CASTROVILLE, Texas – Getting a new puppy is supposed to be the joy of a lifetime, but complaints are that one local seller is providing more heartache than happiness.
Some customers say myspoiledpuppy.com, based out of Castroville, is selling animals that are too sick and too young.
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Scott Lawrence bought a Pomeranian from myspoiledpuppy.com on a Saturday and said the dog got sick quickly.
"By Tuesday evening, he was throwing up," Lawrence said. "We took him to the emergency vet and he spent three days and three nights."
The diagnosis was that the puppy was severely malnourished and suffering from Giardia, a highly contagious disease. But the puppy they named Sam lived.
The outcome was not as good for Phillip and Michelle Strength, who drove from the North Texas town of Frisco to buy a Maltese they named Fluffy.
Their veterinarian diagnosed it as dull and depressed and positive for Parvo that was so severe she had to be euthanized.
"He just said, 'I don't think the puppy would survive even if I tried,'" said Michelle Strength. The couple said it devastated their family.
"We wound up having to explain death to our 4-year-old daughter, which we weren't quite ready to do yet," said Phillip Strength.
The Better Business Bureau's Kristi Pena said the BBB gives myspoiledpuppy.com an F rating.
"For a total of three years, we've had 21 complaints," Pena said.
Joe Lozano and Sylvia Guerra run myspoiledpuppy.com out of their home and said they do not intentionally sell sick puppies.
Lozano said the sales contract says buyers must bring sick puppies back. "I offer free treatment, free replacement or if I can't do either, I get you your money back," Lozano said.
He would not identify any veterinarian who treats his puppies but his wife did demonstrate that dogs are not bred at their home.
"I buy and resell the dogs," Guerra said.
They say they have been unfairly attacked on the web.
"It's very hard, it's very emotionally draining," Guerra said.
"I do have five kids and I work very hard," Lozano said. "I don't do anything wrong and I don't hurt nobody."
Buyers, however, said it is inconvenient to bring a puppy back and would be a death sentence for the dog. There are few state laws that address complaints like these.
One buyer says a complaint was lodged with the Medina County Sheriff's Office about this operation, but was told there was not enough manpower or just cause to investigate.