Bradenton Petland accused of selling sick puppy - WFLA

BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) - Dog owners in Bradenton are accusing a local pet store of knowingly selling them a sick puppy. 

It's not the first time the national chain or the Bradenton store in particular have faced such accusations. 

New year, new dog wasn't the plan for Madison Valentino and his girlfriend, Brunela Ronda. But when they laid their eyes on Bleu, a Beagle puppy, they say there was no looking back. 

"We made this connection," Valentino said. 

Within two hours of bringing Bleu home from Petland, they knew something was very wrong.

The couple says the puppy couldn't stop coughing up mucus. Her eyes and nose kept running and she was lethargic.

They took Bleu to the vet the very next day, where they say the vet diagnosed her with pneumonia.

They say the vet also believes Bleu could have distemper, a potentially fatal viral disease. They're now awaiting the results of a distemper test. 

"We've had her less than two weeks and she's been to the vet five times," Valentino said. "It's cost us more than $800." 

In 2017, Patricia Price of St. Petersburg told 8 On Your Side that Petland in Bradenton sold her a sick Shih Tzu. Price complained the puppy suffered seizures. 

"Drooling, laying there, barely breathing," Price described the symptoms. 

That same year, a federal lawsuit accused the retail chain of racketeering by selling sick puppies at high prices to unsuspecting customers. The suit also alleged that Petland frequently bought pets from puppy and kitten mills. 

A judge later dismissed the case. 

Bleu's parents say Petland did offer them the chance to return the dog for their money back. They say they're already too attached to do so, and argue the dog shouldn't have been cleared for sale in the first place. 

"How are you supposed to go in and create a relationship with something, and then two days later, you have an issue and just go return it?" Valentino asked. "We're not talking about an Xbox." 

8 On Your Side reached out to Petland on Wednesday for comment. A representative for the retailer said they could not comment because the complaint regarding Bleu hasn't been completed.

Valentino and Ronda say they are waiting for the distemper test results, expected in the coming days, before submitting the paperwork. 

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