn, I assure you!

Where do we stand? She's not a registered breeder and this is a mess. Do we have ANY rights? 

 

[_PL_]

Oh my goodness I am so sorry.  

Are you in Qld? Consumer laws vary from state to state so hopefully someone can pop in and advise.

But in NSW, it's basically like any other piece of property (sorry, to refer to him as that) and the seller only needs to offer you a refund for a return. If you want to get vet bills back it's small claims court as far as I know. 

Did you sign any paperwork like a contract? 

Edited August 21, 2020 by Powerlegs

[tdierikx]

You may also be able to put in a complaint with the breeder's local council and/or RSPCA for animal health related issues... especially as she sold you an unwormed, underage pup... probably not microchipped or vaccinated either by my guess. I'm sure there are a few bylaws/laws she has broken in the process of the sale of Dougie to you... for which she may be fined at the very least. Also if he had a massive worm burden, then you could speculate whether any of her other dogs are similarly poorly cared for with regards to worms or vaccinations, etc...

 

Unfortunately, under the law, pets are considered "property", so the most you would expect to receive if you take the breeder to small claims court is the price you paid for him. With Pectus Excavatum, he was clearly "unfit for purpose" when sold to you - that is not an issue that just suddenly appears after 6-8 weeks, it would have been there from birth, and if the breeder had handled him at any stage, she would have definitely known there was something very wrong there, as pugs are notoriously deep and barrel chested.

 

I am so sorry that you and little Dougie are going through all this... massive virtual hugs to you and yours...

 

T.

[persephone]

  No advice, just an "I'm so sorry you and your poor dear puppy have both been so badly used by this "breeder" . I hope Karma finds her. "

Poor Dougie.....Definitely not your fault. 

[Loving my Oldies]

Words cannot express how deeply I feel for you and little Dougie.  You are NOT a moron; show me anyone who doesn’t make mistakes even after lots of research.  Sadly, I was  in the same position as you with my first puppy adopted August 1993 when she was diagnosed with heart disease at the age of 8 weeks.  She and I were much more fortunate than you and Dougie because I had a sympathetic breeder (but Calypso was mine and it never crossed my mind to give her back) and she lived for three and a half years.   Twenty seven years later, I still think of her just about every day.  

 

Dougie has been given so much love and care since he came into your life, so although you are devastated and this has been such a sad sad experience, please be gentle with yourself.  

 

Deepest deepest sympathies.   

 

 

[Papillon Kisses]

I’m so sorry this happened to you and your pup.

[Mandynchicko]

5 hours ago, Powerlegs said:

Oh my goodness I am so sorry.  

Are you in Qld? Consumer laws vary from state to state so hopefully someone can pop in and advise.

But in NSW, it's basically like any other piece of property (sorry, to refer to him as that) and the seller only needs to offer you a refund for a return. If you want to get vet bills back it's small claims court as far as I know. 

Did you sign any paperwork like a contract? 

I'm so very appreciative of overyones advice and replies xx

 

We are in Townsville, North Queensland.. I don't think the "breeder" will reimburse the money I paid her for Dougie at all- she states she sought legal advice and does not legally have to pay me a cent.... I don't know if that's right or not.

Also concerningly- I rang the RSPCA QLD and was advised there was no legal minimum age a breeder could sell a pup. I've been told by everyone else it's 8 weeks?

I guess I just have to write off the costs all together and lesson learnt, but I think the worst part here is how do you tell your kids their bestest mate has to die? I can't cope watching Dougie struggle to breathe either... God, this sucks...

[persephone]

While looking, I found the following. did you get such a number? 

 

Quote

Queensland Government has introduced laws to promote responsible breeding of dogs, these laws apply to any dog born on or after 26 May 2017. You must not give away, supply, sell or advertise a dog or puppies without a Supply Number that identifies the Breeder or provides an Exemption.

Quote

 

RSPCA Australia considers the minimum acceptable age for a puppy to be removed from the mother dog for adoption or purchase to be 8 weeks of age.

Waiting until the puppy is at least 8 weeks of age will help to ensure that the puppy has received an adequate supply of milk from the mother dog. Milk contains important nutrients needed for normal puppy growth and development and confers a certain degree of immunity to disease (puppies will still need to be vaccinated, please see your local vet for details). There may be certain circumstances where puppies are weaned earlier than this, such as when they are orphaned or require intensive care.

 

This is the code of ethics for PET SHOPS : in QLD 
 

Quote

(f) Minimum age of animals for acquisition for sale, subject to maturity, should be: (i) dogs—eight weeks (seven weeks for large breeds) (ii) cats—eight weeks. (g) Unweaned animals should not be accepted by pet shops.

 

[sandgrubber]

So sad! Poor Dougie.  Poor you. 

I checked several sources and all agreed that Pectus Excavatum is a congenital (ie present at birth) disorder.  It's rare, but most often found in brachy breeds.  I think you can legally claim that you purchased a defective product and demand a refund.  Talk with the local Small Claims Tribunal. 

 

Btw BOAS can be found even in show winning pugs, bred by well regarded breeders. If you want to avoid it, look for a breeder who actively breeds to avoid it.  Or avoid brachy breeds altogether. 

[Dogsfevr]

You need to ring your state body of consumer law not the RSPCA .

Was the puppy vaccinated when you got ..??
 

I think you will find you are entitled to something and would look at small claims court .

 

Keep records and copies of all info and deal with emails only ,attached a reAd receipt.

 

If need be send a letter registered mail 

[tdierikx]

Here is a link to Queensland Office of Fair Trading...

 

https://www.qld.gov.au/law/laws-regulated-industries-and-accountability/queensland-laws-and-regulations/fair-trading-services-programs-and-resources/fair-trading-services-and-contact-information/contact-us/complaints-and-investigations

 

At the very least, I would make a complaint about this breeder and her selling pups "not fit for purpose"... ie. congenital disorder and so full of worms that he required veterinary intervention/treatment. You should be awarded the full purchase price you paid for Dougie.

 

Then I would call the RSPCA again and tell them you are worried about the health and welfare of any other dogs the breeder has on her property as she was so eager to offload 6 week old pups full of worms, and at least one with a serious congenital disorder.

 

None of this will bring Dougie back, but it might give the breeder a very strong wake-up call about her practices.... and Dougie's little life will not have been in vain...

 

T.

[persephone]

Yes...Hopefully, Dougie will have helped prevent others of his extended family suffering a similar fate  

[sandgrubber]

It's not a QLD issue.  It's Australian Consumer Law. Horrible to think of a dog as merchandise, but the law does.  And this comes down to defective merchandise. 

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees

[Mandynchicko]

Thank you all for the information!

 

Unfortunately Dougie went downhill very quickly and yesterday morning was put to sleep...

We are shattered and miss him terribly already.

The breeder has contacted and I think she may have thought at first I was trying to "pull a swifty" on her, but she reimbursed the price I paid her for Dougie, so I'm relieved she cared, she's pretty upset this happened too....

 

I'm thinking of starting a bit of an awareness page for vets/breeders and us joe blows looking for our newest faithful friend, to raise awareness that we must be diligent in our checks and breeding, so this hopefully will save a lot of heartache for others.... I wouldn't wish this traumatic experience on anyone and if it can help even 1 person, I'd be happy. 

 

[persephone]

Fly free, baby Dougie - you were so wanted & loved   

[Boronia]

I am so sorry, a dear little puppy gone much too soon .

[sandgrubber]

16 hours ago, Mandynchicko said:

 

 

I'm thinking of starting a bit of an awareness page for vets/breeders and us joe blows looking for our newest faithful friend, to raise awareness that we must be diligent in our checks and breeding, so this hopefully will save a lot of heartache for others.... I wouldn't wish this traumatic experience on anyone and if it can help even 1 person, I'd be happy. 

 

Noble intention.  As a retired breeder who always tried to do the right thing, I'd urge caution.  Even if you do all the available tests and are very selective in breeding, things will sometimes go wrong.  And there is no test for some of the worst diseases. Breeders cop blame and many decent hobby breeders are struggling or have quit. 

 

Also, beware of the BYB label. In some cases, such as out crossing to avoid hereditary diseases that are found throughout a breed, the outsiders who get accused of being BYBs may be working to correct problems that are deep rooted in a breed.  Also, 

where the dog fancy has pushed for extremes, BYBs who have the occasional litter from a loved and healthy pet may be reservoirs for healthy genetic traits. People who want, for example, to produce pugs or bulldogs with moderate heads and faces may have no choice but to bring dogs into their breeding programs that lack pedigree papers. 

Edited August 26, 2020 by sandgrubber

[tdierikx]

I will be looking for the newest star in the heavens tonight... and know that Dougie is now shining his love down on us all.

 

Massive hugs to you and yours @Mandynchicko... little Dougie was lucky to have you as his family even though it was only for a short while.

 

T.

[Tassie]

So very sad for you and your family.  Little Doug at least was much loved and cherished and cared for for the time he was with you.... and it's good that the breeder has made appropriate response if a bit late.       Take care of yourselves, and know that you did all you could for the wee man.