TIPP CITY — UPDATE @ 11 p.m. (Oct. 26)
Petland has agreed to pay for the surgery to correct a severe hip dysplasia of one of its puppies it sold at its Dayton store.
Courtney Miller, the Tipp City owner of 9-month-old German shepherd Thor, alerted this news outlet this evening to the development.
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UPDATE @ 2:55 p.m. (Oct. 19)
Troy Animal Hospital contacted this news organization after seeing the story involving Thor.
Troy Animal Hospital manager Kay LeVan said her facility would “love to help this young lady with her dog.”
The hospital said they are still waiting to hear from the dog’s owner as to whether she will be using Troy Animal Hospital to assist Thor.
INITIAL REPORT
A family says the puppy they bought from a Dayton pet store has one of the worst cases of hip dysplasia their vet has ever seen.
They are blaming the store and its breeders for selling them the injured dog, but the store says it’s not their fault.
Thor, a young German shepherd, loves on everyone who comes through the front door at the Miller home. At 9 months old, he already has serious, debilitating medical issues, and is in pain.
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“It’s every day and he’s on pain medicine but they’re not doing much at all,” his owner, Courtney Miller said.
She and her father-in-law, Frank Miller, bought the pup in March from a Petland in Dayton. At the time, Thor was given a clean bill of health. But almost immediately, Courtney Miller said she noticed something was wrong with his hips.
“Pretty much everything is wrong with them. They area all out of socket. Walking up the steps he does a bunny hop. Outside he tries to walk around and his legs just hit each other,” Miller said. “So he’s just all in pain. He can barely sit, he cannot lay down.”
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Miller’s veterinarian said Thor likely was born with his severe hip dysplasia.
That’s when Miller and her father-in-law called Petland’s corporate office, which offered a partial reimbursement, or money toward a new dog.
“Two thousand dollars for his expense, which we know it’s going to be more. Or we give you $4,000 towards a new dog. You know, that’s like giving up your kid,” Frank Miller said.
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JR Badger, director of Petland’s companty stores, sent an email to Miller around 8 p.m., hours after Miller’s story ran on WHIO-TV.
It reads: “Good evening Courtney! I am sorry you are dealing with this. All you will need to do is take Thor to MedVet for the consultation and they will bill us directly ... Thank you and we will get Thor taken care of.”
A subsequent email sent just before 9 p.m. clarified that the offer is for a second opinion.
“Let’s get the consultation and see what the doctors recommend. Then we can discuss our options.”
