Thinking about buying a purebred dog? This story will serve as a warning for you.
Some people prefer to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to have a purebred dog.
However, there is a general mistrust of breeders and pet stores, and that’s for a good reason.
A woman in New York bought her dog in Washington for $1,700.
Phyllis Von Saspe wanted a designer dog with a Shorkie breed – a Shih Tzu and Yorkie mix.
She had her dog Emma’s DNA tested, and the results made her feel deceived. Emma is a mutt – a combination of Shih Tzu and Pomeranian.
Dogs bought from pet shops are not safe from this either.
Inside Edition went with Kathleen Summers of the Humane Society of the United States and bought a dog from a store in Manhattan.
The store manager said Jak was a purebred Coton de Tulear, so they bought him for $950.
They had him tested, and the result was not a surprise.
Jak was nowhere near a Coton.
The DNA test showed that he was a combination of Maltese, Havanese, and a few traces of other dog breeds.
When confronted, the store manager insisted that he was purebred based on his registration from the breeder.
She emphasized that the registration papers are the industry standard to certify the dog’s breed, not the DNA test.
Luckily, they found Jak a loving home that took him in no matter what.
Sarah Jensen didn’t mind that he wasn’t a Coton or whatever pure dog breed.
She immediately fell in love with him the first time she saw Jak and promised to give him a loving home.
Now, THIS should be the mindset we would have instead of spending much for purebreds.
But what if you got your dog from a breeder, and this happens to you?
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do.
While there are laws against puppy mills, it is more on their protection than on the assurance that they are purebred dogs.
What makes this sadder is that the USDA is not strict in enforcing these laws.
One person raised this same concern, and here’s the most notable response:
“You can go to small claims court. The cap is $2,500. The judge could order the breeder to refund half the money. The judge can also ask the breeder if they will take the dog back. If the answer is yes, you lose the dog.”
User Kathy H. also raised many concerns regarding that course of action.
She pointed out that before anyone could take a case like this to a small claims court, it would be best to have a written contract signed by both parties and the breeder attesting to the dog’s breed.
Otherwise, it would be useless.
So, what is the best course of action?
Take it as experience to not support breeders. I
f you want to get a dog, visit the shelter, and adopt one instead.
Do not return your dog just because it’s not the breed you wanted and paid for; it is not their fault.
Take in the dog and love them unconditionally like you would any dog breed.
Watch the full newscast below, and we hope you’ll adopt and not shop for your next pet.
