Westchester Puppies & Kittens, Inc.

[redacted] is a young man who recently purchased a beautiful, healthy Chihuahua puppy from my establishment.   A few weeks later, his mother contacted me to complain that she feels he over paid for this puppy and she was unhappy with the 5 pound size of the puppy.   I diplomatically...

explained to [redacted] mother that my puppies are priced according to pedigree, quality, lineage and markings, but are not priced according to size.   I continued to explain that we make it very clear in our contract that we do not guarantee the adult size and weight of any puppy, as this would be impossible to do.  [redacted] mother insisted that she wanted me to reimburse her son $1400 off of the purchase price of the puppy.   I once again nicely explained to her that I was not in a position to reimburse anything from the purchase price of the puppy, as there were no grounds for me to do so.  
[redacted] mother went on to say that the puppy also had intestinal parasites (aka: worms).  I explained very clearly to [redacted] mother that treatment of intestinal parasites (aka: worms) are not covered as per the terms of the New York State Pet Law.   I also provided [redacted] mother with a copy of the sales contract that her son had signed which explained that treating intestinal parasites are the financial responsibility of the pet owner.   Dewormings are simply part of the process of puppyhood and are so common that they are excluded from reimbursement according to the terms of the New York State Pet law.  
Although I am not obligated to do so,  I agreed to reimburse [redacted] for the cost of the deworming in order to try to appease his mother.   Regardless of my generous offer, [redacted] mother absolutely refused to send me the deworming bills unless I agreed to also reimburse her son in the amount of $1400 off the purchase price of the puppy...a figure which she seems to have pulled out of thin air.   She continued to threaten and extort me via email, and she expressed that unless I refund her son $1,400, she would report me to the Revdex.com.    I expressed to her one last time that I would not be issuing a $1400 refund of the purchase price, but rather I was willing to refund her deworming bills if she would please send them to me.    To this day I have not received any medical information, bills, documents or anything else to support her claim that the puppy was treated for intestinal worms.   All I have received are baseless, threatening emails from [redacted] mother which clearly are an attempt to extort me for money.      
I want to make it very clear that I do not appreciate these false claims being made by the mother of a young customer who seems to be having a case of buyers remorse.   I am a professional owner/operator of my business and I resent these false allegations.   
My initial offer to pay for [redacted] deworing costs still stands, however I must receive a paid invoice from the treating Veterinarian via email in order to do so.

Review: I purchased a puppy from westchester puppies/kitten. a week after purchase I found out that the puppy was sick first with kennel cough. then a few days later puppy nearly unconscious then we found out she was anemic, then we found out the puppy had a hereditary [redacted] called [redacted] that runs in the breed and should have been caught at birth. the puppy should not have been sold with this defect. I have spent over 5000.00 in medical bills and have been ignored by the pet store.Desired Settlement: reimbursement for surgeries, bloodwork, prescriptions. routine vet visits are expected. however due to the illness of the dog I have been put in a financial hardship. my children have suffered emotional distress and it has been hard not to just put the pet down.

Business

Response:

My apologies for the delayed response, as this particular email somehow fell into my spam mail. [redacted] purchased her puppy in March of 2014. She contacted us a week later to let us know that upon her visit to the Vet, the puppy had kennel cough and was slightly anemic, which are both somewhat common health issues that can often occur in a fragile puppy of this age. They are both easily treated, and certainly covered under the health warranty. At that time, we asked [redacted] to send us the medical record and invoice for treating the puppy. Upon receipt of this documentation, we immediately reimbursed [redacted] for the proper expenses. Never in our conversation, nor in the medical records, did it ever mention anything about a congenital issue such as [redacted]. In fact, until today when I read this complaint, I had no idea that the puppy had ever been diagnosed with this issue, nor was I made aware of any surgery being performed. [redacted] has not sent us any other medical information, other than the original bills, which we have already refunded. Should this puppy have been diagnosed with [redacted] by [redacted]'s Veterinarian, then it surely would have been in her medical records. And if this issue was originally missed or overlooked by her Veterinarian and not diagnosed until a later time, then all she has to do is provide us with the diagnosis and medical record. [redacted] is still within the time frame of the 1 year congenital health warranty. I'm not sure why she never sent over her diagnosis and medical records, nor why she would choose to file a complaint with the Revdex.com nine months after the supposed diagnosis. But all she is required to do is send us the formal diagnosis of [redacted] and the medical expenses for surgery, and she will be covered according to the terms of the congenital heath warranty stated in her contract. I am available for any questions you may have, and I am also available to speak directly with [redacted] or her Veterinarian at any time. Regards, [redacted]

I must say I have had two very positive experiences with Westchester Puppies and Kittens. I purchased my first kitten from them in 2012. It was a short hair exotic kitten. They provided transportation to my door in Western New York in the midst of Hurricane Sandy. I purchased the kitten over the phone. The kitten received a clean bill of health from my vet but he did have an [redacted]. I talked to the owner and was reimbursed for my medical fees for the eyes promptly.
My second experience was just this past October 2015. The staff was very helpful. We were in the New York area which enabled us to pick a kitten out in the shop which took hours and the staff was very patient and accommodating. This time we purchased a doll faced teacup Persian kitten. This kitten not only passed the vet checkup with no issues but immediately fit into our household of 3 other cats and 3 dogs. I have never had a kitten/cat that was so well adjusted, so loving and smart! It's like he has been with us forever.
It's hard to find a place that sells designer kittens other than the breeders themselves especially here in Western New York. I felt comfortable from the very beginning dealing with them and they were true to there word.

I want to share the experience that we had when purchasing our kittens on 12/**/15.

I had been shopping around for rag doll kittens, pricing and searching for 2 kittens for my daughters as their Christmas presents. After making several other calls I came across their website and made a phone call to ask about their pricing for rag doll kittens.

I spoke to a Meagan and explained my situation, that we lived in CT and we were shopping around for rag doll kittens, and I asked if they had any available... she responded yes that they have plenty.

I asked what were the price was for the rag dolls she said $750.

I was suprised and said that it sounded to low and that everywhere else I have been looking were charging much more, close to $1200 and I asked her if she was sure... she put me on hold so she could double check and came back to the phone and said that price was correct.

I was excited about the impression she gave about many to choose from and the lower cost and asked her since we were coming such a long way could I put a deposit down so they could guarantee my daughters would have several to choose from on 12/**.

She put me on hold again to check about the deposit amount and came back to let me know it would be $300 each, she would send an email for me to pay on line.

I did and received an on line receipt for the $600.

So we thought everything was all set for our appointment, drove over an hour and made just on time for our 12 o'clock appointment.

First I just want to say that when we arrived I was really disappointed, our first impression was that it looked like a run down building, not clean, it smelled bad.

Second when we walked in, it seemed very unorganized.

I tried to let someone know we were there for our appointment and spoke to a gentleman that said he was a vet technician (Louis) and he would see if he could get someone to help.

It seemed like it was a surprise that we were there for an appointment. And were they were not prepared.

To get to the real point ... The cost....

- I explained to Louis that I put a deposit down of $600 for 2 rag doll kittens for the cost of $750 each. (There were only 4 kittens to choose from when we arrived)

He looked surprised and said that they cost $1900 - $2000. And said "he knows how these people work" and when Meagan arrives I should stick to my guns (so to speak) and Meagan was on her way and I could talk to her when she arrives. (This seemed very odd to me)

Needless to say I was super upset ... Being told something totally different over the phone.

I demanded to wait for Meagan ... Since he said she was on her way. She never showed up after waiting for more than 30 min...

Louis and another girl came back out to talk to me said that Meagan wasn't coming in for another 2 hours. They then explained hat the cost of the kittens are different based on the individual kitten and 'start' at $750 and go up to $2000. And I could choose a 'cheaper' kitten.

(This is after we were waiting so long and the girls already 'picked' their kittens and we holding and playing with them)

We were devastated about this and it seemed like this was all a scam to get us there and take a deposit ...and all of a sudden the price was different.

At no time did Meagan ever say on the phone that $750 was a 'starting' price ... I would have surly got and 'ending' price and never made the choice to take a lot longer of a trip when they had rag dolls in CT for $1200 not $2000.

I continued to plead my case and requested to speak to the owner since Meagan wasn't showing up, so they got the owner Debbie on the phone and we had a conversation about what happened, she said that Meagan was on vacation but had been running her shop for more than 6 yrs and she trusted her fully.

While she said there must have been a misunderstanding and miss communication, she offered to sell the rag doll kittens for the $1200 each not $2000. We settled in $1100 each.

At that point even though truthfully I do not think I would have given them our business and money ... I felt like I had no choice. These were my girls Christmas gifts that were promised to them ... They waited all weekend for the appointment and just spent an hour playing with the kittens, it would have broken their heart.

I just felt like this was all a ploy ... Putting together all of what happened and the Vet techs comment, the non organization. They didn't even know I had an appointment, or that I placed a deposit down already. Just horrible.

I get the feeling that this has happened to other customers.

And hope people can be warned.

Thank you

Despite our better judgement of buying from a pet store, we purchased a kitten on September [redacted] from Westchester Puppies and Kittens in Westchester, New York. He was sold to us with a clean bill of health and we fell in love with this adorable kitten.
Within hours of purchasing Winston, he has extreme bouts of diarrhea. We figured it was due to the stress of a new home and brought him in for a check up 2 days later. He was prescribed medicine and sent home. Days past and still no improvement in the kittens health so we brought him back to the vet on September [redacted]. From there we were informed about how severe this situation had become and he was administered in to Animal Hospital.
His diarrhea had caused weight loss and [redacted], which can be fatal to a kitten only weighing 2 pounds. After 3 days of hospitalization, we are unable to get to the root of his illness. More extensive tests are being performed and he is sad, lonely, and scared. We visit with the kitten twice a day to comfort him. So far we have amassed a vet bill of over $2,000 within 3 days and we expect this to accumulate quickly since there is no end in sight.
Westchester Puppies and Kittens had been contacted about the issue and they are not too sympathetic. They claim the kitten was not sick when he left. They will only reimburse us for up to the purchase price of the cat. They told me I can bring back the cat for a refund or exchange if I am unhappy. They were rude, unprofessional, and condescending.
We are dealing with a living being and under no circumstances will we bring back this animal. The pet store even had the audacity to tell us to drive from our hometown of [redacted] back 3 hours to visit their Vet because they claim our vet is overcharging us. They even offered to pick the animal up. I don't think transporting a very sick kitten 3 hours for treatment at the same place that gave him a false clean bill of health is a smart idea. Furthermore, they had the audacity to tell us our Vet is milking us for money and we should take the animal out of the hospital despite his severe [redacted]. The pet store treats their animals like pieces of merchandise without any concern for their health or well being. The claim their warranty only covers reimbursement for the cost of the cat for medical expenses. This could potentially cost us upwards of $10,000. They will take minimal responsibility for their sick animal that was sold to us under false good health. I can't even get a return phone call. BEWARE!

Review: In December, my husband and I purchased 2 Maine Cn Kittens. Shortly after bringing them home, we noticed that they had multiple symptoms of illness (excessive itching and scratching, [redacted] stools, vomiting, excessive sneezing, red eyes w/discharge, runny nose) We took the kittens to the vet 2 times. They were diagnosed with [redacted] (a highly contagious skin disease, which can be spread to humans). They were also diagnosed with [redacted] an [redacted] ([redacted]) . I paid $575.00 for the visits and medications. After the medications failed to effectively treat the kittens, I brought them back to the store. The vet advised us that under NYS state law, the kittens were "unfit for sale" based on the fact that they were sold with a contagious and disease. When we brought the kittens back, we were told by [redacted] that we were entitled to a refund of vet fees. She told us that the owner would review all of the bills and contact us. To date, we have only received a refund for the price of the kittens. I've reached out to the owner via email and there has been no response!!!!

I addition, I have requested to be reimbursed for cat items, which had to be thrown away because of the [redacted] Cat trees, cat scratchers, collars, toys, brushes, cat beds etc.Desired Settlement: $575 medical bills

$203.42 cat items, which had to be thrown away

Total requested $778.42

Business

Response:

We have refunded [redacted] as per the terms of the NYS Pet law and health warranty. If there is a health issue within the first 14 days of purchasing a pet, the customer has the right to either keep the pet and be refunded for reasonable Vet bills incurred to treat the animals up to the purchase price of the animals (not including initial exams, diagnostic fees, and [redacted]), or return the pets and be refunded the full purchase price. But you cannot do both, and then demand reimbursement for both. [redacted] made the decision to keep and treat her pets, but then changed her mind after incurring Veterinary bills for the treatment and then decided to return the kittens. She is therefore only entitled to the purchase price of her kittens, which we have already refunded. Veterinary bills that were incurred to treat the kittens are not refundable if she decides to return the animals. She could have made the decision to return the animals as soon as they were diagnosed, and then she would not have incurred any additional Veterinary costs. She was aware of what the expense would be to treat them, and that if she kept the kittens she would be refunded for most of these expenses up to the purchase price of the animals.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:According to NY state law, when an animal is determined to be unfit for sale, and returned to place of purchase, the buyer is entitled to reimbursement for all expenses pertaining to the diagnosis of the illness. Cats had multiple diagnosis. Some were diagnosed on or right after initial visit ([redacted], [redacted]), while others ([redacted]) were not made until the 2nd visit. The decision was made to return the cats shortly after the diagnosis of [redacted] was made!! [redacted] diagnosed on 12/**/14. Kittens were returned on 1/*/14 (4 days later) because they were unresponsive to treatment. I refuse to let these people get away with this. This isn't the first time they've sold an animal with [redacted] We are out hundreds and hundreds of dollars because we were sold a highly infectious animal!!!!

[Your Answer Here]

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

According to NYS Law, if a pet is diagnosed within the first 14 days after purchase, they are entitled to ONE of the following three options.The right to return the animal and received reimbursement of the purchase price, plus reasonable diagnostic fees. The right to keep the animal and receive reimbursement of treatment up to the purchase price.The right to exchange the animal for another animal of equal value.As soon as this customer learned of the diagnosis, they were aware of the costs to treat the ailment. They initially chose to keep the kitten and incur these costs...which would have been reimbursed. But then several days later, they changed their mind and decided to return the kittens after paying for treatment. Should they have made the decision to return the kitten as soon as they were diagnosed, then none of these excessive Veterinary costs would have been incurred, with the exception of the initial diagnostic fees...which would have been refunded to them. But to keep the kitten, incur Vet expenses, and then return the kitten expecting a refund of everything is simply unreasonable. The customer took it upon themselves to choose TWO of the options in the NYS law, as opposed to just ONE option, and they are now unhappy that they cannot be refunded for both.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:We are going to court. Lets see what a judge has to say!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In addition, I am going to let EVERYONE who will listen know all about our experience!!!!!!!!!!!

[Your Answer Here]?

We are going to court. Lets see what a judge has to say!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In addition, I am going to let EVERYONE who will listen know all about our experience at Westchester Puppies and Kittens!!!!!

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,