I am a first time dog owner. I recently adopted a dog who is about 1 and a half years old from a local dog rescue service. The agency told me that the dog was up to date on all of his shots and that legally they could not give me a dog if he was not. It turns out that this group rescues all of their dogs from Mississippi, and I've learned heartworm is much more prevelant in the south (I'm in PA). So, in one month I've already spent about a thousand dollars treating the heartworm and major complications it is causing my dog, and will easily spend another $700. The rescue group told me he was healthy (to their knowledge) and showed no signs of aggression (they test for this also). The dog has aggression issues and was never tested for heartworm in the first place. Why would a rescue group skip a heartworm test that costs about $25 but can easily be $1000 to fix? I'm so frustrated and am considering returning the dog even though it would be so heartbreaking. Several friends I've spoken to (who all have dogs and think they are experts) say I should return the dog because of the aggression and because of the medical bills, and because the adoption group was dishonest in the first place. I would be very upset to return him, but never expected to be spending probably about $2000 in the first few months of owning him. I also cannot have people come to my home until I can have a trainer help me with the aggression problems.
So I'm just looking for some opinions or advice from people who have experience. Has anyone else been in a similiar situation and how did you deal with it? Thanks in advance.
So I'm just looking for some opinions or advice from people who have experience. Has anyone else been in a similiar situation and how did you deal with it? Thanks in advance.