Jax's Story

My purpose in putting this information on my website is not to hurt anyone. I do my best to be the best breeder I can be and value my reputation as a conscientious breeder. I know that people that brought this puppy from me have talked to other people in reference to Jax and they are not conveying the whole story or in some cases even the truth. I just want to make the truth available to those who want to know it. The case that was brought against me in small claims court by the puppy owners was dismissed.

Jax was a Bang x Copper puppy. He was Shamrock boy in the litter. At first Jax didn't show much enthusiasm he played but wasn't the one to initiate play with his litter mates but would play when his brother or sister would invite him. He was always a very handsome little boy though.

As Jax got older and his brothers and sisters started going to their new homes Jax blossomed! At 8 weeks old there was Jax and 2 sisters and 1 brother left at home. Over the next 2 weeks Jax became bold and outgoing, not afraid of anything! He quickly became a puppy that I wanted to find a special home for. If I kept boys, he would have stayed with me. When Jax was 11 weeks old I thought I had found that special home. This was a working home with lots of promise and Jax was to be a house dog and companion too. It all sounded wonderful so when Jax was 12-1/2 weeks old I meet with this couple and put Jax in their hands. At the time they picked him up he and 2 of his litter mates had just had a growth spurt and I had just wormed them with Panacur (a parasite treatment I give all my puppies) which can give them stomach upset. Jax and his 2 litter mates were thin, the other one was a different build and didn't seem to get thin like they did despite the same food and treatment. I acknowledged that he was thin and told his new owners how much I had been feeding him and instructed them to increase his food. I gave them plenty of the quality food that he had been weaned to so that they could transition Jax to the food of their choice and sent him home with a stuffed butterfly that he and his litter mates had been playing with and gave Jax and his litter mates a soft treat called Zuks when I took him out of the crate to send him to his new home. I had high hopes for that puppy.

Just a couple of days later I got a text telling me what a marvelous job I had done socializing Jax and that he was a great puppy. I continued to get texts and emails for the next couple of weeks saying that Jax was doing great. Reports about retrieving and his exploration of the fields and ponds. It seemed as if all was going really good for Jax.

Then after Jax had been gone about three weeks I got a phone call that Jax had to have surgery for an intestinal blockage. Jax made it though the surgery but was a very sick puppy. The vet had retrieved a section of intestine that contained rocks, grass, dirt, straw and something hard that was not definitively identifiable, but I was told by the owner that it was some kind of "chew" and that was when my relationship with him went sour. He was trying to blame me for the intestinal blockage, saying that I gave Jax a "chew" that caused the problem when they had picked him up. I repeatedly asked what he meant by "chew" and never got an answer. When I requested the vet records be sent to me all I saw were copies of the vet bills.

Sadly Jax did not make it. He lived about a week after the surgery. His owners had a necropsy performed and reported to me that Jax had a diagrammatic hernia, a birth defect. They stated that they wanted me to pay for Jax's vet bills because of this defect. It clearly states in my contract that I am not responsible for vet bills and that this type of health problem is not something that I cover, BUT I felt bad for them and refunded the money that they paid for Jax. It took me a couple of weeks but they did get the refund of the price they paid for Jax.

I again requested Jax's vet records. Not only did I want to see what happened to Jax out of concern for this puppy and his owners but I try my best to be a responsible breeder and wanted my vet to review the records to see if there was anything I could have done as Jax breeder to prevent the problem. Again all I received were copies of the vet bills and a threat that they had someone look at my contract and that I should be paying at least half of Jax vet bills.

On the day that they received the cashiers check refunding the cost that they paid for Jax they filled a suit for the vet bill they had incurred from they time they took Jax home. I did my research and talked to a lawyer friend of mine regarding what had happened with this puppy. I was confident that I had done no wrong, in fact had gone above and beyond what I had to do by refunding the puppy purchase price. I ended up having to subpoena the vet clinics to get a copy of the records for Jax.

When I received the vet records here is what I discovered; after Jax was with them for about a week they had taken him to their vet. The puppy had ingested a collar. They said he threw it up but still had an upset stomach a couple of days later. (was part of that collar the "chew" that they told me started the intestinal blockage?) Jax was sick off and on from then on. He was fine until he ate the collar as told to me by his owners. The bottom line is that Jax was neglected. He was allowed to be on his own and eat the very things that caused his death, not only the collar but grass, straw, rocks and dirt impacted this little guy's intestine. I wish I hadn't refunded the money they paid for Jax. I was deceived! Most of all I wish I hadn't sold them Jax.

I have his vet records now and have saved them as an attachment you can see at the bottom of this page. I have gone through the records and black out the owners names. Unlike them I will not spread stories about them or "tell" on them to other people. I would never refer them as a good place for a puppy to go to, but wouldn't give any information unless directly asked. If you look at Jax vet records you will also find some literature from the Merck Vet Manual website defining some of the term used by the vets in their records.

I just want everyone to know the truth about Jax. This is not just the truth according to me, it is the truth as supported by the vets that saw Jax according to their statements added as an attachment at the bottom of this webpage. If you have any questions regarding any of this information please feel free to email me at smokingold@gmail.com.