rupertpiper
Junior Member
North Carolina
Two weeks ago I contacted a nonprofit agency that was involved in dog rescue. I had buried my two dogs in February and April of this year and I was interested in adopting another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I found a 2 year old male on their website. I completed the application and emailed the contact. I made it clear in several emails to her that the adoption was contingent on my veterinarian's examination of the dog.
The agency is in GA, however, they had a van going through Greenville, SC, on Friday morning so I met the van to examine the dog, sign the contract, and pay the listed fee ($600). I saw the dog, wrote on the contract "contingent upon my veterinarian's examination," and processed the charge with my credit card.
I called my vet and arranged for an appointment the following Monday. Upon examination, my vet said that there was no way this was a 2 year old dog--he was at least 8 years old. Well, I had just buried my dogs so I was NOT interested in senior dog (especially when all my paperwork said this was a 2 year old).
Also, my vet said the dog had a number of health issues, most critical were the earmites and poor dental care (for a Cavalier, that's a big issue as any dental infection goes right to the heart and it can easily kill the dog).
So, sitting in the parking lot after the appointment, I called my credit card company and had the charge reversed under their fraud protection policy.
I then called my contact at the GA agency and left a message. She didn't call me back until Tuesday morning when I was at work; I asked if I could call her that evening and she said she'd be available at 9 p.m. I called at 9:01 p.m. and got her voicemail. I left another message. I didn't hear anything that week, so I went ahead and made an appointment to have the dog's teeth cleaned the following Monday.
On Monday night I received an incendiary email from her saying that I was not entitled to a free dog and the dog belonged to the agency and what was I going to do to return it to them.
Of course, I wrote back saying I had no intention of ever receiving a free dog; what I did receive (because I had been lied to) was an older dog (not a 2 year old) with health issues (the papers said the dog had a 'vet check').
She sees no culpability on her part and expects me to either pay $600 or drive the dog back to GA. I've offered to work this out with a third party (she had mentioned a board member in Asheville, so I asked for his name and number--twice; she's not given it to me). That was our last correspondence--my asking for the name of her board member (whom she said was a retired judge). She's not responded in two days.
Having now paid $300 for the health of a dog I would have never adopted in the first place, I now have to worry about her stealing the dog from me (she's intimated as much).
What would you recommend as my next step?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
Two weeks ago I contacted a nonprofit agency that was involved in dog rescue. I had buried my two dogs in February and April of this year and I was interested in adopting another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I found a 2 year old male on their website. I completed the application and emailed the contact. I made it clear in several emails to her that the adoption was contingent on my veterinarian's examination of the dog.
The agency is in GA, however, they had a van going through Greenville, SC, on Friday morning so I met the van to examine the dog, sign the contract, and pay the listed fee ($600). I saw the dog, wrote on the contract "contingent upon my veterinarian's examination," and processed the charge with my credit card.
I called my vet and arranged for an appointment the following Monday. Upon examination, my vet said that there was no way this was a 2 year old dog--he was at least 8 years old. Well, I had just buried my dogs so I was NOT interested in senior dog (especially when all my paperwork said this was a 2 year old).
Also, my vet said the dog had a number of health issues, most critical were the earmites and poor dental care (for a Cavalier, that's a big issue as any dental infection goes right to the heart and it can easily kill the dog).
So, sitting in the parking lot after the appointment, I called my credit card company and had the charge reversed under their fraud protection policy.
I then called my contact at the GA agency and left a message. She didn't call me back until Tuesday morning when I was at work; I asked if I could call her that evening and she said she'd be available at 9 p.m. I called at 9:01 p.m. and got her voicemail. I left another message. I didn't hear anything that week, so I went ahead and made an appointment to have the dog's teeth cleaned the following Monday.
On Monday night I received an incendiary email from her saying that I was not entitled to a free dog and the dog belonged to the agency and what was I going to do to return it to them.
Of course, I wrote back saying I had no intention of ever receiving a free dog; what I did receive (because I had been lied to) was an older dog (not a 2 year old) with health issues (the papers said the dog had a 'vet check').
She sees no culpability on her part and expects me to either pay $600 or drive the dog back to GA. I've offered to work this out with a third party (she had mentioned a board member in Asheville, so I asked for his name and number--twice; she's not given it to me). That was our last correspondence--my asking for the name of her board member (whom she said was a retired judge). She's not responded in two days.
Having now paid $300 for the health of a dog I would have never adopted in the first place, I now have to worry about her stealing the dog from me (she's intimated as much).
What would you recommend as my next step?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?