My GSP puppy dies at a Kennel

Gobbler36

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Looking for someone that maybe has been in this scenario or knows more about this process to help counsel me through what to do next. My family and i travel back to visit family over Thanksgiving and have my dog boarded by Fetch This Kennels in Payette, ID who came recommended from very trusted friends and another dog trainer. puppy is 5mths old clean bill of health and has been in the field with me running and chasing birds since the day i picked her up. two weeks goes by with me checking in about every other day in which they responded promptly. then i let a few days go by over the holidays and then checked in this past Saturday with no response until yesterday evening in which to inform me that my dog was out running with a couple of his older dogs, yelps once or twice and then falls over and dies deader than a hammer. so after my anger and shock i gather myself and try to figure out what to make of this. There are obvious lots of questions, but I am still in TN so i am waiting to get back to get her body and possibly an necropsy done. The way he is sounding is i am basically ****** out of all my financial investement with this dog and he isnt going to compensate me for her or pay to even have the vet do a necropsy. I am trying to give benefit of doubt but there is just something fishy about him when he presents this story and 5 mth old puppies with good health dont just fall over and die. he is obviously trying to sell me on some sort of heart condition but she went through all her vet puppy visits easy peasy. Also called the breeder for info about the other litter mates and some friends that had dogs from them and so far they are perfectly healthy and on track in their training.
so share your thoughts and if any of you have been in this boat before how did you proceed
 
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slick

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Maybe impaction too? Ate some rope chew toy or something it couldn’t pass.

Sorry for your loss. That just hurts. I think you just have to get back on the horse so to speak, and find another.


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I would think a reputable kennel would have liability insurance for something like this, if it was an accident. Push this and say its in their best interest to do the investigation.
 

Vandy321

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Im sorry for your loss! that is a terrible news.

Maybe see if they kennel has video cameras? Our old kennel used to have cameras we would watch the play area and see our dogs running around. if they are telling the truth, could it be an injury from roughhousing with the larger dogs?
 
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Gobbler36

Gobbler36

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well this accident happened while the owner trainer was out with my dog on a training exercise trailing two of his older dogs.
 

IdahoElk

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So sorry about your loss. I would continue with your plan to have the pup examined. I would hope the trainer steps up if it is found the dog died from negligence.
 

Mosby

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That is a hard thing to deal with. Dogs become part of the family very quickly. I would have an xray and blood work done, looking for obvious signs of abuse, poison and some type of obstruction. It is possible the pup had some type of heart issue but that would be rare. I would make a reasonable effort to determine the cause. You might call a local vet, explain the situation and have them go get the pup asap for testing.

If some type of neglect is determined, I would hand the issue over to an attorney and have him pursue it. If they are smart they will have some type of insurance coverage. That isn't going to replace the pup you lost but accountability is important, if they caused the death.
 

elkhuntrr75

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I am betting that it’s neck was broken by another dog. I had a litter of puppies probably around 6 weeks and my male (the father) killed a puppy fast. I would almost guarantee you that an X-ray will show a broken neck and upon inspection you will see bite puncture marks at the site.

Your vet should be willing to write a letter stating the cause and you shouldn’t be out much. I am thinking $50.

Before you do that when you pick up the dog, I would ask to speak to the owner. I would have written up before the meeting him the least you would take. The cost of the puppy, vaccines, vet bills) a fair price but not exorbitant. I would ask him to pay it and give him three days come up with the money. Put all of it in writing. If he pays it end of story.

If he declines then I would take the puppy to the vet. I am almost sure that the vet will will find the cause without spending that much. Make sure that your vet will right the letter and be willing to testify, if needed,before you spend a dime.

Once in court I would not be as conservative on what I was asking for. He had his chance to get off cheap now he can pay the full price including your time spent training and the grief this caused your family. A lawyer might be needed.

Sorry for your loss good bird dogs are hard to replace.


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So sorry to hear this.

If you want to pursue this further, pay for a necropsy. Animals do sometimes die inexplicably. What if they are telling the truth? The only way to know if they could have any liability is to understand why the dog died. Once you know, you can decide what to do next and will be working from facts, not suppositions (essentially wild guesses).
 

Trial153

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Coming from a guy that has a kennel full of hounds for the last 24 years, anything is possible. And not to play devils advocate its entirely possible and maybe even more likely that what he said happend did happen. I would say the dog having a congenital heart condition like aortic stenosis is way more likely then some type of "neglect " especially in such a short period of time.
 
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That sucks, sorry for your loss. Not much you can do, we're talking about like $600 here for the price of a puppy? Agree to check for poison. At least it's not a mature dog, that loss would be harder to recoup. Did you have a signed agreement or sign a waiver? Generally speaking, and in my experience, hunting dogs don't die of old age as often as house pets. I've seen plenty of accidents and fatal illnesses from occupational hazards.
Could you please point me to the direction of the GSP breeder selling $600 pups? I'd like to buy a couple.
 

TheCougar

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I would give the kennel the benefit of the doubt. The kennel came recommended by friends and other trainers, so malfeasance is a bit of a stretch. Your two most likely outcomes, in no particular order are: death by natural causes or accidental death and the trainer is lying about it to cover himself. If it is death by natural causes (the kennel's story is true), he isn't liable for anything. A clean bill of puppy health doesn't mean much when ruling out congenital heart/nervous system defects. If it is accidental and he is lying about it, the burden of proof is on you, so I wouldn't expect him to pay for the necropsy either. If you are that convinced the kennel is lying (or you really want to know what the cause of death was), I would foot the bill for the necropsy and then proceed based on the findings.
 

Terrapin

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A friend had me put his older lab in my kennel when they had a family emergency. (I raised hounds and had an indoor kennel). There was a towel in with her bedding. She got upset and swallowed the towel and died overnight. It was devastating to all of us. Our friendship was very strained for many years, and I still feel very bad.

Sometimes puppies just die. Heart or other vascular defects can crop up with exercise. Dogs can rough house and break bones, including necks. Puppies can eat bad things in a blink of an eye. They can also scoot out of fences and get hit by cars.


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NoWiser

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I’m sorry this happened. It’s a shitty situation, no doubt. I think your assumption that this was directly the fault of the kennel is probably a bit premature. Dogs are living things, and living carries the risk of dying every day. If you try to find “justice” the only ones who will come out ahead are the attorneys. By the time you have an attorney write the first letter to the kennel you’ll be out half the value of a new pup. I’d sit down with the kennel owner and discuss what happened, bury your dog, and move on. Nothing you do at this point will bring your dog back. Again, I’m sorry for your loss. Saturday (my birthday) was the 1 year anniversary of losing my best pal. Still miss him.
 
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I lost a pup young several years ago and am really sorry for your loss - that stings for sure and for certain.
It seems like you are getting advice from two camps 1) go in guns blazing and blame the kennel in attack mode. 2) shit happens and move on
Personally, I think NoWiser's advice was very very good in how to approach the kennel. One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned yet is the desire to figure out what happened for the breed's sake... if there was a defect in the dog, it would be
good for your breeder to know for obvious reasons...
I guess all I'm saying is don't pick up your pitch fork and torch just yet. I may be warranted depending on what happened, but try to get some information first. I think a necropsy is certainly worth it in your case. It is the thing that will point you which path is most appropriate - moving on, or having a valid reason for getting western if you were lied to. That being said, you may just never know...
Anyways, sorry again for you guys, losing one like that is a kick in the nether regions.
 

tdhanses

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dont care if i paid $5 for the dog my boys and wife loved this pup and she was showing alot signs of being a great bird dog and a long time family companion so a big part of me wants justice for her

A friend of mine had his lab die the same way out on a run. Did the breeder provide a health guarantee? Personally, I get its hard not to go off on the breeder, but just think how hard it was for him to have to tell the owner knowing the owner will blame him first. It easily could be an underlying health issue even if the pup seemed healthy.

I feel for your family as pets are apart of them and the situation sucks.
 

boom

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i am so sorry for your lose.

man, a good dog.....so sad.

hope you find closure. you signed something in the beginning that relinquishes responsibility. FAACK
 
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