Someone just broke the record for the WORST breeder/buyer situation I've ever seen.
 

A lady and her mom came in today with a puppy shi tzu. She was worried that it was constipated and brought her in to the vet's. I looked at the records wondering why the pup wasn't allowed to be out in the lobby and was rushed away from other people into a room. I looked at the chart and realized. That pup was 4 WEEKS OLD!!!!! :eek::eek::eek:

Whoever on earth sold that puppy ought to be in jail right now. That family had no idea and obviously didn't research a thing about pups and how to buy and raise them. They were feeding it kibble and our vet had to inform them that this pup was barely able to bottle feed on our supplemental milk. That puppy had no business away from it's mother and I would hate to say it but I doubt it makes it now that it's been fed kibble and not getting enough to eat. talk about a huge risk for hypoglycemia amoung many other severe things.

that family was so distraught and angry but it's not the breeder's SOLE responsibility to make sure the puppy is going home at the right age. those people are just as much at fault for not making sure they knew what age to bring that puppy home. so both parties are so totally stupid and awful and it just made the whole office SICK and disgusted at the whole situation.

had to vent and share this with you all. i hope that puppy makes it and i hope that family can wake up and do something to put that horrible breeder out of business and possibly in jail for selling them that young of a pup. if i knew who they were i'd personally work to put them behind bars. :mad::mad::thumbdown:thumbdown

That is disgusting, absolutely disgusting! Does your state have any restrictions against placing puppies so young? If so, the people ought to report the breeder. Heck, maybe they should report this breeder for animal cruelty. It is down right cruel, IMO, to sell a puppy that young.

That is not right at all. I can't imagine that the pup would even look anywhere near ready to leave it momma. :(:(

While I do think the buyers need to be educated (learned the hard way buying Bandit from a BYB and had lots of health issues with him in the beginning) I think the majority of the responsibility lays with the seller. You assume they are selling you a quality "item" (I hate calling pups that!) and while you should do your research, it's a shame you can't take it at face value.

Do you know how long the pup was off milk for? Maybe with enough supplemental feeding they will be able to get her the nutritional needs she requires. So sad:(

Could it be that the mother dog was unable for some reason to care or feed the pups? Do you know the whole story. I feel so sorry for the puppy that it ended up with a family that doesn't know how to care for it. Could you by chance mentor them and help teach them how to care for it, by going to their home each day?

I can't even imagine how a puppy so young could make it without mom. It's all about the $$$$.:(

we can only hope! i don't think so because if it were a situation where the mother could no longer feed the pup i'm sure whoever had that mother would still have the puppy. this was more of a family who purchased a pup and had no idea it couldn't eat and live on kibble and looked very upset and distraught that the pup had to go on the bottle. the way they acted made me think it was a breeder.

Poor pup need his mommy:(

What a horrible story. :( Breeder or buyer would have to be living under a rock to not know you can't take a pup at 4 weeks. Praying that little one makes it.

Absolutely appalling. I am literately sick to my stomach over this!! What kind of an idiot releases a puppy at 4 weeks old? Insane...

The other day, I was in petco and there was a lady with her daughter holding a chihuahua,she look so small and scare, I ask her how old the chi was, she said six weeks:eek: we just pick her up from the breeder, man I went on and on and on, ( on the nice way, of course) she was so surprise of all the stuff I told her, and pay much attention of all the things, I said, I think because I had one of my furgirls with me, she thank me in the end, but she was not going to take back that pup to her breeder:(

I know I'll get stoned for this but I got Precious at almost 5 weeks. :rolleyes: Around here pups usually go at 6 weeks and NOW that I'm on YT I've learned and know better. But in MY case the mom completely stopped feeding and started to neglect her pups. I took her in (again-not knowing better) and hand fed her and had checkups at the vet weekly to make sure we were on track. This could be a similar situation.....

In Missouri it is illegal to sell a puppy under weeks old.

Missouri Animal Care Facility Rules Governing Licensing, Fees, Reports, Record Keeping, Veterinary Care, Identification and Holding Period

I hope the vet you work for got the breeder's name and reported her.

That is so sad and I blame the breeder. Even if something happend to mom it is the breeder responsiblity for the pup until it is old enough to atleast eat on it's own. Sounds like to me the breeder was taking the easy way out and didn't care at all. When mine are 12 weeks I worry like crazy when they first go home.

The upside is they did take this very young puppy in for vet care - many people don't. I can't believe anyone would sell this young either

Well this just shows that everyone thinks of pets in a different way....Before I get any pet I do ALOT of research to know what I'm getting myself into. As for the breeder, How on earth could she do that to those babies let alone the mother.
I know when We brought Izzy home at 12.5 weeks i was freaking out because she was so little and I was not sure in she was eating enough etc... That poor puppy!!!

I can understand your anger, and I definatly agree that the breeder should pay for releasing such a young puppy. However, if you don't know the whole situation don't start throwing stones, I guess I'm just funny but I hate when anyone calls anyone stupid. I would call the new owners of the 4 week old ignorant for not doing their research before buying a puppy, and I can only hope that they turned in the breeders information to the vet so proper action can be taken.
I hope they learned from this and will spread the word to others that didn't know any better. Both parties in this case are at fault, but at least the puppy went to a family responsible enough to take it to the vet at the first sign of trouble, rather than to someone who would wait until it got to an irrepariable state then take it in, see the vet bill and just dump it for someone else to take care of...

The buyer is no way responsible for the age of the pup being sold. This ALL of the breeders doing. There is absolutely no excuse for selling them a pup at 4 weeks! And especially new dogs owners..ugh..

People don't always have a way to research this information. Most of us assume that pretty much everyone have computers. When not even half of all Americans own one.

So those of us with computers have learned to research these things online are at much more of an advantage. And it is much more difficult to go to the library and check out books on all the dog info we have at our fingertips here.

I get many people who have never owned a dog before and do not own a computer and just don't know many of the things we do. It isn't their fault. Most of my clients find me by word of mouth and call me, or have a friend or daughter email for them to get info.

It is MY job as a breeder to give them proper education, even if they never buy one of my pups. I get emails & calls all the time from people who just want info about the breed among other questions, I always help. Thats my job, my responsibility as a breeder and fellow human being.

I'm not a breeder or anything, and I'm not saying that the breeder in this case is the more responsible party for this pup going home so soon. However, before purchasing something as complex as a puppy espically a purebred one they should have at least talked with someone other than just the "breeder" before buying one. Sure it's not as easy to go to a library and surf the net there, or checking out a book on puppies, but it is a necessary step these days. Honestly the new family is only at fault for being ignorant, I think they should have done a little more research on the breeder and on puppy purchasing. With small breed dogs its hard for me to believe that this family did walk in see a 4 week old puppy and thought that it was ready to go, however I do not know their situation, and maybe the puppy did look like it was old enough to be leaving its mamma. I most certainly do not know.

Poor little puppy and family. I cannot imagine anyone could be so cruel and ignorant!

That is just terrible!!!! I can't believe some breeders!! And I think I've known since I was a young child, that the earliest age you can take a puppy home is at 6 weeks, depending on the breed!! I hope the puppy grows up to be a healthy dog seeing that it was taken away from the mommy so early in life!

This is AWFUL!! I cannot imagine letting a baby go to a new home at such a young age! Livi's babies were still nursing and trying to learn how to eat soft food (and not really doing so great with canned food at 4 weeks....it took them more time to get the hang of it). Her babies were still a touch "wobbly" on their feet at this age. I would not normally blame the buyer at all, buttttttt anyone that has seen a small breed at this young of an age, knows how itty bitty they are. I guess I just don't see how research matters in this case....it really boils down to common sense. However, I will say, I feel bad for the new family and HORRIBLE for this precious puppy....and I definitely think this breeder is BEYOND bad!!!!! :mad: :thumbdown

The breeder is horrible but isnt all to blaime. The buyer should have known the pup was too young it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure that out

Illegal only if from a licensed breeder
 

[QUOTE=Ladymom;3140400]In Missouri it is illegal to sell a puppy under weeks old.

Missouri Animal Care Facility Rules Governing Licensing, Fees, Reports, Record Keeping, Veterinary Care, Identification and Holding Period

These regulations regarding care of the puppy and the age it is sold at only applies to LICENSED breeders. This is from the above website, telling who has to be licensed in Missouri. A breeder with 3 or under females does not have to be licensed and follow the regulations on care and age. A licensed breeder could not legally have sold a puppy this young

D) The following persons are exempt from the licensing fees and inspection requirements:

1. Persons engaged in breeding dogs and cats who harbor three (3) or less intact females; and

2. Registered hobby and show breeders.

It was wrong for the new family and for the puppy for the breeder to have let a new puppy go to its home at this age, regardless of whether it was regulated by the license.

In my case, after meeting Precious the breeder told me that if they (there were two boy/girl) didn't sell she was going to sit in a Walmart Parking lot to sell them. I did what I had to and I bought baby girl. Can you imagine what would've happened had I not? I called her later that evening to see if the brother was left bcs I didn't have enough cash to cover both when we met. I was going to go back and get him as well. almost 5 weeks old was too soon to have a puppy outside. I don't know about their situation but each one is unique and in my case I think Precious is definitely better off. Even if that means I do live under a rock

I do believe in some cases a pup that young and under those circumstances was definitly better off with you. :).. I have gotten almost all of my pups when they were 6 weeks old (not saying its right) but one and that was my toy poodle I got her at 10 wks. Tucker came to me at almost 7 weeks. The breeder of him were friends of ours and he was way better off with me where I was watching him around the clock then he was with them.(long story) I would take in a pup that young in a heartbeat if I knew that it would be in the best interest of the pup. Only because I know what it involves to take care of a pup that young, But I know not everyone can. I feel sorry for the puppy, I hope the owners relize how important it is to care for a pup that young. That breeder should be ashamed of themselves..:mad:

disgusting
 

Las vegas passed a law that all pets over 4months must be fixed I first thought this was ridiculous but after looking at pounds and irrisponsible breeders Im very proud they made this las 50,000 dogs a year put down in clark county alone.