After seeing our stories about a skinny dog in the windowat a Henderson pet store, a pet owner came forward.
She said she got her dog at the same place and he was also very thin.
Suzette and her husband bought Romeo from Petland Henderson in mid-January. She said they did not spend much time with the puppy before buying him because the sales people pressured her into making a decision that day.
"We only spent maybe an hour with the dog, actually playing and socializing with the dog, but he had just woken up so we didn't see any of that," Suzette said. "Then we came home, and right away he had diarrhea and vomiting."
They even tried to bring him back, but felt bad for the pup and ended up keeping him. Petland had their vet look at Romeo and Suzette said he told them Romeo was ok, just underweight.
But when they took him to their own vet, they learned he was underweight and had kennel cough and an ear infection. He still cannot jump very high, they say their vet says it is because he spent too much time in a cage and his legs are weak.
When they saw our story about Rudy, the thin dog whose picture went viral, it was more than just a coincidence to Suzette.
"Our dog was similar to that, very underweight like that dog," she said.
Now she wants to let other people know what she experienced.
"I think to them it's just all about money and prices," said Suzette. "They treat those dogs like just a dollar sign, not an actual living being."
Petland sent us the following statement:
"Petland Henderson is a locally owned and operated franchise business where the first priority has always been, and will continue to be, the health and safety of our animals.
"Petland's commitment to responsible pet ownership is ingrained in everything we do. It is our mission to match the right owners with the right pets, and we make sure that every one of our pets is ready to be a great part of a family with Petland's industry leading Pets for a Lifetime protection program. Pets for a Lifetime helps Petland customers find new homes for their pets if, for any reason, the owner can no longer fulfill the lifetime care responsibility.
"While we always strive to ensure our puppies go to forever homes, returns do sometimes happen. In order to protect our puppies from undue stress, we have a strict return policy which serves as a deterrent from impulse pet purchases, and is clearly stated in all documents our customers sign before the pet goes home with the family."
As for Rudy, Petland said he has gained about four pounds but still is not available for sale again.
