Griswalds' Story, Part 3

In "Buying Griswald Part 1", I wrote about taking Griswald for his new puppy exam within 48 hours of purchasing him.  The exam was free and was done at the Bayview Animal Clinic in Fort Lauderdale. I had many concerns about Griswalds' health after the exam so I took  Griswald to my Veterinarian, Dr Carol Falk, at The Friendship Animal Wellness Center in Pompano Beach. Dr. Falk  found  Griswald to be puny and sickly. She gave me medication, scheduled a follow-up appointment and referred me to an Othalmologist to have his eyes examined. In "Buying Griswald Part 2", I went into more detail about the actual buying experience at The Gigi & Luca Pet Boutique.Today, I'm writng about what happend when I took Griswald to the Opthalmologist.  The Opthalmologist, Dr. Susan M. Carastro agreed with Dr. Falk that Griswald had severly dry eyes that were probably very painful. The diagnosis was macroblepharon with entropian lower lids. The macroblepharon will lend "Griswald" at risk for corneal disease including traumatic injuries, exposure keratopathy and proptosis. Griswald will need to be treated with eye drops daily, twice a day, for life.  The lubricants were recommended to limit the risk of exposure.He would also need to be examined again in six months and then annually to  watch for corneal disease. If he develops corneal disease, a procedure called Canthoplasty might be necessary.  I sent a copy of this exam to Gigi & Lucas' and also called Elizabeth and Debbie with the results. They asked me to return Griswald for a full refund. Elizabeth said she would not re-sell him, instead, she would give him to one of her relatives that was looking for a dog and I could keep in touch with her to see how Griswald was doing. Debbie demanded I return him to the store immediately for a refund. She said that she thought she was selling him to a responsible person who would give him a good home and she was sorry that she sold him to me. There wasn't anything wrong with him and she wanted him returned immediately. She said she would keep him herself. In the meantime, I  Googled the name "Darlene Lourance". She was  listed as the previous owner on  the American Canine Association application form that was part of Griswalds' sales packet. Before I paid for Griswald, I asked Elizabeth & Debbie where they had bought him. I asked if I could go to the kennel to meet the breeders & see Grizwalds' parents. I'd shopped in Gigi & Lucas several times since they opened to buy things for my other dog, Kya. Elizabeth didn't sell puppies and that's why I liked to go into her boutique. I had bought several toys, a collar and a life jacket for Kya. One day,there was a sign in her window that said "puppies" and inside there was an empty dog crate set up for puppies.  Elizabeth explained that one of her customers' dogs had a litter & she was bringing the puppies into Gigi & Lucas' for a few hours every day to sell. The next time I returned to the store to get something for Kya, the window was filled with cages of puppies & that's the day I found Griswald.  All of the other puppies where fluffy & cute. Griswald was short-haired, tiny & he looked like a scared baby rabbit.  One of the sales people took Griswald out of his box & put him on the floor. He ran all over the store underneath all of the display racks. I asked if I could hold him & that's when I knew I would buy him.  I could feel his heart beating a mile a minute. I held him against my shoulder & he started making funny little noises in my ear.  I knew  better than to buy a puppy in a petstore but I convinced myself that Elizabeth would never sell puppies except from reputable breeders. Her Boutique is named after her own dogs and she often brings them into the store to spend the day.  She had assured me that she knew all of her breeders. But, no, I couldn't contact  them because they didn't feel comfortable dealing directly with the buyer. They liked to be with their dogs and handle that end of the business. My "Googling" of Darlene Lourance, the  breeder who sold Griswald to Elizabeth  linked her to a Phyllis Fish and an upcoming Dog Auction listed as a "Pro Sale" with a lot # & a phone #. I tried calling but no one returned my calls. By now, my conversations with Debbie & Elizabeth had become unpleasant (see Close Encounters of the Worst Kind). I told Elizabeth & Debbie for the last time that I was keeping Griswald & I would never go back to the boutique again. Finally, our conversations ended until I called Elizabeth in March, 2008.