Dear Dr. Forsythe: I’m writing to you about a problem I had with a puppy I purchased two months ago that was sold out from under me after I put a deposit down. Can a breeder do that to a person? I went with my daughter and picked out what I knew would be the perfect puppy dog for us, and struck a fair deal with the breeder. I even left her a check to hold “Suzi.” But when I went back three weeks later to pick her up, the breeder announced that my puppy had been sold to another home when she hadn’t heard back from me! I was shocked, not to mention a little angry. Not only that, but all the other puppies were gone and I was just handed my check back and told, “Sorry, next time you need to follow up if you’re serious.” I was curious if you’d heard about this happening to other people you know, or if I just picked a bad seed to do business with.
No puppy breath here
Dear Puppy Breath: My condolences on the “deal gone bad” but it sounds like there may be more to this story than you’re telling here. I wonder what the breeder meant by wishing you’d “followed up if you were serious.” You also claim this breeder was a “bad seed.” Like the reverend mother in The Sound of Music said about two sides of a story, “Usually the truth is found somewhere in between.” I’m wondering if you mightn’t have done a better job communicating with this breeder about your devotion to the pet and desire to have the puppy rather than just leave a check? Did you call regularly to check on “Suzi” and her growth? Did you ask to come visit her after you initially picked her out? Maybe your idea of striking a “fair deal” didn’t feel too “fair” to the breeder after you left the deposit. Did you sign a contract for the puppy or do anything more to finalize the deal prior to showing up when you planned to pick up the puppy? I know I sound pretty harsh, but I’ve dealt with breeders before, and I know they tend to be very discriminating when doling out their precious puppies. Breeders come in all shapes, sizes, types and temperaments. But one thing I can say, they all have in common is a love for their puppies – so they will fight tooth and nail to find the best homes for them. It does sound like you were shafted royally by this breeder and treated unfairly and unethically, but every once in a while I find myself playing devil’s advocate and try and ask if we have all the information and what meaning we’ve attached to the other person’s actions. If I were you, I’d ask this breeder why on earth he or she sold the puppy out from under you? The answer you get may surprise you, they may anger you, they may even sicken you, but one thing is for sure: you’ll learn something about the breeder, you’ll learn something about yourself, and you’ll be a heck of a lot wiser when you go shopping for that next puppy. My best wishes to you over this trying ordeal.
Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: Which do you think are harder to work on, sick cats or dogs, and why?
Cecelia, Sonoma
Dear Cecelia: Cats! They are smarter, and they are very persnickety. They nearly always tell the doctor when they are “done” with the exam. Even the nicest pussy cat will not hesitate to chomp down on a doctor’s finger if he has taken too long and “worn out his welcome.” Certain kitties can be more unpredictable than many dogs. During a procedure, such as an ear cleaning, a kitty can be sitting there purring one minute, then simply chow down on you with amazing precision the next moment, as if you were a small shrimp appetizer at the French Laundry. Cats also are a delightfully complex species that seem to take absolute pleasure in being superior to everyone and everything around them. Therefore, it is my belief that they enjoy stumping doctors and staff. Perhaps this is why they can have the disease pancreatitis even when their lipase test is in the normal range. (Dogs don’t do this.) They can have hyperthyroid without an elevated T4 (occult hyperthyroid disease, rare, but it does happen). They vomit and vomit then sometimes stop the minute you get them to the veterinary office. Tyra Banks is always telling potential models to “smile with your eyes” and cats do this naturally – and seem to bask in the glory of making veterinarians work very hard for every successful diagnosis we can get. For these reasons, cats can be a challenge, and also an opportunity to thank God we are veterinarians. Without feline patients, how would we stay on our toes? Or is that paws? Got a cat you need examined? Thanks for a great question.
Dr. F
Be First to Comment