Can I sue a puppy seller for selling an inbread dog that had to be put to sleep due to complications?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Can I sue a puppy seller for selling an inbread dog that had to be put to sleep due to complications?

This puppy was sold to me under the pretense it was a purebred.

Asked on May 7, 2012 under Business Law, Washington

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

If the seller knowingly misrepresented (or lied about) the breeding, pedigree, and/or health of the dog, that could constitute fraud; fraud provides a basis to either rescind the agreement (get your money back) and/or sue for damages (monetary compensation). One key issue is generally whether it was a knowing misrepresentation, or a lie which the person knew was a lie; if the seller him/herself did not know of any flaws in the health or breading or pedigree, there's a good chance he or she would not be liable. In this context, "knowing" generally includes when the person reasonably "should" have known--that is, for example, that any reasonable breeder (if a professional breeder) or at least dog owner (if a private seller without any particular experience or training) would have known of the problems.

You'd also need to be able to causally link the breeding, etc. defects to the health problems; if the health problems were unconnected, that could reduce or even eliminate what you would be entitled to. For example, say the dog was not a purebreed, but its health complications were unrelated to that fact; it is possible then that you could recover the difference in price between a purebreed and nonpurebreed, but not the full cost of the dog or the vet bills.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption