August 11, 2011
Chain of events since purchasing a
puppy from Tessa Miller/Roman Miller/John Miller on August 6, 2011.
8/6/11-We drove to 6645
Saltcreek Rd, Fredricksburg, OH on August 6, 20011, we had to leave
at 4:00 a.m. It is a 4 hour trip each way. We arrived there at 8:30
a.m. We were greeted by Tessa Miller who took us into the basement
and the puppies were in small crates stacked on top of each other.
Some puppies were in a puppy playpen and were standing and laying in
their own feces and urine, it was dark in there and she explained the
house didn't have any electricity. There were approximately 12 or
more puppies in that basement. We took 3 puppies outside to see
them run around, one of the puppies went to the bathroom and it was
runny feces. She said well John is treating them with yogurt. We
asked to see the adults (mom and dad) and were told to leave our
children outside because the dogs might get wound up. I found that
strange cause English bulldogs of any size love children and
attention. We walked into a barn area and into another room and
there were approximately 6 dogs in that area, again, standing and
sitting in their own feces and urine, most of the females were
recovering from many births as per their bodies showed signs of it.
The father of the puppy we purchased just stood there and didnt
really acknowledge we were there, kind of in a stance. They had
recently purchased a younger male and he had feces all over his coat.
He was white and brindle but very dirty. There was a female at the
end that had as Tessa Miller called it threw her coat, she was
covered in sores, most of her hair was gone, and she looked
horrible. All of the animals in this area looked dirty and seemed
very sad. One female never moved just sat there with her head down.
We exited that area and yet again, on our way out we saw another
three story puppy crate system with more puppies, this time outside
and again, puppies were not clean, there were also beagles there and
a dog that was around a corner peeking at us, when we asked Tessa
Miller what dog is that, she said oh she isn't friendly. That is not
good cause she was the mother of the puppies right there in the crate
system and they were all sold! We went back to the puppies who were
still outside and picked ours, at that point I guess my heart was too
into them, we had recently lost our female bulldog and I so
desperately wanted to have another, 4 hour drive, no sleep, all 7 of
my children saying pick one, pick one, and I did. I look back now
and think we should have left immediately but we didn't. We paid
Tessa Miller 1800.00 and signed the contract. We drove back to
Johnstown, PA and once we got home I realized this puppy had a
horrible smell coming from her, I vaguely remember Tessa Miller
saying be careful if you hold them, they kind of smell. Boy did she
ever! Probably from never not being bathed or standing in her own
feces and urine and all her litter mates being in with her. I
finally got to really look at her and she had a mild rash on her
belly, I figured maybe because she was so low to the ground and she
had rubbed on the deck. One of ours years ago was very low and her
belly was kind of red, so I dismissed it. The puppy avoided us most
of the day when we went home, I summed it up to never having much
human contact in a dark basement area. She cried and barked all
night, like most puppies.
8/7/2011
Upon getting up on Sunday morning,
8/7/2011, we noticed bloody stools and a bloody discharge coming from
the puppy, I panicked, none of our dogs ever had this. Her rash on
her stomach was worse and she was now coughing and gagging. I called
Tessa Miller and she said well right now I am trying to help my uncle
he was in some sort of accident, but later I will ask my
brother-in-law John and see what we wants to do, I say well I want to
bring her back, she shouldn't be doing this already and it hasn't
even been 24 hours here and she is a mess. She said well do you want
a refund then? I said yes. She said her uncle was in an accident and
had to go deal with that and she would drive to John's and call me
back. I called and no answer, so I left messages saying she is sick
and needs to be returned to Ohio. Finally she called explaining she
was with her uncle and her brother-in-law instructed her to tell us
to talk her to a vet, I said well I will try but all vet are closed
on a Sunday night at 7 at night. I hung up and called 2 different
vets, both times a machine saying we reopen on Monday. I called her
and told her this is crazy she has to assume responsibility and take
the puppy back. She said well he wants to go to a vet first then we
will decide what to do.
8/8/2011
No calls from her asking how the puppy
was doing, no nothing, every time I called she said the same thing,
take her to a vet, I called a vet first thing, August 8, 2011, and
they gave me their first available appointment on August 9, 2011, at
9:00 a.m. I told her this is ridiculous and needs to be resolved.
She said well we have so many other puppies here already to sell so I
can't take her back. CRAZY! She said these are all normal puppy
things that happen. Really? I have owned 4 different dogs and never
had to take them to a vet except for a shot! She argued that all
puppies have issues and bulldogs have greater issues, I know all of
this, I have owned them. She said her vet said the bloody stools
came from the trip and from being stressed with children around her
cause she never had any around her, which is crazy cause the house
where we bought this puppy had 4 children living there. Excuses,
excuses, the puppy is sick! Monday night I noticed fleas crawling on
her, I do not have any other pets and she wasn't around any other
animals, so they came from the place where she was raised, I have
documentation that states fleas don't come overnight, it takes 6-8
weeks to incubate. Explains the other older dogs and why they looked
like they all had mange.
8/9/2011
Vet states clearly that she has fleas,
both of her lungs are congested, she has a cough and she will be
treated for the bloody stools. Three different medications, $100.60,
frontline he said buy on your own about $40.00. I called her from
the vet office and she said well like he said these are treatable
conditions that all dogs get and the lung thing is from your AC she
isn't used to it, I said I do not have AC! She said well these are
all still normal things dogs get, obviously you can't afford the
upkeep of a dog. I nicely said to her, I want to bring her back, I
will pay for all her meds, just refund me when we get there. She
again stated I have other puppies already here that I have to sell,
bringing her back is just another dog to sell. I was floored. I
called and called and kept saying we have to bring her back. She
basically stated we will not take her back.
8/10/2011
I faxed her a SIX page document stating
all of her health issues, that we were giving her till morning
8/11/11 to resolve this. I have heard nothing from Tessa Miller or
John Miller. I am forced to do what I have do, $1800, $100.60,
$40.00, plus a contract that clearly stated she was to be in good
health. This is not fair and to be giving a puppy 3 different
medication, twice a day, and we have her only 5 days, this is crazy
and not fair. I called within 15 hours to tell her we wanted to
bring her back, she was sick and she would not let us. Something
must be done.
8/11/2011
I typed this letter and have heard
nothing from any of the Miller's regarding their puppy. The USDA
says the lost their license to sell puppies. So this is also
illegal.