TORONTO -- An Ontario woman who spent thousands to have a puppy imported to Canada is devastated the dog had to be put down a week after it arrived.
“I have never experienced this type of pain losing an innocent young puppy before,” Newmarket woman Jennifer Durocher said.
Durocher and her husband spent months searching online for the kind of dog they wanted to get and they decided on a toy poodle they had seen photos of on Instagram.
They found an importer online who said toy poodles were being shipped in Canada from South Korea.
“We were told this puppy would not be in cargo but will be in a seat with a puppy nanny," she said.
When the dog first arrived it was everything they hoped for and decided they would name him Teddy.
“When we first laid eyes on Teddy he was so excited. He ran towards us and gave us kisses and we just fell in love with him,” Durocher said.
But within days Teddy became very sick and that’s when they realized he had flown the entire trip in cargo.
“It was horrible to see our puppy, which we were so excited, lifeless because it is so sick.”
The couple took the dog to an animal hospital and the veterinarian told them there was little they could do. The veterinarian told Durocher Teddy was very sick and that he weighed less than a pound.
After treatment it was recommended Teddy be put down.
The hospital also felt the puppy was much younger than the importer said and that he had been separated from his mother too early. Durocher paid $3,000 for the puppy and another $2,000 for treatment.
Durocher said she wanted to share her story to warn others.
“Who knows where these dogs are coming from. It could be puppy mills in South Korea," Durocher said.
When she told the importer what happened Durocher was told they would replace the dog with another one, but she declined. She was refunded $2,500.
“We don't want a new dog. I’m not going through this again,” she said.
The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) said when dogs are imported from other countries there is a risk they could bring in viruses or diseases not in Canada. It advises buyers to use a reputable dog breeder registered with the CKC.
