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Bought a sick pet? A new state law is looking out for you
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Meet Gladys, the $2,200 cat.
She's not a champion show cat, and isn't even a purebred. She's a domestic shorthair, the feline equivalent of a mutt.
Bill Plummer, of Egg Harbor Township, said he was always a dog person.
But when he and his wife, Debra, went window shopping at an Atlantic County pet store in mid-July, a 5-month-old kitten peered out of the cage begging them to take her home. So he relented and bought his wife the cat for $60. The kitten came with a health certificate showing she had been examined by a veterinarian.
A few days later, the kitten, Gladys, started sneezing, the Plummers said. On the night of July 25, they found her hiding behind the television set.
"She was having problems breathing, and when she turned to look at me, her nose was covered with (mucus)," and her breathing was labored, Debra Plummer said.
The Plummers rushed Gladys to the emergency veterinary clinic in Linwood, where she was diagnosed with panleukopenia, or feline distemper, they said. The hospital nursed Gladys back to health - to the tune of $2,103. The Plummers spent another $107 at a follow-up visit with a local veterinarian. The Linwood animal hospital certified that the cat was not fit for sale.
The Plummers tried unsuccessfully to get the store to reimburse them for their expenses but said their phone calls were not returned. They have since filed a complaint with the state Division of Consumer Affairs.
Consumer protections
Animal welfare advocates say animals bought in pet stores are more likely to have health problems than those obtained from shelters and independent breeders.
Nancy Beall, president of the Atlantic County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said she hears dozens of complaints every year about pet stores selling sick animals, and "I'm sure there are tons of it that I don't even know about."
Americans spent $2.1 billion last year on purchases of live animals, according to the American Pet Products Association. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 2 million to 4 million puppies are sold each year in pet stores and over the Internet.
New Jersey has one of the most stringent "puppy lemon" laws in the country. But despite the law, pet owners such as the Plummers can spend thousands of dollars in veterinary bills on animals that seemed perfectly healthy in the pet-shop cage.
The New Jersey Pet Protection Act of 2000 stipulates that if an animal becomes sick or dies within 14 days of purchase and a veterinarian certifies the animal was unfit for sale, the customer has three options: Return the animal for another pet, return the animal for a refund or keep the animal and be reimbursed for expenses. Compensation is limited to double the purchase price.
Last year, the state Division of Consumer Affairs received about 50 complaints from people who bought sick animals, spokesman Jeff Lamm said.
Sick puppy
Tricia Kalita, of Egg Harbor Township, had no idea what she was in for when she bought an 11-week-old dachshund from a different Atlantic County pet shop in February.
Kalita had four dogs and was not looking for another. But while on a shopping trip, her small daughter met the puppy and played well with him, so Kalita bought him for $1,230.
Kalita said she called her veterinarian to examine the puppy, named Kingston, and the next available appointment was 11 days away. The vet found the puppy had kennel cough and ordered a test for parasites because he was underweight. When the results came back five days later, they confirmed Kingston had a highly contagious parasite.
"This little puppy sounded like an old man," Kalita said. "He had this hoarse, deep cough."
Kalita called the pet store to return the puppy, but they refused to take him back because the 14-day period allowed by state law had elapsed, she said. After a while, the store manager would not take her calls.
She spent $414 to treat Kingston and another $304 for preventive medications for her other dogs, Kalita said. She had to go to small-claims court to recover her veterinary bills.
In researching her dog's background, Kalita said she got the name of a breeder in Oklahoma.
But Kingston's health problems - and the expenses - were not over.
In August, Kalita learned that the dog has hip dysplasia - a degenerative joint disease - arthritis and loose ligaments, she said. Kingston's condition may require surgery at the University of Pennsylvania veterinary school, which would set her back nearly $10,000.
"If he doesn't get surgery, the back end of him won't work in a year or so," and he may have to be put down, Kalita said.
Puppy mills
Animal-welfare advocates say people would do better to get their pets from a responsible breeder or local animal shelter.
Most dogs sold in pet stores are bred in puppy mills, often in the Midwest, said Stephanie Shain, senior director of the puppy mill campaign for the Humane Society of the United States. The HSUS gets several calls per day about sick puppies bought at pet stores or over the Internet.
"We have yet to talk to somebody who goes into a pet store and understands they are buying a puppy who came out of a massive puppy-breeding situation," Shain said. "These dogs are treated like an agricultural crop."
A license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is no indicator that the puppies are bred and raised in good conditions, Shain said.
There are few kitty mills, as the demand for purebred cats is not as great as it is for dogs, Shain said. Most kittens sold in pet stores are from "mistake" litters that people bring in to unload.
You can't judge an animal's health by seeing it in the store, Shain said. Purebred dogs can have genetic problems, with symptoms that do not surface for six months or longer.
Animals adopted from a shelter or bought from a breeder can have health issues, too, Shain said. But shelters are more concerned about finding a good home for the animal than in making a sale.
Pets Plus, a pet-store chain with a shop in Hamilton Township, tries to make sure it is selling healthy animals, kennel manager Donna Getz said.
Puppies are examined by a veterinarian and have their shots before Pets Plus receives them, and the company veterinarian checks them again after they arrive, Getz said. The puppies remain at the facility for five days before they are shipped to the individual stores, where another vet examines them.
If the local veterinarian thinks the dog needs medical care, the store manager calls Getz, and she arranges to take it to an animal hospital, she said. In New Jersey, Pets Plus works with the Red Bank Animal Hospital.
Pets Plus deals only with licensed dog breeders, although people may have differing opinions about their quality, Getz said.
While there are some bad apples in the business, "I really do think this company goes beyond what they're supposed to do," Getz said. "My feeling is for the animals, and to me they are small children with furry coats on."
Household Pet Protection Inc., of Auroro, Colo., provides a warranty for animals sold at 175 to 220 pet stores throughout the United States and Canada, including Pets Plus, President Ted Hellen said. The pet stores pay $5 to $8 for each animal they sell, and his company determines who is responsible for the veterinary bills in the event of a customer claim.
A pet store has to meet certain standards of animal care before Hellen's company will warranty them, he said. Most contracts are modeled after the laws of the state where the store is located, but some go beyond the legal requirement.
Household Pet Protection has issued about 1 million warranties over the past 25 years, Hellen said. About 10 percent of sales result in a claim, but claims can run as high as 30 percent of sales in some years or seasons.
Heller admitted some pet shops do not properly care for the animals they sell, but "the situation is getting better as the light is getting shined on them," he said.
Buyer beware
Of course, there is no guarantee a new pet will be healthy, whether you buy it from a pet store or a breeder, adopt it from a shelter or get it from a friend, said Bev Greco, director of the Cumberland County SPCA.
"Any time you get an animal, it's like sending a kid to day care," Greco said. "You're going to get what the next one has."
New pet owners should have a veterinarian examine the animal within a few days and make sure it has all its shots, Greco said.
People who want a new pet should research the breeder, pet store or shelter before they hand over any money, said Dr. Zareen Mistry, a veterinarian with the Red Bank Animal Hospital, which runs South Jersey Veterinary Emergency Services.
Mistry said she has not noticed more problems in animals that were bought at pet stores. Adult dogs and cats adopted from shelters are more likely to have behavioral issues, but because few are purebreds, they seldom have the congenital problems that affect specific breeds.
"It's one of those buyer bewares. You have to know what you're getting into," Mistry said.
Contact Elaine Rose:
609-272-7215
Posted in BREAKING on Monday, November 9, 2009 8:25 am
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