For Those Considering the International Kennel Club
(IKC, Route 17 South, Paramus, NJ)…I would like to take this opportunity to share with you my experience with the IKC, in an effort to avoid anyone or any animal having to go through what I have went through and now continue to go through.
I was looking to get a Yellow Labrador Retriever and as luck would have it the IKC happened to have a nine week old female puppy. I fell in love with her the second I saw her, and on Wednesday, October 11th, 2006 I put a deposit down for the puppy (Emma). I was told I could not take her home until that Friday, as she needed to get her shot for kennel cough and they did not want to risk her getting sick and/or their reputation by sending her home any earlier than that. So, I picked her up on Friday, October 13th. I noticed on the way home that she had a green discharge coming from her nose, which I know is not a good sign in dogs, as the same is true for humans. I thought maybe she had a mild case of kennel cough and was planning on taking her to the vet on that Monday, for what was supposed to be a simple check up. However, by Saturday night Emma was throwing up and coughing, so first thing Sunday morning I brought her to the Oradell Animal Hospital, as I did not want to take any chances by waiting until Monday. At that point, she was x-rayed, diagnosed with pneumonia, determined to be “unfit for sale†and admitted to the hospital. It was later determined that she had such a bad case of pneumonia that there was no way this developed in the less than two days she was home, therefore Emma clearly left the IKC sick. On Monday, I contacted the IKC to let them know what happened and I was told I did the right thing and to keep doing whatever needed to be done to help Emma recover. When I asked the manager, and later the owner, who would be responsible for the hospital bills, I was told they have insurance to cover up to $2,000 and they would write a check for the remainder of the bill. So, that being said, coupled with the fact that I wanted to do whatever possible to try to help this poor puppy, we continued with the treatments that the doctors at the hospital determined were necessary to give her the best shot at recovery. I spoke to the doctors at least two times a day and spoke to the IKC every other day, at a minimum. All along the way I was continuously told by the IKC that they had Emma’s best interest in mind and to keep doing what needed to be done and they would take care of the bills. This continued until Monday, October 23rd, at which point it was determined Emma’s immune system simply could not overcome the disease and she would be better of being put to sleep. Again, I contacted the IKC for their advice and guidance, and they agreed with the doctors and me – so Emma was peacefully put to sleep.
HOWEVER, now that the time has come for the $8,300 bill to be paid, the IKC is now going back on their word. I am being told, by the owner, that he is only going to pay what he is legally obligated to pay, which is two times what I paid for the dog. Needless to say, that amount will not even cover half of the bill. Not only was the owner completely arrogant and disinterested in what I had to say, he did not even try to offer a compromise. For a place that is supposedly so worried about their animals and their reputation, they sure are not backing that up. The IKC has now tarnished their reputation by letting a sick puppy leave their building and by lying about being responsible for all of the bills that were incurred as a result of trying to save Emma.
To summarize my experience: I unknowingly bought a sick puppy from the IKC, had to go through the stress and heartbreak of having to leave her at the hospital less than two days later, Emma spent over a week in an oxygen cage working hard to try to recover. I spent over a week of having her in the hospital and trying to make the best decisions I could for her. In the end I had to make the final decision to put her to sleep, and now I have to deal with the IKC and the lies they have fed me over the past several weeks. So much for having Emma’s best interest in mind! Such selfish people should not have the right to be in the business that they are in.
JOIN US!!
Saturday, November 11, 2006
At the IKC on Route 17 in Paramus, New Jersey
We will be at the International Kennel Clun at 791 Route 17 South, Paramus, NJ 07652, on Saturday 11, 2006, from 11:00-3:00 PM. We will be assembling with picket signs outside of the IKC in an effort to convince the IKC to take responsibility for their actions.