Breeder won't respond to me
 

Hello everyone!

So I got my baby Gizmo from a professor at my college. Gizmo is doing great but does have a few health problems like im sure other yorkies have. When i got him he had a UTI so i got him on antibiotics right away and now the vet told me that he has 2 luxating patellas that are grade 1. I know that they may never cause him problems or require surgery but it still makes me worry. He also only has 1 testicle that has decended and hes 7 months so the vet thinks he may never come down.( He is getting fixed next month and i have no interest in breeding him) I have emailed and called the breeder several times to tell her about his conditions so she knows that Gizmo's parents both have those genes even if they are recessive. She told me she would mail me Gizmo's papers and i never got them, she claims he AKC and she hasnt responded to my emails. Should I leave it along and just go on loving my furbaby or is there anything else i can do? Since shes a professor at my school i can stop by her office but i rather not have to.

So, the professor is the breeder? I gather there was no contract - no health guarantee. Was there any verbal statement made regarding the health of this puppy?

For the sake of promoting good breeding practices I would push the issue even though you want to neuter your pup. You do not want this professor to continue like this. I would go to her office, but remain professional in a professional setting.

I would check to see if your state has a Puppy Lemon Law. In Florida, even if there was no health guarantee, there are many requirements the breeder must meet in regards to health. Sellers can be held liable to pay vet bills up to the cost of the dog if there are genetic issues within one year of sale. State laws vary.

Well, if were me, I'd be at her office door. I would very nicely say I had tried to email and call to no avail. If she tries to tell you that she can't see you, pin her down to a date and time that she will see you. Tell her that you wish to discuss Gizmo's issues with her and that you need your paperwork.

Do you have a written sales contract?

Oh and yes, keep on loving your Gizmo, either way!

I agree!

I'd not make a point to take it to her work more than once if I were you...but document everything! Keep records of correspondence. Since she is local to you you should totally make an issue of this, why would she mail them to you if she's local to you?
If she told you she'd get this to you (did you get a contract) and then didn't she failed to uphold her end of the agreement.

I see you are also in CA-we have a lot of laws that protect buyers here when the seller fails to uphold an agreement...but you have to have the ability to prove the agreement. Not just surrounding dogs BTW any sales agreement, consumer law, etc applies.But check here too this is our "puppy lemon law" http://dogplay.com/Breeding/lemonlaw.html

Are you only trying to enforce getting the AKC registration promised? That seems so reasonable of you and I can't understand why people fail to do such but I know from experience they do-I think it's because they are hiding something more. Nevertheless that seems a basic breach of contract...gather your documentation and make issue of it.

If you find she was less than honest about the paperwork it can void whatever deal you two may have had and thus can lead into so much more (whole bunches of cans of other worms)...do you have a student legal aid at your school...I'd leave out to them mentioning it's a prof there though, but a free student legal aid recourse could really help you with the basics of what you need to know and do here.

Personally I had a very similar issue only with much worse effects...unfortunately I was somewhat duped by agreements and contract loop-holes and well all kinds of stuff and junk my only recourse was legal action, but the seller was across the country and their state laws didn't favor buyers very much at all, not to mention the additional costs on top of the thousands I had just put out and the continual monthly medical costs I now have...well in the end I just let it go because I am overwhelmed with dealing with the health issues and financing and researching that.

It just would have taken more than I had to give to resolve it all legally-which is what some of the scummy people rely on unfortunately. So if you have it local and in CA-I say make an issue, a big huge legal issue out of it! Go the news paper too, campus radio, everywhere as long as you tell the truth it's not slander it's telling the truth about how unscrupulous some people are-which everyone has a right to know!