Marlene Forand said it was love at first sight. But the poodle she named Ollie appeared sick from the start.
Days later Forand’s vet confirmed her poodle tested positive for Coccidia a disease commonly found in puppies. But Ollie came with a clean health certificate.
A week later Forand says another test confirmed Ollie suffered from a second intestinal problem, Giardia. Vet bills show she’s spent hundreds of dollars but contacted us after waiting weeks on the breeder to reimburse her.
Florida's Pet Lemon Law provides three options for pet owners.
- They can return the animal for a full refund and reimbursement for the veterinary bills.
- They can exchange the animal for one of equal value yet still be entitled to veterinary reimbursement.
- A consumer can opt for Forand’s choice and keep the dog. Still the dealer must pay for reasonable veterinary expenses to treat or cure the dog.
In an email dated April 13, Forand details the issues with the dog and asks Alice Holt who runs Trish’s All Breeds Pet Grooming to reimburse her for vet costs. But weeks went by and Forand says she never received a check.
We called Alice Holt to find out why they had not reimbursed Ollie’s owner. Days later Trish’s All Breeds Pet Grooming sent Forand a check for just shy of $300.
The vet bills Forand showed us are closer to $500 but Holt questions whether every bill is related to Ollie’s original diagnosis. To fight for the rest of her money Forand will now need to file a case with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services which handles Pet Lemon Law cases.
