If all had gone according to plan, Dakota the puppy would have been enjoying Chicago’s mild winter with walks in the park and play dates with other dogs. As one of the dogs diagnosed with distemper after being sold by Happiness Is Pets, Dakota has spent the winter in virtual quarantine in a fight for her life.
Bryan Phillips and his girlfriend purchased the dog shortly before Christmas, skipping the shelter route because they had been looking for a healthy puppy from a reputable breeder. Like most people who take in a puppy, they had hoped to be dealing with normal puppy issues like training and socialization. That hasn’t been the case at all.
“Dakota has been under 24/7 care since we’ve had her and it hurts us both so much to see how much she has suffered battling this condition,” says Phillips. “The doctor now believes that the distemper is out of her system and he’s recommended that we keep her away from other dogs for another month. This has been such a hardship for a puppy because we’ve not been able to socialize her with other dogs and because it’ s so contagious we’ve not been able to seek out professional training services. I feel like my home is a bio-hazard and for dogs this is true.”
Phillips never thought of himself as an activist for anything. After purchasing one of the puppies from Happiness Is Pets that has been diagnosed with distemper, he has been a man on a mission. He has been researching the veterinarian recommended by Happiness Is Pets that initially treated Dakota and hasn’t been able to find a license on file to practice in Illinois and the same vet relinquished a license to practice in Indiana in 1996. Phillips is one of six people who are part of a lawsuit filed last week against the pet store chain claiming consumer fraud (see story).
“No one should have to go though all this crap with a puppy. I went to Happiness under the impression the dogs come respectable breeders,” says Phillips. “It wasn't until later I discovered this is far from the truth and many others have gotten sick dogs from them. I have a terrible case of buyer's remorse and guilt as if I've committed some horrible act. I can't imagine what it would be for a family with young children purchasing a pet that one day its here and the next it’s gone.”
Although the distemper is out of her system, Dakota’s problems are far from over. Dogs that have suffered from the disease and survived can face long-term problems of the central nervous system, gastro-intestinal tract and respiratory system. The Sunday before Valentine’s Day, Dakota woke up in the middle of the night with severe vomiting and diarrhea. According to Phillips, the ordeal lasted four hours. He expects gastro-intestinal problems to be a major issue for Dakota as she matures.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, there have been eleven confirmed cases and five of the dogs have died. Several other dogs that died before being tested are suspected to have had distemper as well. Other cases have not yet been confirmed. The lawsuit accuses Happiness is Pets of consumer fraud for misrepresenting the dogs it sells as healthy when many have various health problems. The suit also accuses the chain of fraud for claiming that the dogs it sells come from smaller breders when the dogs actually come from large scale breeding operations known as puppy mills.
Under the Illinois Pet Store Disclosure Act, pet stores are required to post information about the breeders where they purchased animals on or near the cages in their stores. To learn more about where Illinois pet shops purchase their pets, go online to the site for The Puppy Mill Project. Go online here and fill out a form to file a complaint against Happiness is Pets through the Companion Animal Protection Society.
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