PETS PLUS review: Very sick puppy 16

Justice for Shelby
For our family, what started off to be a lifetime of fun with our new puppy has turned out to be some of the scariest days we have shared yet.
March 4th was not just a ordinary day for our family. Today was the day we were to gain a wonderful new addition to our family. For a few weeks we had explored other areas to rescue our new furry friend including the SPCA of Coshahockin, PA. During our trips to the SPCA we discovered that we were unable to adopt the only available dogs there at the time which were pitbulls due to our children being under the age of 12.
We were saddened by this realizing these poors dogs need homes too. But we went on our way and set out to our next stop.
We chose to go to the Lansdale, PA Pets Plus store. Prior to going into the store I had seen for weeks several women standing on the corner of the shopping center each saturday. I never understood why they stood there and boycotted this store, my only thoughts were "wow why dont they want people to adopt the dogs"? Soon enough I was about to understand.
That evening as we entered the store we went right over to the puppys cages, which were boxed glass cages barely big enough to fit a bigger puppy in comfort style. We noticed each puppy, most looked sad at the time but we kept in our minds "of course they are sad they are in cages". We walked along taking notice at each adorable puppy, our children very happy and anxious to visit with one. Then we came upon Shelby. A 10 week old Shephard/Husky female. She just sat there looking out the glass box and I couldnt resist that cute face. So we asked a employee if we may visit with her? The employee brought her out to a very small visiting spot barely big enough for two people at once never the less my family of 5. She seemed so eager to have attention and loved being petted by my children. We spent quite some time visiting with the puppy before we decided to bring her home with us.
One of the employees offered to give her a bath while we filled out paper work on Shelby.
The female employee assisting us in paper work seemed to be in a very big hurry so I tried very hard to follow her words as she said them quite fast. Upon reading paperwork I noticed Shelby had her ears cleaned and was checked off by a vet and given a dosage of a medicine called Tresedurm. It said she had ear wax and ears cleaned and treated, nothing else. So I signed that paper stating I had read it. Never did she say to me my dog had an ear infection prior or never did she say here is medicine to go home with for her ears even though I did ask if the dog needed medicine.
I also signed a peace of paper showing me the PA state dog laws. In this letter I will be attaching that peace of paper. Never in my mind that night did I think I would need that peace of paper so soon. I signed a registration certificate, and a few other papers as well.
I was told I had a warrenty for Shelby and apparantly I paid sixty eight dollars extra for the warrenty, that I was apparantly already covered by the PA state dog lemon law for. However as a customer who has never purchased an animal from a Pet store prior to that night I never knew there was a PA dog lemon law and the employee assisting us never mentioned this to us as well. We were told that the warrenty would cover the vet bills if we should enquire any during the first ten days up to the purchase price of our dog apart from the initial visit to the new vet. (Gwynedd Vet Hospital).
After signing each paper the other female assistant brought Shelby out and had stated Shelby really hated getting a bath and did not like having water near her ears at all. Shelby was almost dried from her bath and seemed eager to be near my children. So we continued out the door to come home to a very hard next couple of weeks.
Day2.
Shelby seemed happy to be in a new surrounding, nervous but content. The children loved her and she was very curious about my other dogs in the house, though we tried to keep them somewhat seperate, and realizing there are 4 dogs now well it was quite tough to always keep them seperated. Shelby seemed wore out by afternoon hours and was really digging at her skin just below her chin and at her ears. I had made an appointment with my vet for the next day which was March 7th.
Day3.
This was Shelbys big day March 7th, going to the vet and getting checked out and being told we had a beautiful new puppy and a big congradulations on our new family member. On the contrary that was far from what we had to hear.
The vet began examining Shelby fully. Upon exploring Shelbys ears the vet had a horrid look on her face, she asked me if Shelby was currently on any medicine for her ears? I stated no and asked why? She asked me to take a look in Shelbys ears. I looked in and could only see huge gobs of balls in her ears, it was awful and smelled. The vet stated this was the worst ear infection she had seen in a puppy. I was horrified. Upon exploring further she noticed Shelbys skin irritation just under her chin and neck line. The doctor became more concerned and stated she would like to test Shelby for Scabies. Scabies I thought to myself? What in the world are Scabies? The doctor explained and of course I allowed her to test Shelby. Though I would have to wait 48 hours for the results. Next the doctor was concerned about worms and the fact Shelby was vomiting and had very loose bouls. The vet gave Shelby a de worming medicine that day and gave me a medicine called TRESEDURM for ear infections to be taken 2x a day for 14 days. Oddly enough this was the same medicine given to Shelby from Pets Plus vet only for ear wax yet its a steroid.
We came back home so upset that our poor new puppy was this sick and we didnt even know. That night I was trying to think why in the world didnt I even pick up on any of the sickness signs but how was I to know considering none of my animals had ever gotten sick before. That evening Shelby had more vomiting and loose bouls and live worms coming out of her.
I litteraly was losing control of my thoughts that night, keeping her seperated from my children and my animals in fears of the worms and in fears of the Scabies, not even realizing the kids could have already caught scabies prior to the night, but I wasnt to jump to conclusions until results came in but keep a close eye on my kids and myself and husband as well as my other animals for itching signs or markings of any sort.
Day4. Shelby seemed ok that day though I did notice she was coughing a bit and sneezing. I thought maybe it had to do with her ear infection and the fact that she wasnt coughing alot had not put me on a severe alert apart from her other issues. She played fine and seemed to drink alot and eat. The coughing still did not seem like much if any at all by evening.
Day5. All was well in the house, apart from loose bouls still and still vomiting. Her behaviour was now more aggresive and she was becoming more aware of her surroundings. That day I began wondering more about where Shelby really might had came from. I decided to take a closer look at her certification paper and noticing the breeders name and address. I remember the employee who assisted us in filling out paperwork for Shelby had mentioned if at any time we ever wanted to know more about our puppy that we could contact the breeder themselves. However while looking at the address I could not find a phone number. So I decided to google the information. I was unable to find the spacific persons name on that paper and the address at the time was showing me a huge farm in Sugarcreek, OH. While looking through google in that particular area I started noticing places called puppy mills and how much people disliked them.
Unaware of what I was about to really see I decided to click on a few of the listed videos that were there stating how the dogs were treated and about Pets Plus stores possibly purchasing puppys from them.
I sat with my husband and seen far to much. I was in tears seeing as how these animals were treated. Being thrown around in the cage, some even being left for dead, hearing that a mother dog can be shot if she cant breed anymore, and how they did not recieve good vet care and would eventually be over taken by the illness and either die from it or be shot in the head. I was heart broken and my only thoughts were "did my Shelby come from something like this"?
I couldnt give up at that point. I found myself researching more to see if I could find this person listed on my certificate. No avail.
Day6.Shelby was in the same condition and not much had changed apart from her bouls seemed to be forming a bit better by this point and the live worms were coming out dead. I found myself researching again. This time making extra phone calls to important people in the Millersville, Oh area seeking information about the breeders name and address. The Dog warden I spoke to agreed that the address did not exist in their database and that the listed breeders name on this form also did not come up as being a licensed breeder in her jurisdiction. I was up late that night but still could not get any further.
Day7. Today was Shelbys follow up appointment as well as my other toy poodle to go in for his rabies vaccine. We were excited, we had hoped the hard work we put into cleaning up Shelbys ears had paid off. Our vet was wonderful as was the first doctor we had spoken to. She checked over Shelby and realized Shelby had a bad upper respitory infection. She also had noticed while there that her mucas was thick and gobs coming out when she sneezed. As well as seeing Shelby dig alot. Her scabies test results were in but they were inconclusive, so to take a precaution the vet gave a prescription for Resolution. We started Shelby that evening on this. My other dog that was there for his vaccines could not recieve all of them but did get his rabies shot. He too had contracted kennel cough from Shelby and had to be placed on a antiobiotic as well. At this point I was so depressed. I asked myself how much more could go wrong but I was determined to get to the bottom of where she came from and even in hopes of finding this dogs poor mommy somewhere out there and rescue her. There are so many articles on puppy mills and so many negative comments about Pets Plus and puppys dying after being purchased from Pets Plus and so many [redacted]s and news media people investigating the puppy mills, that I barely could keep up. However the more I read it all the more I wanted to know. I wasnt really sure what I was trying to find out but I took an interest in hopes Id soon discover where my journey would send me on this quest.
Day8.Another night of not much sleep and watching over animals and my children closely still.
By March 12th I had decided it was time for me to find out why these women stood outside that particular store boycotting. As I approached one of them she seemed quite rude to me right off the bat when I asked for information because I had bought a puppy from the store. Somehow I had a feeling that would happen after all I had read. But I decided I would not take being talked to like that after all I had gone through with this poor puppy and after all I am actually on these womens sides at this point so I told her not to be rude to me and that I needed help. After about 20 minutes of pleading my case to her she became very understanding to me. She introduced me to a lady in their group whom honestly seems to know every law in PA about animals. Shes a wonderful and understanding and very compassionant women when it comes to animals, not so compassionant to those who purchase puppys from pet stores but I truly now understand why I just didnt at the time. She explained so much to me. Yes it was overwhelming but I took it all in and went home and absorbed it all.
She managed to tell me there was no way I as one person would stop these puppy mills but I began to understand at that time my quest was to STOP PUPPY MILLS. I didnt know once again how wrong I was. I had let my emotions over Shelby stand in my way. I went to the Pets Plus store and told them I would like my refund back on my extended warrenty as I wouldnt be able to use it anyways considering I had already used most of my money up in vet bills that went almost up to the purchase price of Shelby which was $699.00. I was told by the manager that Id have to speak to coorperate. So I called just to find out that the store I went into was actually coorperate. The manager there said she would talk to the store owner, Mark Arabia. I was two days later offered a gift card to go back and shop more at their store. That felt like a true insult considering I had been in that store, purchased a puppy who became very sick and the fact I had went into the store on March7th and pleaded my case to them to help me with vet bills and was told NO that I had a extended warrenty and to submit my bills to them not the store. Truly insulted and humiliated and so hurt inside.
March16. Shelby worsens. I get her in to the vet a day ahead of her already scheduled check up. We have xrays taken. Shelby has Pneumonia. And here we go again, this poor dog cannot win. More antibiotics and off we go. I called the pet store and stated to them how sick Shelby was. They asked if I submitted my paperwork to the warrenty company and I stated no because by PA dog lemon law the store has to refund my money up to purchase price withen ten days and that I had submitted my paperwork to the store and it was signed for by a manager on March14th. Also that the store must reimburse me withen 14 days of reciept of my papers. I was told no that this information is incorrect and that my vets information stating that my dog was unfit for sale from March 7th was not accurate as well.
Today is March 17. Im happy to say Shelby isnt coughing as much today and my other dog is feeling a bit better also. Ive yet to hear from Pets plus and am still in so much shock as to how these poor puppys can just stay in those small boxes and even all night when no employees are in the store. Or even more so is where did these puppies stay before being brought into the store? Or why does their vet only visit the animals once a week on thursdays, or why was Shelby given a steriod/infection medicine to treat her for only waxy ears according to Pets Plus vet. Many questions to ask and much confusion. However I think I have finally figured out after almost two weeks of crying, and sadness and hurt, what my quest has turned out to be.
Justice for Shelby
Thank you for taking the time to read our story.