On June 1, I purchased a shih tzu from National Breeders in Middletown, NJ for $2383.94. Becky, the sales person, assured me they did not deal with puppy mills and she specified the guarantee should sickness or disease occur.
On June 3, I took my new puppy (10 wks) to Shrewsbury Animal Hospital for a check up to make sure she was healthy. I informed the veterinarian, Dr. Scianci that my dog kept sneezing since I got her. He said that as long as there was no green ooze coming from her nose, everything was fine. He said when there is green ooze I should contact vet immediately.
By June 7, the sneezing became worse and she had very bad sniffles. She also had red, teary eyes. I've never owned a dog before, but it didn't seem right to me. On June 8, since it was a Sunday and my vet was closed, I called a vet for an emergency call. He agreed to see my dog at his Freehold office.
He prescribed her with an antibiotic for her nasal passage and her eyes. He diagnosed her with conjunctivitis and also a nasal infection.
I gave her the antibiotics religiously. She appeared to get a little better. The sniffles were heavily reduced and her eyes were not red after three days. I was elated.
Then, on Saturday, the green ooze returned and a foul smell came from her nose. That Saturday night, she started coughing badly and her breathing sounded very labored. When she tried to breath, she made a lot of gasping noises.
The very next day (Sunday June 15) I took her to emergency room at Garden State vet. The very nice doctor gave her an xray and diagnosed her with a bronchopneumonia and severe nasal infection. She told me that these types of illnesses are common in puppy mill dogs. The doctor also wrote a letter certifying the dog "unfit for sale".
I called National Breeders on June 16, and they refused to give me a refund and honor my warranty. This is why I am writing. They sold me a sick dog and they do not want to take responsibilty. Under the Lemon law, they should. All those who have been fooled buy them need to band together to STOP this from happening again. They will no longer take advantage of innocent consumers and puppies who can not speak for themselves. Please contact me so we can STOP this from happening again. IT will take time, but
We must fight for things we care about!!!
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