On June 20, 2002, my family and I went to American Puppy Club located on route 35 in Middletown, NJ to purchase a dog. APC was not called that at the time as the owner has changed the name more than once due to the hundreds of bad reviews they have received over the years. We picked out a Maltese puppy who we named Giorgio. After purchasing the spry pup, the day we brought him home we noticed he would not eat or drink. We contacted the store who told us to give him time because he was in a strange place and needed to adjust to his surroundings. After a few days of still not eating, drinking and severe diarrhea, we brought him to the vet where he was diagnosed with kennel cough, acute irritable bowel syndrome, and pneumonia. The bills piled up as we again contacted the owner.
The owner refused to come to the phone as his workers jerked us around for days and weeks. When we finally got through to the owner, not only was he unapologetic and rude, he told us to bring the dog back and he would give us another one. We already had the dog for a few weeks and had become attached. Knowing that the cute, gentle ball of fur would have been put down broke our hearts and simply was not an option. After refusing to pay for the first week of vet bills that totaled to $700, we subpoenaed him to court. A day before his court appearance, he called us and said his check was in the mail. Because this disgusting so called human being gets his puppies from a mill, they have numerous, severe illnesses.
Sadly, on June 23, 2014, after twelve years of constant suffering, health battles, and thousands of dollars in health costs, Giorgio succumbed to his illnesses. Though we tried to allow him to live a relatively normal life showered in love and care, he had dozens of medical issues. These medical problems did not allow Giorgio to go outside as eating a single blade of grass could kill him. Every kind of specialty food for sick dogs was given to him, but never worked. He couldn't eat chicken, turkey or fish. After 11 years, it was finally discovered the only thing he could eat was boiled egg whites and rice.
For his entire life, in order to survive, he had a daily regimen of 5 different medications. Furthermore, he had to urinate at least 8 times a day. Accumulating to years of his life, this poor dog suffered from extreme stomach pain which included vomiting and severe bloody colitis. He would be in such pain that he would lie in a ball all day and not move. Although he was fed as a normal healthy dog, the condition he had would not allow his body to absorb the nutrients which caused him to be skin and bones. Giorgio had more bad days then good and unfortunately, could only find peace through his passing.
The reason I am writing this now is because I feel it is the one last thing I can do for my Giorgio. He suffered so much throughout his life due to the despicable people of American Puppy Club and the puppy mills they purchase them from. In addition to the terrible colitis, stomach pain, and intestinal issues, Giorgio had severe anxiety, nervous ticks, constant ear problems, skin rashes, kidney problems, and last but not least, a brain tumor. Never purchase a dog from these people as other reviewers are not lying when they tell of their own horror stories. There are dozens of more poor reviews if you search their current name as well as their old name, National Breeders. FOR GIORGIO'S SAKE, BE WARNED!