Originally Posted by Diane Schelach
(Post 4510375)
Hello everyone,
I am deeply sorry for the loss of Zook4mud’s puppy, a life lost so early is not easy on anyone. Regrettably, I did not address this concern sooner as I was in the midst of receiving news of my own personal medical diagnosis. My biggest mistake was failing to let the buyer know how severe my diagnosis was and as a result putting their situation on the back burner. I finally had a chance to sit down and thoroughly go through the package the buyer sent me. What hurts me the most is that pertinent information was withheld from their public testimony. I was made to look like I was the only party at fault resulting in permanently damaging remarks from those who responded. Despite all of this, the greatest satisfaction I get out of my business is making people happy. Of course, I want to meet Zook4mud eye-to-eye and reconcile this situation as peacefully as possible.
We are all upset at the loss of Cash, he was one of Firebrand’s own. He spent the first 12 weeks of his life at our home socializing with our family of Yorkies. We love all of our puppies and seek to find excellent homes for each of them. When Zook4mud returned to us in search of their second puppy a little less than a year after adopting their first Firebrand puppy we were more than happy to help them find them the right one. We remained in constant communication for the next several months exchanging emails, calls, and text messages in order to find the right puppy for them. Three months ago the decision was finalized and Cash was to be the newest member of their family.
At the time of Cash’s passing, things became heated over the phone and I wrongfully accused Zook4mud for being responsible for his death. I was very frustrated at how the veterinarian may have treated the puppy fearing that the prescribed treatment would cause more harm than good. My mistake was letting a personal health issue negatively impact the way I conducted business, and I resent letting my emotions get the better of me in an extremely difficult situation. My failure to respond to Zook4mud in a timely manner left them feeling abandoned and forced them to take matters into their own hands. For this, I am inexplicably sorry and I have learned from this unfortunate lesson.
I have read the 28 page packet that Zook4mud sent to me, letters, reports, and legalese included. Having remained in constant contact with the family over the first few weeks to aid in assisting with Cash’s transition into his new home, I was surprised to learn about pertinent information that had never been mentioned in our conversations. In two separate veterinary reports sent to me in the 28 page packet I learned that Cash had been dropped; once by a child and another time from a kitchen counter. In the more severe case the puppy’s neck was cocked for an extended period of time, and he had trouble moving. The veterinarian reported that the puppy suffered trauma and depression in the diagnoses from the falls.
There was one document that was provided for me during our communication; it was a blood work report that they had performed on Cash after he apparently vomited. I know now that the day of he went in for that test was also the same day he experienced his first fall. It was also admitted to me that the Zook4mud was not staying “religious” with my advised nutrition regimen. Caring very much for our puppies, I became seriously concerned for the Cash’s health and on October 13th, 2014 I suggested it would be best for the the family to send the the puppy back to me, all expenses paid. I offered to replace the puppy and strongly encouraged that they did not seek additional specialized care and incur any further expenses. They did not consider my offer and decided to continue seeking help from specialists. On November 2nd, 2014 I was informed that the puppy died. This was particularly frustrating for me because I tried my best to prevent this exact scenario.
As a small business owner, I believe in working with customers on a one-on-one basis, providing individual care for them before, during, and after their new puppy is adopted. I have built a trust between my buyers and myself and we both agree to honor all agreements, verbal or written. Nevertheless, I got into a habit of sending along the contract with the puppies asking that buyers send back a signed copy when the puppy is received because I trust them. I didn’t get a copy of the signed contract from Zook4mud until I got a copy of the puppy’s autopsy report; they were mailed in the same envelope. Despite all this, I take pride in always making a fair decision. In reading the Michigan autopsy final report, the lab states “The gross and histologic findings are consistent with a portosystemic shunt. There was no evidence of a concurrent or infectious disease process within the tissues examined. Such a portosystemic shunt at this early age, combined with poor appetite and insufficient weight gain over weeks as reported in the history, suggests that this is most likely a congenital lesion.” In light of this, I am prepared to resolve this issue with Zook4mud.
I am in this business because I love breeding quality Yorkies and I love sharing the joy they bring into people’s homes. Firebrand Yorkies has been in business for 35 years, the last 7 of which have been run by my husband and I with occasional help from my family members. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a customer of mine with a negative story to share. Our reputation is something we have earned and it’s the thing we are most proud of. I’ve met wonderful people through my business and maintain good relations with all of them. Many of my customers are repeat customers.
I fully admit that this situation could have been resolved more amicably and I hope my post has shed more light on the situation. I have reached out to Zook4mud to privately to resolve the matter.
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