How pet or puppy lemon law protects pet owners

Most pet owners get a pet in the hope that it will lead a long and healthy life with the family. Unfortunately, sometimes, the pet gets sick. Contrary to what the breeder or seller told you, the pet just does not live upto the breeder’s claims. This is where puppy lemon law can protect you as a pet owner. If your pet turns sick or is not as what the seller told you, you are entitled for compensation or money back from the seller.

Protecting purchasers
Most state laws across America have their own set of laws regarding animal cruelty and pet abuse. There are stringent laws and regulations about the subject and pet owners have to be wary of them. However, recently, as an extension of lemon law, there has been a new set of regulations called puppy or dog lemon law. As per these laws, you as a pet owner are protected when you buy a pet, which is sick or unhealthy and just does not fit in with the claims as made by the seller. Thus, if you have bought a puppy recently only to find it has become sick or infected with a disease, necessitating you to give it away, you are entitled to compensation from your seller.

Returning and refund
All state lemon laws across the US state that pet owners can return a pet, which has got sick or even died to get a new pet, a replacement or a suitable refund through a compensation from the seller. Most of these state lemon laws also provide the pet owner an option to retain the puppy, get suitable treatment and receive a certain degree of reimbursement or compensation for associated veterinary expenses. This reimbursement is to be collected from the pet seller. Always check for extensive lemon law information.

Various states
Until now, various states such as California, Florida, Arkansas, Minnesota etc. have their own puppy lemon laws, which protect pet owners from sick or unhealthy pets. As per Ca lemon laws, if your seller has sold you an unhealthy dog, you are automatically protected and are entitled to receive substantial compensation. If this is a hobby breeder, however, they will not fall under the scope of ca lemon laws, unless they are very active breeders. If a seller has sold or transferred or even given away some litters during the past year then these persons are liable to pay you compensation should the dog be unhealthy.

You as a pet owner should document any infectious diseases you find in your new pet within a period of 15 days to a year. The seller or active breeder will have a timeframe of 120 days to furnish the registration papers as advertised. If your pet seller cannot provide these papers you can return your dog and get complete refund or you may choose to retain this dog and get 75% compensation of the price you paid for the dog. If you find the dog to have illnesses, which can be proved medically or has certain hereditary defects you not only get a replacement in the form of a new healthy dog but also reimbursement for associated vet expenses when you were trying to get the dog illness certified.