AR-News: (US) Pet store is "In the Dog House"

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See streaming video of this story: 
mms://video.whdh.com/windowsmedia/features/8/042104woof_and_company.wmv



In the Dog House 
Air Date: 04/21/2004

A north shore pet store is "In the Dog House". Owners buying sick puppies are 
now threatening legal action. State investigators are looking at a pet store 
chain for selling sick animals. One shop even told to stop its sales, but that 
may be just the beginning. More now on a story you saw "First on 7". 
He's got a face that's hard to resist and when Ingrid Price saw this Westie 
puppy at the Woof and Company pet store in South Shore Plaza, it was love at 
first sight.

> Ingrid Price
> "Frankly, Peter sold himself to me."
> 
But the honeymoon was brief. Peter fell ill almost immediately with a nasty 
case of what Ingrid first believed was kennel cough... 
> 
> Ingrid Price
> "The puppy was only two months old and eight pounds. And he convulsed. We 
> thought we were going to loose him that night."


In fact, Peter had giardia, an infection of the intestine, the same condition 
that left 17-month Corey nearly crippled.
> 
> Geffin Falken, Cory's Owner
> "She had a fever and a kidney infection and sever anemia and he could hardly 
> walk."


What do Peter and Corey have in common besides giardia? Both were purchased 
from Woof and Company stores, Peter from Braintree, Corey from Saugus... And 
now a former manager is stepping forward to say the chain should shape up.
> 
> Laurie Reggiannini, Former Manager
> "Bottom line really at the end of it all was I realized they didn't care 
> about the puppies, they just cared about the bottom line, they cared about the 
> dollar."


Problems at the Saugus store have led to a temporary ban on their selling of 
puppies. Customers at the store are told not to bring their children inside 
and workers are being tested.
As for Ingrid, in addition to the $950 she spent for her dog, she has vet 
bills approaching $500... And she says Woof and Company has reneged on its 
guarantee to foot the bill.
> 
> Ingrid Price
> "They're very nice when you come on the phone and one passes the buck to the 
> other. And I feel the Woof and Company is very insincere in their approach 
> to selling puppies."


Local Woof and Company employees referred our calls today to their corporate 
headquarters in New Jersey. And for the second consecutive day, those calls 
went unreturned.

    

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