[aimee]

While I feel horrible for your situation and the puppy, here is my view on this:

Do you have any idea about the parents this puppy came from? It's very important to know this, as there could be many health problems you don't even know about that will end up costing you more in vet bills than you can imagine. Considering you are on a fixed income, would you be able to pay for surgery or anything else like that that may come up?

When you buy from a breeder, you have the peace of mind of knowing where the puppy came from, who the parents are, and a little of what you can expect in the way of health and temperment. There is always room for surprises, but you are much less likely to have any going through a breeder than buying from a puppy store.

$2500 is a great, great deal of money, to anyone I believe. I agree that for that amount of money, I would be expecting a show quality dog from champion parents from one of the best Yorkie breeders in the country. While my heart is not as attached as yours is in this situation, if there was any way you could possibly return her, I would do so.

I would take a while and do some research on breeders, puppy health and behavior, and training before purchasing another pup. This would help both you and your puppy in the long run and make your transition easier.

Beyond that, whenever a pet store sells a dog, they are that much more convinced that what they are doing is okay. Yes, I feel awful for the puppy who has no say in this at all. But the only way to stop pet shops and puppy mills is to simply not buy from them. Period.

Please don't take what I'm saying as harsh. I don't like to sound that way. I think anyone here can tell you I love my dogs to death. What I do not love is to see innocent people such as yourself taken advantage of by people who are out there to make a buck over the innocent life of a puppy.

You could very well be too attached to do the above. If so, of course, I do understand that. In that case, please make sure you find a vet you are comfortable with and begin putting some money into a savings account, just in case any vet bills you aren't prepared for come up. I recommed "Dogs for Dummies" as a general reference on dog care and behavior, it's a quick read and will help you a lot as to training, etc.

Get some money from the pet store if you do decide to keep her, and next time go through a breeder, and chalk this one up to one of life's lessons.

Please know, I do care a lot about animals and dogs inparticular. I really don't want to hurt anyones' feelings or sound uncaring. In any case, please let us know what you decide.