sickpupper
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California
On Wednesday, I bought a puppy off of a CraigsList ad. Breeder said the puppy was healthy, but it had diarrhea when I brought it back to my home. I took it to the vet Friday morning and it turns out the puppy had a parasitic infection (Giardia). The vet noted that this was most likely contracted at the breeder's rather than my home, and documented it in a medical report I was given. I then contacted the breeder about the puppy's illness and for him to foot the bill (~$160), per the vet's diagnosis and documentation. He declined, stating his ignorance to any illness and saying that the puppy was healthy when it was at his place, in addition to the rest of his puppies being healthy. Due to the nature of CraigsList, I don't have much information about the breeder: only his first name, the city he lives in, and his phone number. So, my question is how much legal recourse do I have and how much further should I pursue financial reimbursement? Consumer affairs states that lemon laws do not affect hobby breeders, except for particularly active ones, which is defined as someone who has sold, transferred, or gave away two or more litters in the preceding calendar year. I believe the breeder falls under that category because he showed me pictures of his previous litter from the last year prior to the purchase.
On Wednesday, I bought a puppy off of a CraigsList ad. Breeder said the puppy was healthy, but it had diarrhea when I brought it back to my home. I took it to the vet Friday morning and it turns out the puppy had a parasitic infection (Giardia). The vet noted that this was most likely contracted at the breeder's rather than my home, and documented it in a medical report I was given. I then contacted the breeder about the puppy's illness and for him to foot the bill (~$160), per the vet's diagnosis and documentation. He declined, stating his ignorance to any illness and saying that the puppy was healthy when it was at his place, in addition to the rest of his puppies being healthy. Due to the nature of CraigsList, I don't have much information about the breeder: only his first name, the city he lives in, and his phone number. So, my question is how much legal recourse do I have and how much further should I pursue financial reimbursement? Consumer affairs states that lemon laws do not affect hobby breeders, except for particularly active ones, which is defined as someone who has sold, transferred, or gave away two or more litters in the preceding calendar year. I believe the breeder falls under that category because he showed me pictures of his previous litter from the last year prior to the purchase.