But for those buying puppies from ads in newspapers, classified papers, and online sites such as Craigslist.com, that happiness is either a long-time taking or never experienced.
This past Thursday, Coastal Pet Rescue released information to local media to warn consumers of a breeder selling puppies with Parvovirus. The breeder, Roy Newsome, is also a local businessman.
The owner of Newsome Enterprises normally makes his living selling trailers and signs from his store and website, UncleRoys.com. A local family saw Mr. Newsome's ad in the local Tell-N-Sell for CKC registered Rottweiler puppies. The Lanes went to get their puppy, Bubba, from Mr. Newsome. They were told the puppies, five males and four females, had seen the vet twice and had two dewormings. After paying $400 and receiving the CKC registration papers, the Lanes left to enjoy their new life with Bubba.
But Bubba didn't feel well. He wouldn't play, and became very lethargic. The Lanes thought he was depressed, having been separated from his mom and littermates. But on the morning of May 21st, Bubba began to vomit, and the Lanes immediately rushed him to the vet, where he was diagnosed with hookworms and parvovirus, which is often fatal to puppies.
The Lanes never received any actual paperwork to prove veterinary care, nor were they ever shown a Georgia Department of Agriculture license which regulates pet breeders.
The Lanes notified Mr. Newsome and went back to get a refund. When the family returned to the point of sale, Mr. Newsome refused to come meet with the family members, instead sending his daughter out the front door with the refund.
The Lanes were hopeful that Bubba would pull through, but sadly, his body gave in and he passed on Sunday morning, May 25th.
The Lanes have notified the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the CKC, and the Savannah Business Bureau in the hopes of getting Mr. Newsome shut down. They are still in mourning for little Bubba and hope no other families will fall prey to puppy sale ads.
Stories like these are not unheard of in our work. Mostly, we hear about them from people purchasing puppies at the local flea market. As long as people are dead-set on having a "purebred" puppy, these breeders will keep selling. There are plenty of puppies available through local animal shelters and rescues. An estimated 40% of animals in rescues and shelters are purebred. But it isn't a specific breed that makes a good dog; it's the unconditional love and excitement a puppy (or even adult and senior dog) brings to its new family. All it takes is for a person to stop being superficial and give a pup a second chance.
4 comments:
His website says nothing about puppies. Is he a breeder or did his dogs just have puppies and he was selling them? What can the state really do to him if he isn't a breeder?
He is a registered breeder with the CKC. The family that purchased the puppy has his breeder info and has filed a complaint against him with the CKC as well as the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Savannah Better Business Bureau. His ads for the puppies were in the Tell-N-Sell weekly classified paper.
If he wasn't a registered breeder and his female had just had puppies he was looking to sell can the state do anything about complaints like this?
Anyone selling more than one litter of puppies a year is required to obtain a breeding license through the Georgia Deptartment of Agriculture. If you have purchased a puppy from someone that is sick, you can file a complaint with animal control and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Otherwise, my understanding is it becomes a civil case in which you can sue for the medical expenses involved in the care. You can also post ads in places where the person is advertising the puppies for sale to warn others.
Part of the problem here is too many people do not speak up when they get sick puppies. We get lots of emails about it, but very few of the people who contact us ever actually file complaints with the agencies that can do something.
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