Surrey, B.C., couple fight for, win refund after being sold fatally ill bulldog
'Health guarantees' often protect pet sellers more than buyers
A Surrey couple say they have a cautionary tale for anyone thinking of buying a pet after the French bulldog puppy they purchased had to be put down just four days after they brought it home because it was fatally ill.
Paul and Renea Koppen fought the seller for a full refund for the purchase price of the dog and hefty veterinarian bills totalling $5,000 — even filing a small claims lawsuit. But the seller refused to pay the medical bills — until contacted by the CBC.
Puppy ordeal begins
On the weekend of May 30, the Koppens decided to buy a companion for their four-year-old French bulldog, Chewbacca.
The Koppens say they bought the only puppy that was in the seller's home — a 12-week-old French bulldog called Delilah.
But there was a hint of trouble shortly after they got the puppy home.
"The first thing I noticed was the dog had gone outside, and in her stool was a little bit of blood," said Paul Koppen.
Renea Koppen says the couple didn't hesitate in getting the dog to the vet since they felt responsible as the new owners of Delilah.
"She was sick. The only thought was to get her to the vet."
The Koppens were sent home with a stool sampling kit and told to come back in a few days.
Delilah deteriorates
But by Sunday, Delilah had grown worse — refusing to eat.
Monday morning, the Koppens took the dog back to their vet, Dr. Chris Armstrong.
Armstrong, former president of the College of the Veterinarians of British Columbia, recommended Delilah be rushed to an emergency facility in Langley, B.C. There, the dog was put on antibiotics and given blood plasma.
Medical work showed she had a severe, unknown intestinal infection and an inability to absorb protein in her food.
The veterinarians at the emergency facility found Delilah also had a heart murmur and a suspected hole in her heart.
"I would hope ... it would have been sold with the knowledge of the heart condition," said Armstrong. "In other words, [that] there would have been full disclosure."
Puppy put down
On June 3, the Koppens decided to have Delilah put down, because the dog continued to deteriorate.
"[I was] crying my eyes out."
Besides the emotional toll, there was also the financial cost.
In addition to the $1,800 spent to buy Delilah, the Koppens' veterinary costs — even after discounts by sympathetic staff — totalled more than $3,000.
Total cost to the Koppens for a puppy they owned for four days: $5,000.
$5,000 lawsuit
The Koppens had been in contact with Sadykow during Delilah's vet care.
In emails shown to CBC News, the seller expressed concern on June 5, writing, "I'm so sorry for the loss of [the] puppy. She was fully vaccinated and healthy with me before leaving. The puppy was checked by multiple vets and was given a clean bill of health. As per my health guarantee, I was supposed to be told what was going on immediately and would have taken her back and given you a full refund."
Sadykow, who also uses the first name "Ella", went on to write, "I can refund you the money for the puppy"— in other words, the $1,800 purchase price.
But, she wrote, "I will not be covering the vet costs."
In response, the Koppens launched a small claims lawsuit, demanding the $3,000 spent trying to save Delilah as well as the purchase price and alleging that "the puppy was sold to us as a healthy 12-week-old French bulldog."
Refund paid
When contacted by CBC News, Sadykow said she'd merely been waiting for medical paperwork from the Koppens.
She's now given the Koppens a cheque for $4,100, with a promise to pay the remaining $619 in July.
While the Koppens' first dog from Sadykow is healthy, the seller has had previous lawsuits over allegedly selling sick dogs.
Sadykow said those cases stem from a past relationship with another supplier, now severed, and added that complaints are to be expected in her business.
"I've had just three complaints in 12 years," she said. "I go above and beyond to make sure my puppies are healthy."
French bulldogs are known to be prone to medical issues.
Sadykow did sell Delilah with a "health guarantee," but that guarantee lists more than two dozen medical problems that are not covered and concludes with the line, "Seller will not be responsible for any medical expenses incurred."
Still, Sadykow has now pledged to pay back a total of more than $4,700 — refunding the $1,800 cost of the puppy and nearly all of Delilah's vet bills.
Call for better buyer protection
The Koppens say they're happy with the settlement but believe better protection is needed for the pet-buying public.
"I'd like to see some kind of regulation," Paul Koppen said. "Perhaps a governing body of some sort, some way so that there are more checks and balances."
For her part, Renea Koppen says the ordeal with Delilah will have a lasting personal impact.
"I'm probably going to not end up ever owning another dog," she said.
"I don't want to go through that again."