The Big Ragu

My niece called me all excited the Monday before Christmas:  I was the first to know she put down a deposit on a King Charles pup she fell in love with.  My heart sank.  She broke two of my cardinal rules:  1) Don’t buy a dog; 2) Don’t get suckered into the holiday spirit of buying a puppy.  I was so distraught knowing she was the least appropriate candidate for dog ownership.  At 25, she recently relocated to another city and was still trying to find her direction.  Feeling lonely and affected by all-things holiday, she made an emotional and impulsive choice.  As I tried to convince her not to do it, she began to reveal that she had been hearing my voice in her head the whole time telling her she was making a mistake. The puppy was eight weeks old and had already been neutered because he had a cyst!  She even noticed when she went to see him that his eyes looked glazed. She admitted she made a mistake.  

Of course when she called to cancel her purchase, she was told she lost her deposit because she signed a contract!

And the contract was basically to avoid what just happened:  They want someone who is serious about dog ownership….and that I understand.  Although she tried numerous times they would not budge and return her $100.

I did some research online and learned that it is a rarity to get a dog deposit refunded.  While I understand the concept behind it, I also believe it is a racket in many of these stores. Many of them are getting their pups from puppy mills rather than reliable breeders.  And that is a crime in itself.

Needless to say when I called and tried to reason with the manager (who btw spoke and argued like a teenager) I hit a roadblock:  Whatever common sense I offered about returning the deposit was shot down by a snide remark.

The bad news is my niece lost $100; the good news is hopefully she learned a lesson about impulsively buying a dog.

Happy New Year to all you dog lovers!! And remember to tell your friends for the New Year:  Don’t Buy While Animals in Shelters Die.