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SoCalyorkiLvr · 06-17-2005, 05:06 PM

I am so sorry your puppy is ill. What is the illness because that may have some bearing on the breeder's responsibility.

I would also have to research it but in most states dogs are considered "property" and if someone killed or injured your dog , absent the existence of a contract, the most the law would make them pay is the "value of the dog". Sometimes that is the purchase price, sometimes it is the replacement value. It is similar to the law if a car is totalled. They don't have to pay to "fix" the car if it is more than the "value of the car". It is sad, but they may not have to pay for the vet to heal (or "fix") the dog, if it would cost more to do that than the dog's value in the market place. Unfortunately, it is not based on what the dog is worth to you because we all know that our dogs are priceless and we would pay almost anything to cure them if they became ill as if they were one of our children. Unfortunately, the law in most states does not agree with these sentiments.

I have not studied "puppy lemon laws" however.

The contract would normally control as you said, unless there is a law which invalidates certain parts of the contract.

06-17-2005, 05:06 PM	#8
SoCalyorkiLvr BANNED! Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,246	I am so sorry your puppy is ill. What is the illness because that may have some bearing on the breeder's responsibility. I would also have to research it but in most states dogs are considered "property" and if someone killed or injured your dog , absent the existence of a contract, the most the law would make them pay is the "value of the dog". Sometimes that is the purchase price, sometimes it is the replacement value. It is similar to the law if a car is totalled. They don't have to pay to "fix" the car if it is more than the "value of the car". It is sad, but they may not have to pay for the vet to heal (or "fix") the dog, if it would cost more to do that than the dog's value in the market place. Unfortunately, it is not based on what the dog is worth to you because we all know that our dogs are priceless and we would pay almost anything to cure them if they became ill as if they were one of our children. Unfortunately, the law in most states does not agree with these sentiments. I have not studied "puppy lemon laws" however. The contract would normally control as you said, unless there is a law which invalidates certain parts of the contract.