We learned the hard way not to do ANY business with these people under any circumstances. We got word they had Bernese Mountain puppies for sale, a brother and a sister. They were both getting close to 4 months in age, so they were almost too old to sell as puppies. And because of their age, and the fact that they had been raised in a cage, they were going to be very hard to housebreak. But we have had Berners before and we love the breed, so I went in with the idea that this was more a rescue than a purchase. When we first saw the puppies, it was clear they were sick. Both had kennel cough, a highly contagious disease. Having them locked up in a little cage was just sickening to me. They initially wanted something well over $1000 each for them. I offered to take them both for $800 just to get them out of there and to try and find them a good home. It was not the puppies fault where they wound up. The owner was out so I was told by the store manager she would have to call him and that I should call back later. By the time I called again, the female was gone but the male was still there. So I went back determined to get him out of that place. When I bought him, for $500, I was told that because of his age, and because they had lowered the price so much, I was getting the dog without a warranty. Mind you, I was not given a choice in the matter. I either took him without a warranty or let him remain caged up for God knows how long. So we took him, knowing he had kennel cough but that he'd been treated by their vet and would be fine. What we didn't know, is that he also had giardia, a condition that causes acute diarrhea. And I mean acute! We took him to see our vet the very next day and got him started on treatments. But nothing was helping. We went back again and again trying to get something stronger to help the little guy get his bowels under control. Then recently, as a matter of last resort, our vet drew blood and sent it to Texas A&M for a full screening. The results came showing he was low in B-12, an inherited condition that makes disgestion difficult and leads to an inability to properly digest food. In all, we have spend nearly $2000 IN VET BILL ALONE. So I called Petland, they said the store is franchise owned and that I needed to deal with them directly. I called them and the store owner said he would talk to his lawyer and call me back. He never did. So I called again. He said Petland was taking care of it. I called Petland HQ. They said he was wrong and that I would need to deal with him. Sound like a run-around? It did to me, too. So I called him AGAIN and he said he would have his lawyer call me. All because I tried to help out a little puppy who needed a break. Please, do not even go into this place. Because if you do, you might see a puppy or kitten that will attach itself to your heart and you may well wind up with what we have. A sick puppy who is still being treated, and an ever mounting vet bill.
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