We adopted a dog on January 1st and he is a very sick dog with heart value disease?
and seizures. When we adopted him he was given a clean bill of health and we were told he was 3-4 years old. We've had him to the vet at least 6 times. The cardiologist says hes at least 8 years old and has had this heart disease for some time. We love him but are very angry that the shelter would adopt out such a sick animal. Does anyone have any ideas on how we can make this shelter responsible for some of the vet bills? We are nearing 3,000 dollars not to mention what he is going through and how upsetting it is to us. Thank you.
Dogs - 9 Answers
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1 :
Where I live the shelter will take financial responsibility for an animal that has expensive problems by either paying off the debt for you, or taking back the animal for euthanizing
2 :
I'm sure that they wouldn't have known about this before hand. Try to remember the help that the shelter is doing for all the other dogs and the fact that other dogs might miss out on treatment if they have to pay for your dog too. I'm sad for you but I find it hard to believe a shelter would adopt out a sick dog :(
3 :
If the shelter told you NOTHING about any possibilities of illness they thought he could have or might have had when you adopted him.. I would go there and show them the vet paperwork.. if they don't do anything about it.. then I would honestly take it to small claims. That is just horrible that they would overlook such a big medical problem and adopt the sick dog out.
4 :
Re-read your contract. Most shelter contracts excuse them from any medical problems (contagious viral diseases aside) because you are adopting an animal that more often than not has a cloudy history. They can't tell you about the quality of the breeder or dogs that this dog came from. When you are adopting, you adopt any and all of the health and behavioral issues that come along with that dog. Before you go getting upset, I recently lost an adopted dog after only having him a year. He passed away from cardiac issues that were completely undetected. So I know how upsetting it is, but it was your decision to adopt and you willingly took on all potential problems with that pet.
5 :
You adopted him "as is"... it's not like a puppy mill store where you can return the dog for a new one.
6 :
Start by composing a calm, rational letter and include copies of the vet bills and diagnosis and send it to the shelter registered mail return signature requested. You should hear from them in 10 business days or less--if not, take a copy of it to your local government and complain.
7 :
Hahahaha, make the shelter responsible for his bills! You didn't purchase from a reputable breeder with health guarentees, and this is the crap shoot you get when you get a shelter dog. I'd bet my house the contract you signed releases them from further care.
8 :
Its not a business, its a charity. They probably will take the dog back to euthanize, but if your like me, I couldn't do that. My rescue has cost me over 3000$ (and rising) in the last month too, like yours he was supposedly healthy. I am very hard up for cash, by no means do I have this kind of money. I'm not mad at the shelter, i'm not mad at the dog, I'm mad at whomever dumped him in his time of need. I love Fozzie Bear and I'd rather eat Kraft Dinner for 6 months than to feel that I did anything less than the best for him. Don't go after the shelter and risk them not being able to save other sweet, innocent souls. Come on, its a charity. He couldn't have landed in a better home, make his life happy as best you can.
9 :
If you did not want to deal with the vet bills you needed to return him to the shelter as soon as you found out he was sick. Most shelters have a return policy, and paticularly when they pawned off a sick, geriatric dog on you. You are not entitled to any money back as you are the one who made the choice to spend so much money on the dog. Return the dog and let the shelter decide what to do with him
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