Puppy Steps Corp, Giselle Shop Owner, Sick Puppy, Giardia, Missing Health Records, Micro-chip scam West Dundee Illinois

I am having some serious issues with a pet store in Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee called Puppy Steps. I have been unsuccessful at resolving this issue on my own with the shop owners. I purchased a Female Puggle on 5/20/13. At the time of purchase, I was told the puppy was healthy, micro chipped and NOT from a puppy mill but rather hand selected from a breeder. At the time of sale, I was told I could go to Spring Hill Vet for a free exam, however I opted to take my new puppy to my own vet.  It turned out my puppy had a Upper Respiratory Infection and a scan showed that she was NOT micro-chipped. Giselle from puppy steps charged me $99 for a micro-chip and gave me the micro-chip number – however it turns out the puppy is not chipped. 1 day after the visit, I received a call from my Vet with the lab results and my puppy had Giardia, a highly contagious parasite.

I have contacted the store (I have copies of several emails that have gone back and forth) and they refuse to acknowledge the Giardia, rather they said it is my fault because I didn’t go to their Vet, Spring Hill Vet. AND I asked the store owner Giselle, for RECENT copies of a health certificate since I only have the records from April 10^th which are empty except for 1 sentence saying the puppy had a hernia removed.

According to state law, as a puppy consumer, I am entitled to health records – the health record I received is from the breeder AKA Crane’s Red Dog Kennel (found to be part of the puppy mill problem) and the record has 2 puggles on it with a bunch of vaccination stickers but it does not point the stickers to any specific puppy. And attached to the folder I received was a health record from April 10^th, the puppy would have been 1 month old, and all it states is that the puggle had a hernia repair.

So, I have asked Giselle from Puppy Steps Corp to provide me with a VALID, more recent health certificate, as I have found a law/ruling that any Illinois licenses pet store owner/dealer needs to provide a health record within 5 days of the sale. That means a health record should be supplied with a date of May 15 – 20^th at the very least.

 I was abruptly, and quite rudely told to call Spring Hill Vet for any records (I have a copy of this email). Spring hill vet told me that they do not keep records on the puppies they see from Puppy Steps Corp – that essentially they see a “bunch” of puppies at one time from Giselle and do not keep records of each puppy, but rather one big health record. I have not seen that record and neither Spring Hill Vet or Puppy Steps will provide me with a copy.

I was also told that they do not send the stool samples into a lab but rather do a fecal floatation which will only check for worms, not parasites. The lab fees are quite a bit more and would cut into the profit margin, and sadly only labs with microscopes – who only deal with stool samples all day – would find the parasite.

 I have asked nicely for copies of the health records, I am entitled to the health records. I have asked nicely for a refund for the micro-chip I paid for but was only told that if I took my puppy into their vet I would get a chip. That is unacceptable to me as I do not trust the pet store or “their” vet,. And I have a right to take my puppy to my vet for the chip.

 I am sure my puppy is not the only sick puppy from the store, seeing as how contagious Giardia is and seeing as how these puppies are put in cribs with one another. Puppies, elderly, infants, pregnant women and even healthy adults can catch Giardia as it is contagious between dogs and humans. Once a dog has it, it is VERY difficult to get rid of as the cysts can literally be dropped anywhere and cannot be seen with the naked eye. Me and my children have already been exposed. My puppy cannot be socialized or go out in public places because of this parasite. Please help me not only get my health records but to somehow contact all the people who have purchased puppies from puppy steps corp in West Dundee , IL to let them know that their puppy “MAY” be sick with this parasite and that they should have a Vet check (I would suggest one not involved in this whole scheme) to get their puppies treated right away if they are in fact contaminated.

Not only will treatment possible save the puppies life, it could help to prevent human contamination or if the human has already been contaminated with the parasite, they too can get treated. I’ve asked Giselle nicely to let her purchasers know, but she has refused. Sadly, this pet store does not care about the puppies or their customers enough to let them know.