Breeder to refund sale price? 5 November 2020 at 6:08PM in Pets & pet care 9 replies 422 views

helenthompy

Hi there, I'm looking for peoples thoughts please on the following, 
I bought a pedigree dog who was advertised and fit and healthy along with photos of said dog. 
When the transaction took place, dog had lovely personality and the seller.said he had no health problems and nothing that I needed to know about. 
However upon arriving home and fussing him, a lump on his back was discovered.
A call back to the breeder and they told me, he had seen the vet and it was a haematoma, nothing to worry about and would go away. However 2 months down the line following exploration  he has been diagnosed with spina bifida .
Breeder refused all.contacy until I sent a letter detailing everything and the fact the dog sold wasnt even the dog pictured in the advert. If course my details are limited otherwise this would be an essay.
My question is am I right to ask the breeder for the following. 
Full refund and return dog or full refund and we care for the dog along with all future medical costs. They are refusing this saying it is a haematoma  even though that have admitted he never saw the vet and had the lump diagnosed. 
A replacement is out of the question. 
They have bred for years and supposed to be reputable. They are judges and show winners. I feel duped and wonder if they have passed a problem on hoping it would go away? Thoughts please as to what is reasonable to expect thank you

MovingForwards

An animal is just a possession, same as a TV. Therefore your entitlement would be return and have your money back, a replacement (they may not have a spare) or keep and no money back.

sheramber

You can ask for anything. What the breeder agrees to is a different matter. 
If the breeder did agree to a refund they would probably take the dog back and PTS. They are not going to look after or pay for vet fees for a disabled puppy.

Is this a bulldog or a French bulldog by any chance?

helenthompy

Bulldog :-( hes lovely however very cross with black of responsibility from breeder 

helenthompy

Bulldog :-( hes lovely however very cross with lack of responsibility from breeder 

sheramber

https://vet4bulldog.com/zen-bulldog-maintenance/orthopedics-neurology-in-bulldogs/spina-bifida-in-bulldogs-and-french-bulldogs/#:~:text=Spina Bifida in bulldogs and French bulldogs are shown to,prone to injury spinal cord.

Aranyani

I don't even think its possible to be a reputable breeder of bulldogs sadly, they are born to suffer. 

Katiehound

Aranyani said:

I don't even think its possible to be a reputable breeder of bulldogs sadly, they are born to suffer. 

the main problem is inbreeding to breed standard- ie squashed face which results in breathing problems    etc.
If you look at images of bulldogs in the 1900s (or earlier) they look very different
Same with many breeds- accentuated features which cause mega problems for the dogs concerned

re refund: if there is a problem getting the money back you might try small claims court.

and what has your vet said about prognosis? Is he/she recommending pts?

sheramber

The best recommendation for a breeder is to contact the secretary of the breed club.

lcc86

Aranyani said:

I don't even think its possible to be a reputable breeder of bulldogs sadly, they are born to suffer. 

Completely agree, the breed has been destroyed and dogs are suffering. OP it depends what you want to achieve - as others have said if you ask for a refund they will expect the dog back and may PTS. I personally would complain, provide them with proof of the condition and ask them to cover part of the vet costs rather than risk having to return the dog. I don't know what your chance of success is but I wouldn't want to return a dog to a breeder like that, even if its life was limited.