New Taipei pet shop refuses refund after NT$57,000 husky dies in 10 days

哈士奇在10天內死亡，新北寵物店拒退新台幣57,000元

South African woman claims New Taipei pet store failed to honor contract after dog suddenly died of parvovirus


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A South African woman is at her wit's end after she purchased an expensive husky from a pet shop in New Taipei only to see it die in a little over a week and the store refuse to provide any compensation.

Shalona Sookraj, 26, who works as an English teacher in Taoyuan's Pingzhen District, purchased a husky puppy for NT$57,000 (US$2,000) from a pet store in New Taipei City's Banqiao District on Jan. 27 and named him Sabre. She said that on Jan. 28, the puppy started vomiting, suffering from diarrhea, and stopped eating.

When she took him to a veterinarian, he tested negative for viruses, but she was told that it can take up to 14 days for viruses to be detectable in dogs, and it was suggested the symptoms could be caused by deworming medication. She informed the pet store of the dog's symptoms, but they denied that he had any illness.

On Feb. 2, her pet's symptoms worsened, and when she took him to the vet again on Feb. 3, they said he had pneumonia and parvovirus. According to the health report and x-ray, the pneumonia was caused by a bad lung infection, and he was having difficulty breathing.

She said that she rushed him to a pet hospital right away, and blood tests confirmed that he had canine parvovirus. According to Sookraj, he stayed at a pet hospital for three days before dying on Feb. 6.

Sookraj said that the medical expenses for the dog ran up to NT$15,000. She said that her contract with the pet shop stated that if the dog had diarrhea or vomiting within three days, he could be exchanged.

However, she said that the pet shop denied it had offered these terms. Sookraj claims the contract also said that if she could present a health report within seven days of the dog dying, she could receive a replacement.

She alleges that the pet shop failed to live up to the terms of the contract, and when she and the veterinarian explained the cause of death to the store's owner, they claimed that they did not understand what she was talking about. Sookraj said the veterinarian was angered by their denials because he had treated the dog's sickness for seven days.

When asked what action she plans to take next, she said that she is speaking to an attorney. Sookraj said she simply wants the store management to at least pay her for half the cost of the pet "if they cannot stand by their own contract and own up to being wrong instead of passing blame on the vet and me as the owner."

Sookraj has since purchased another dog from a reputable breeder, and she is happy to say that "he is very healthy." She asserts that this is proof her puppy's death was not due to negligence on her or the veterinarian's part.

She alleged her lawyer had informed her that the price of the dog may have been inflated because she is a foreigner. Her attorney added that the contract is flawed because viruses can take up to two weeks before they lead to symptoms.

When Taiwan News contacted the pet store's owner, he said that the dog had died after two weeks. He said that he has proof the dog was in good health when it was purchased by Sookraj and claims no other puppies from the litter suffered any health problems.

He said that any diseases the dog had been exposed to under Sookraj's care were not his responsibility. He claimed that his store has a good track record and has never previously had complaints about its animals.

The owner said that if Sookraj is still not satisfied, they can resolve the dispute in a court of law.