Can't Pay for Vet Bills`

I just bought a beautiful seven week old chocolate lab puppy 5 days ago....(7weeks old) 16 hours after i bought him from a breeder in upstate NY my little guy started throwing up and having diarrhea... I brought him to the vet, long story short, he had a intestinal intessection... He had 30ft of his intestine removed... If he came home today the bill would be $2500.... ARE YOU KIIDING ME@!!!!@#@!$ I love animals, he's my 3 dog, and i know i only had him 16 hours, but i'm so attached.... I'm ready to give him up and just suffer the consequences of a collection agency, i just don't have the money... Any suggestions.... ( p.s. the breeder is a real ass, he obviously doesn't care about the dog)

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Permalink Reply by ChocoLab on March 20, 2009 at 11:35pm: I already have the ASPCA sending someone out to his house. When i told him about the situation he told me to give the dog back... To which i replied, "What are you going to do with him" to which he replied, " i'm gonnna have to put him down"; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bullies2Love on March 21, 2009 at 12:12am: I even think the ASPCA answer is stupid. This is just my opinion but will the puppy live? If this being the case why on earth would you give the puppy back after the puppy was medically taken care of just to be put down. This makes no sense to me.

Was there a contract between you and the breeder? If so, did the contract say anything in the invent that the dog becomes sick with so many days or if you are unsatisfied with the dog you may return the dog for a full refund? If you didn't have one I am afraid you are out of luck or perhaps not if you sue him for vet bills.

Most Vets know people do not have that kind of money flying around and more so now with the way the economy is. If you have been in good standing with your vet ask for a payment plan that is realistic. Frankly, this dog doesn't stand a chance with ASPCA or the breeder if they choose to put it down if the dog can live okay as long as he gets the medical help you are willing to provide him.

Everyone is having finanicial problems and your not alone. Do call the breeder back and let her know that you will be sueing her. See how fast she talks.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Darrell on March 21, 2009 at 12:20am: What seems strange about this story is how it conflicts with my experiences in dealing with vets. My vets always provide me with itemized estimates of what things will cost in advance; and if they find something that significantly changes that estimate, they call me to get the okay before going forward. So unless you specifically directed them to do whatever it takes no matter the cost, I would think a smart lawyer could help you lower that price. Unfortunately that smart lawyer might cost more than you'll save. Nevertheless, you should have known in advance that any serious vet surgery will run you well over a thousand dollars these days.

Bank loans, fund raisers and negotiation with the vet to swallow some of the costs are all I can think of at the moment. If you involve a lawyer, your target has to be the breeder. Without a lawyer, you might have a case in small claims court. But any legal finding in your favor against the breeder will probably cost you the dog in exchange for money. Then there is the question of whether your vet performed a necessary surgery. The breeder may challenge that. Did you and the breeder sign a contract of any kind? Every dog I have purchased from breeders was done by written contract (which I participated in writing). If you did, study it carefully for the exact conditions of sale. Check whether you bought the dog "as is" or with conditions attached.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Darrell on March 21, 2009 at 12:48am: Absolutely! Notice the newness of the member. Notice also the strangeness of un-vet-like procedings. That is why I described how it works with my vet dealings. Of course, there is always the possibility that we are simply overly suspicious. Time will tell.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ChocoLab on March 21, 2009 at 7:48am: The vet did give me estimates.... ESTIMATES.... the first estimate was for $399, ended up being $675 for three days of IV fluids.... the second was $1000 for the surgery for the bowel intessuction, ended up being $1500 because he needed a blood transfusion, and unbeknownse to me, the post-op days weren't included.. He's still in the hospital and the bill will end up being over $3000 all said and done, and now i'm considering giving the dog up and taking the financial(credit score) repercussions... I love this little guy, but i can't be bankrupted by my puppy; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by bams481 on March 22, 2009 at 12:26am: i totally agree renee. and a loan paid good on each month will increase ur credit score. u need a few active open line of credit (im learning a lot about credit in the last few yrs of boosing my credit score from in the 400s to the 600s) i would never be okay; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by bams481 on March 22, 2009 at 12:29am: with allowing it to hit ur credit. do what u can to stop that. i would also call legal aid about the legal issues. im not sure bout the legal stuff but legal aid will give u free legal advice. that way u will know if u should persue that; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Regina Dickerson on March 23, 2009 at 4:43pm: You can check under" Helping Animals" group, then go to "Financial Assistance" discussion and check there.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Belles on March 21, 2009 at 12:44am: First of all, don't take legal advice from anyone here who is not a lawyer. For the most part, they are clueless - and believing what they are telling you can be risky at best.

ChocoLab, get expert advice from a lawyer who specializes in contracts. Take your paperwork to the lawyer and ask him/her if you have a case. A good attorney will tell you straight up what you're facing and the best way to proceed. None of us here have all the facts. There may be some contractual obligation.. who knows. It's up to a judge to decide that.

The best bet is to make an appointment with an attorney, he'll tell you if you have a shot or not and probably won't even charge you for the appointment. No one here is a legal expert and trust me.. the answers you're getting are not something you can base a reasonable decision on.

In the meantime, Renee is correct. Perhaps you can volunteer your time to the vet for part of the fee and make financial arrangements for the remainder. If the vet won't agree, then you'll have to figure out a Plan B, but let's hope that the vet is a reasonable person who understands. It is worth at least asking about it.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Belles on March 21, 2009 at 1:07am: horse meat eater; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ashley Phillips on March 21, 2009 at 9:31pm: Where's that Sterga person? This sounds like it's right up her alley...?; ▶ Reply to This