Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/28/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In *************************************************************** ******************************. Upon taking the dog to the vet we found one of this testicles was not descending. So we were not able to get him neutered. The German shepherd also kept peeing on himself and everywhere no matter how much training we did with him. Fast forward to September of 2022 we took *** to the vet for a check up and the vet did blood work on him when the blood work came back we where told by the vet that *** had complete kidney failure and we had to put him down at 11 months old. I filed a claim with Pet land but they do not give you your money back but they give you a credit towards another dog. My husband and I decided in October or November of 2022 to is the credit and get another dog so we got a golden retriever named ****. March of 2025 **** started to get very sick she would not eat, drink or go to the bathroom. We took **** to the urgent care for pets and found out she was anemic and her white blood cells where very low we had to take her the animal hospital and after thousands of dollars and multiple test later we had to put her down at two years old due to cancer.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/08/2025

  We're very sorry to hear about the difficulties Ms. **** has faced and we understand her frustration and heartbreak in the loss of her pets. As we previously explained to her, in our nearly 20 years of business with detailed record-keeping of every puppy sent home, we have never encountered a situation such as this one. While Ms. **** seems intent on blaming Petland for these issues, it should be noted that she took home puppies that have absolutely nothing in common - two different breeds from two different breeders located in two different states.  We contacted the breeders of both the German Shepherd and Golden Retriever. The German Shepherd was one of a litter of seven and no other issues were reported with any of the other puppies. The Golden Retriever was one of a litter of eight and that breeder also confirmed no other issues. Of those 15 puppies, 10 went to Petland stores and we double-checked with the individual stores to make sure there were no other problems. This situation may be a case of horrible luck. However, given the fact that the other 13 puppies have experienced no issues, we also have to consider the possibility of environmental factors (e.g. household cleaning products, chemical lawn treatments, etc.) contributing to these outcomes. That being said, we would like to offer some assistance to Ms. **** if we are able, but as you can see from the attached email, she ended the call with our customer service representative without filing a claim or providing any documentation whatsoever.  Unfortunately, until Ms. **** cooperates and completes the claim process, including providing necessary medical records to confirm the diagnosis and cause of death, there is nothing more we can do.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/27/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Petland sold us a 9 week old Bernese Mountain dog. They promised us and handful of guarantees including their "high quality breeding standards" and a certified Vet check-up while in Petlands care. Our family had high hopes of being able to breed our own litter, and that dream is now crushed because of the carelessness of Petlands business practices. Upon learning of our puppys severe bilateral hip dysplasia at only 6 months old, we began researching further into Petland and their shady practices. With finding a bombshell of lawsuits and class actions against Petland (all over the ***). Because of Petland's negligence of vetting their breeder sources, sick puppies are pouring out of their shop as a result of backyard breeding and puppy mill transactions. Our compensation demands are simple; *Pay our entire original bill from Petland *Pay for our puppies medical bills regarding this diagnosis (including but not limited to X-rays, sedation, office visits, chiropractor, surgeries, post op care, pharmaceuticals for pain management, etc) Useful information:Date of transaction: 06/30/2024 Amount of money we paid Petland: $4,130.59 What Petland committed to provide us: certified Vet checked-healthy puppies, guaranteed high breeding standards...What is the nature of the dispute: received a puppy with hidden severe birth defects.--promised good/high breeding standards- and healthy puppies Has Petland tried to resolve the problem: yes, they offered store credit only to use towards a new puppy Does the issue involve advertising- when and where was the ad seen: There are tons of advertisements on their ******** page and 'stories'.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2025

  As we expressed to Ms. ******** we are very sorry to hear her puppy was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. This puppy is an AKC-registrable puppy that was bred by a ****-licensed and inspected breeder with no violations (see attached **** inspection report).  ************** stated, all our puppies are checked by a licensed veterinarian (see attached vet health exam)and no issues were detected at that time. Unfortunately, some health problems in puppies, just like in humans, do not manifest until later in life.  Contrary to the complaint, they are not hidden. Ms. ******* herself stated that she took home the puppy at 9 weeks of age but didnt learn of the hip dysplasia until the puppy was 6 months old.  Fortunately, all Petland puppies go home with a warranty agreement (see attached) signed by the customer (in this case, Ms. ******** husband) that explicitly states what will occur in the rare event of a situation such as this one. If a congenital issue is found within the first year of a puppys life,the customer is entitled to a 100% credit of the original puppy price toward the purchase of another puppy that can be used at any time with no expiration.  There is no way we would be able to offer such a benefit if these disorders were anything but extremely infrequent.  Keep in mind, this is a warranty it is not insurance.  We remind the purchaser of that fact by having them separately initial a statement acknowledging that we do not cover any costs related to the treatment of congenital disorders.  We also send every puppy home with 30-day trial insurance issued by *** at no charge, and we strongly encourage the customer to keep the policy in force (see attached Things To Remember sheet initialed by the customer). Customers who follow our advice find that they incur only a small deductible to treat the issue AND they are still entitled to the benefits under the warranty.  Regrettably, some customers choose to make libelous statements accusing us of shady practicesand negligence in hopes that we will abandon the terms of the warranty and meet all their demands.  Because we are so confident in our business practices, we do not succumb to such tactics.  In fact, we have notified Ms. ******* that we have stood behind our warranty and already issued her the credit as previously described.  To our dismay, Ms. ******* has chosen to reject the terms of the signed agreement and, instead, chose to file a BBB complaint.  In any case, we will continue to stand behind the warranty and she is free to accept the credit at any time.  As such, we consider this matter closed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/26/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Petland sold me a dog and told me I had 48 hours if I decided to change my mind and get a full refund When I decided to return they said I had to file a claim and now saying I can't return the dog and no money being refunded after being told I had 48 hours This pet land is known for shady dealings and unfortunately the animals are the ones to suffer We are keeping her so she doesn't have to go back there

  Business Response

  Date: 04/29/2024

  Unfortunately, almost nothing in this complaint is accurate.  **************** was NEVER told that she could receive a full refund if the puppy (named Wednesday) was returned in 48 hours.  We have had the same return policy for 17 years and it is clearly documented in the warranty agreement signed by **************** (see attached warranty).  **************** purchased the puppy on 4/25 and she filed the claim on 4/26 to return the puppy due to the fact that her parents told her she could not keep Wednesday.  Please note that the communication from customer service (see attached) clearly states that **************** was aware of the return fee and had agreed to pay.  She was NEVER told that she could not return the puppy.  In fact, the return letter (see attached) was drafted the same day and an appointment was set for her to come in at 10:30 the following morning to complete the return (refer again to customer service correspondence).  However, she did not show up to return the puppy.  Instead, **************** filed a BBB complaint stating that she now intends to keep the puppy but apparently does not want to pay for her.  While we are delighted that **************** has decided to keep Wednesday, we cannot offer a refund because the return was never completed and there was nothing in this complaint that would warrant monetary compensation.  As such, we consider this matter to be closed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/21/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I visited Petland ******** Louis on February 10, 2024. After about 2-3 hours, I purchased one of their puppies for $3299 before tax. There were a few things off about this experience. I was asked to fill out information about myself to get the purchase started; this turned out to be for a credit inquiry. After being credit checked, I was under the impression I was approved for a loan to get the dog that I would pay off within four years. I later learned that I was approved for a credit card with a credit limit of $4000 (meaning my credit utilization skyrocketed because the balance was above $3500). This tanked my credit by 80 points. I was also told by a store employee that this breed of dog would get to *** 80 pounds. I later learned that this breed ranges from ******* pounds, which is against my apartments guidelines.Given the financial concerns and threat to living situation, I returned the dog less than 24 hours later (Claim # *****). The store has a policy where the pet can be returned within 48 hours for a partial refund; the store keeps 50%. My remaining balance is $1636 which I must pay in 6 months. My income is and will be less than my rent for these 6 months.I reached out to a store manager to explain my situation and inquire about the store policy. While part of the reason I returned the puppy relates to my financial circumstance (this is causing me to risk eviction), it was also partially due to what the store told me about the puppys particular breed and how that would impact my living situation.The manager at Petland cannot make decisions about the money. Its up to the customer service line solutions.pet (phone: ************) to create a claim and pass it to their review team. I did this (Claim # *****), and the review team denied the appeal, citing the policy in a warranty I signed. There is nowhere for me to view this policy, so I do not know if there are exceptions or what the specifics are. It is really important to me to resolve this.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2024

  ************** was approved for a Petland Credit Card which was presented to her for signature where it very clearly states she is signing a credit card agreement (see attached).  If it was an issue for her, she could have opted out of the sale before signing.  She is correct about the size of the breed, but I have no way to confirm her claim that the employee told her differently.  What I can confirm is that the warranty very clearly states that we do not guarantee adult weights (highlighted in yellow) on the warranty which was given to her for signature (see attached).  If the size of the dog was an issue given her living situation, a quick ****** search could have told her this puppy would have potentially posed a problem.  Additionally, when she returned the puppy, there was no mention of the size being an issue.  Again, if it had been a problem, she could have stopped the sale before taking the puppy home.  The return policy (also on the attached warranty) very clearly states the administrative fee which is 50% of the original purchase price.  All customers receive a copy of their signed warranty.  Additionally, also highlighted in yellow, the warranty explains that you must contact customer service prior to return where the customer service agent reiterates the return policy and provides the customer with a return letter also signed by ************** (see attached).  ****************** claim that she has to pay off the balance in 6 months is not correct.  If the balance is paid off in 6 months, no interest fees are incurred, but she is absolutely able to make just the minimum payment if that method works better for her financially.  We cannot be responsible for managing the financial situation of each and every customer.  All necessary information is provided to the customer in advance of the sale and only he or she can know if they have the means to go through with the purchase.  The entire return process was finalized and signed off on by ************** on 2/11/24 - there is nothing left to resolve.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2024

  Complaint: 21327091
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I appreciate the time you have taken to reply to my complaint. I was aware of the 50% administrative fee upon returning the puppy, as stated in my original complaint. I thought I needed to pay the owed balance within six months to avoid incurring interest, which you have agreed with in your reply. As you are somewhat aware of my financial situation, it will do more harm to make minimum payments and incur interest after the six month period due to the high APR of *****%. The can be roughly an additional $1k in interest over a year, so it is not the realistic or best decision.

  I do not agree that all necessary information is provided to the customer prior to the sale. I was under the impression I was provided with all the necessary information, but I have learned that is not true. I was given misinformation throughout the process, namely information about the breed and information about financing. I was honestly beginning to think it is more financially safe to get the puppy as my salesperson explained that I could pay the balance with a minimum payment of $72 for four years. That equals $3,456 over that time span -- only $156 over the base price. That seems like a low interest rate; I did not believe I would incur much interest that way. However, upon contacting Comenity Bank about my Petland Credit Card and re-reviewing the documents you have attached now, I understand my APR would have been *****% either way. Financing was not accurately explained by staff despite my many questions about it.

  I regret not reading the fine print, but here's why I didn't: as I began to review the documents, my salesperson walked me through the paperwork and explained each section prior to a required initial or signature. I believed her and signed off accordingly. I trusted that, as the experts in pet-related care and needs, that a Petland representative would provide accurate information and maintain commitment to transparency and honesty in their practices. I am saddened I have learned a ****** to not trust the businesses I interact with. 

  It is a poor business practice to misinform your customers. I understand all of these conditions were written, but the staff I talked to made every effort to hide the concerning details. 

  I am in a career that highly values ethics, human relationships, and integrity. It sounds like there will be no money returned per your explanation. My hope now is you may ditch your corporate thinking, access human emotions, and feel some degree of empathy -- not to admit a wrongdoing or assign all the blame to your business, but to be able to say "there is absolutely nothing we can do, but we're sorry you may get evicted." 

  It is a shame, because I really do love that puppy and moved mountains to try and get him back here (worked things out with apartment, picked up more shifts, compiled a 20-page ****** doc on puppy care and training). His cost plus the APR is simply too much where it is at now.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Went in on 09/19/2023 and asked if the cat food was returnable and they looked at the bag and stated that it would be ok, on the receipt it states that there is a 30 day return policy. I returned the bag of cat food back on 09/26/2023 and the would not accept the return. I spoke to a lady and she continued to say "No" she made out like she spoke to the manage but I am not sure what the issue was of them not accepting the return. I would like a full refund and it was for $30.40.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/07/2023

  We did offer Ms. ****** a full refund, but she refuses to come into the store unless we pay for her gas which I do not believe any retail store would do.  She is demanding that we send her a prepaid shipping label to return the food and then provide her with a check for the refund (see attached response).  Unfortunately, that is not our procedure.  We require the merchandise to be returned in person so that we may obtain a signature confirming the return has been processed.  We also provide the refund in the same form as the original purchase.  We do not believe this request is unreasonable as we have processsed every return in this manner for the last 16 years without any complaint like the one from Ms. ******.  If at any time Ms. ****** decides she can make it into the store, her refund will be processed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/31/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Petland promised that the credit card had a 0% interest rate for a year. The balance was paid off in full in under a year. I was unknowingly getting charged interest after the balance was paid off which has affected my credit report. A dispute has been filed. This is an unethical business practice, especially for people who paid their bills.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  There is no unethical business practice on the part of Petland.  Ms. ****** was promised 12 months deferred interest and Ms. ****** received 12 months deferred interest as you can see from the attached signed receipt.  If Ms. ****** did something that caused her to default on her credit card agreement and thus incur interest charges, that issue is between her and the finance company, ***** Financial.  Petland has no insight as to what occurs with the cardholder after the agreement is signed.  To summarize - this complaint has nothing to do with Petland.  Any dispute is solely between Ms. ****** and ***** Financial.  Petland has no control in the assessment of interest fees.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/24/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought a pet and thought I was doing ok. When the puppy was checked out at my vet they found a heart murmur and problem with the knees that had to be addressed when she was older. She has a tooth that has to be operated on but my vet says that she might die if she is put to sleep. I paid $4,000 for this puppy and they said in the paperwork from Petland that the puppy will have these problems and they are hereditary. They knew it and Petland said they did not know this. Jerome at Petland did not offer anything to me. I'm 78 years old and was rear-ended in a car accident and can't walk right. I would like another pet at the same price and to be reimbursed for the $4000.00.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/29/2023

  Please see the attached documentation.  The luxating patellas were present at the time of purchase.  In the rare instance that the condition would cause a problem and need to be corrected, the issue would be resolved through the puppy's warranty.  Ms. ***** signed in two separate places that she understood the luxating patellas were present and would be addressed if necessary.  At this time, the condition is posing no issues to the puppy and no intervention is necessary.  With regard to the heart murmur, the puppy was checked on 4 separate occasions - 11/7/22, 11/14/22, 11/23/22 and 5/16/23 - by multiple vets and no murmur was ever detected.  We have instructed Ms. ***** that she can see another vet and have them submit their findings, but we have received nothing to refute the previous 4 exams.  The tooth issue is common in puppies and, as correctly noted by Ms. *****, would be her responsibility should an extraction be necessary.  As such, there is nothing at this time which would warrant a replacement or refund.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/07/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Back in June 2021, (June or July) I purchased a puppy from Petland and learned from my vet that he has a genetic disorder called cryptorchid. It is a condition where one of his testicles one or two does not descend from the scrotum. They do not fall, and if we do not get surgery on him to remove his testicles, then he could have cancer . Deeming my puppy Un breedable. The reason for my purchase was to breed my puppy, and I had full breeding rights. My vet has informed me that you cannot, and should not breed a puppy with a genetic order because it can be passed to all of his children.! The breeder that sold the puppy to Petland told me that I can still breed him. I said anybody that knows that their puppy has this should never breed their dogs to pass on such genetic disorder. With that being said, obviously they are buying puppies from breeders with disorders and pricing them so high that you have to finance these puppies I am seeking $2500 OR a puppy that does not have cryptorchid genetic disorder or a female French bulldog. That does not have this problem.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/05/2022

  This man sold my puppy to Petland who sold this dog to me. I had NO IDEA that he came with a genetic disorder. I am FORCED TO neuter this puppy!  I do NOT want to do this to him! ***** ****** is selling sick puppies to pet land and they are selling sick puppies for 8 THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!! Shame on both of you!!! Make this right! 

  Petland lake St. Louis , mo 

  ***** ****** of Missouri 

  Business Response

  Date: 12/09/2022

  First of all, we are pleased that Ms. ***** included the USDA report showing that the breeder is compliant with all USDA regulations.  As to Ms. ******* complaint, it has thus far proven to have no merit.  Ms. ***** did notify us that her vet diagnosed the puppy with cryptorchidism.  We have asked Ms. ***** numerous times for current vet documentation to support the claim, but it has never been provided.  Ms. ***** also now claims that she purchased the puppy solely to breed.  While she did provide a copy of the warranty, she covered the part that clearly states "there is no warranty express or implied that you will be able to use this pet for showing or breeding purposes".  We are pet store providing families with pets - we do NOT provide breeding stock for breeders.  My attachment includes a clear copy of the warranty with this information visible.  As to the claim that the breeder is encouraging her to breed anyway - that statement is also false.  What the breeder is expressing in the text string provided by Ms. ***** is that his vet did NOT diagnose the puppy with cryptorchidism, so that issue should not be an impediment to breeding because this puppy does not suffer from it.  The breeder is NOT encouraging her to breed a dog with cryptorchidism.  I have provided an additional portion of the text string between Ms. ***** and the breeder that further illustrates this point.  I have also provided the initial vet check from one of OUR partner veterinarians clearly showing that BOTH testicles were present during the exam.  This finding agrees with the initial findings of the breeder's veterinarian.  Clearly, there is no supporting documentation for any of the claims made by Ms. *****.  Therefore, as previously stated, this complaint is without merit and no further action is needed at this time.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/12/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  First and foremost, the breeder who Petland purchases puppies from is not even educated re the seriousness or even the facts surrounding cryptorchid and the simple fact that PETLAND accepted responsibility of the problem ONE DAY AFTER ASKING ME FOR THE VET RECORDS SHOWS THAT they knew they did something wrong. I didn’t even have time to get the records sent to me from my vet b4 they made a decision to pay for the surgery. This situation has caused me to be forced to nueter  my puppy. I never got a chance to choose. He could get cancer from this condition without it! This is NOT ABOUT me breeding him! It’s about Petland selling a genetically sick puppy. And my vet told me that is is IMPOSSIBLE AND HILARIOUS that someone claims the testicle was found and then disappeared! She said that is NOT a fact. Petland continues to lie about me. Instead of fixing the situation and offering some type of compensation or a healthy puppy. 
  BAD BUSINESS!!!!
  
  

  ***** ******* Summary Report.pdf
  ?
  
  ***** ******* Summary Report.pdf
  ?
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/21/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We purchased a puppy on Saturday 4/30/22. The puppy we came to see had some diarrhea but we fell in love with her. Petland assured me they would hold her and make sure all issues were resolved before she went home with us. My complaint is this: she came home clearly have digestive issues and diarrhea. I don’t believe for a second that they had a doctor check her before we picked her up. We have been fighting this issue ever since. We went to the recommended vet and they treated her for issue. Never rechecked her. Not good bedside manner after spay/never called to check on her, did not help with other issues yet this is only way we are covered with dog is to use THEIR chosen vet. I would assume that the vet knows their line of work so I didn’t question them not rechecking her. I assumed she would be good after meds given. That does not seem ti be the case. New vet is now still treating for same issue 4 months later and it is at extreme level. I was not aware these dogs come from puppy mills. I have had 4 trainers, 2 vets, and staff at Petsmart all say this is the case with Petland (lake St. Louis). Vets both say they all have health or behavior issues and pet owners spend between 3-5k on these issues. I want some kind of accountability for sending me home with a dog who was clearly still sick. When I called their claims line they told me diarrhea didn’t fall under stuff they cover. The difference is it’s not just diarrhea-it’s Giardia-which can be life threatening if left untreated. It’s also contagious to both other dogs/animals and humans. So not only did I get a sick dog-but it puts my family and cat at risk for getting sick as well as contaminating our house and any other animals we meet while out on walks.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2022

  
  We are sorry to hear *** ***** is having an issue with her puppy.  We will try to address her points, but our knowledge of the situation is mostly limited to this BBB complaint.

  
  1.  We absolutely would not release a puppy until an issue was resolved.  However, many intestinal issues can go away and then come back again – often induced by stress such as what occurs when a puppy goes to a new home.  This phenomenon is not unique to puppies – we have all seen the reports of rebound COVID cases in humans, for example.
  

  2.  We have no knowledge of when this issue first occurred.  Our only previous communication with *** ***** was when she requested a vet extension on May 4 for her initial vet visit - at which time she indicated that the puppy was not having any issues (see attached email).
  

  3.  We understand that a certain vet may not always be a good fit for a particular customer.  However, there are multiple vets in each practice and there are 4 clinics with which we partner – so there are many options for the customer to find a compatible veterinarian.
  

  4.  We do not know how the 4 trainers and PetSmart staff know the origin of our puppies as we have never seen them on any of the numerous breeder visits we do, but we can assure everyone that our puppies do not come from so-called “puppy mills”.  We also do not know how the 2 vets know ALL our puppies have issues because we did not know there was any vet who had seen ALL our puppies.  But we can tell you that the data from our partner veterinarians indicate that fewer than 1% of our puppies require any treatment after going to their new homes.
  

  5.  It is possible that the puppy has contracted Giardia, but we have seen no veterinary documentation.  Giardia is the predominant intestinal parasite of dogs and cats worldwide.  General populations of dogs have shown the presence of Giardia to range from 7% to 24% of the sample.  Specific populations such as puppies in kennels, dogs that go to dog parks, and shelter animals have been shown to have as high as 39% of the group infected.  It is unusual for an intestinal problem to last 4 months, but puppy immune systems all develop at different rates.
  

  6.  It is unclear which vet *** ***** is currently using.  If she tried to file a claim under a vet that is not one of our partner vets, then the customer service department correctly noted that no claim can be filed.  We state numerous times in the signed paperwork that no vet costs are covered at any clinic other than our 4 partner veterinarians.
  

  To summarize, we have received no documentation to support this claim.  Based on *** ******* May 4 call to customer service, the puppy was healthy at that time.  If the puppy has indeed contracted Giardia - it is very common and very treatable.  If *** ***** is using one of our partner veterinarians and the issue first occurred within the 30-day warranty period, then our vets will continue to treat the issue at no cost to *** ***** until the issue is resolved.  If her claim is that one of the partner vets inadvertently charged her, then we will of course see that she is reimbursed.  However, we will need documentation to support the claim and, as mentioned previously, we currently have none.