Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/06/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought a puppy from IA Fox Creek Farms that was advertised as being blind in one eye. Within 14 hours of buying this puppy, I took it to my vet ************************* in ********* *********. Where I learned that IA Fox Creek Farms sold me a puppy that was blind in both eyes. And according to my vet was a puppy that should have never been offered for sale. My daughters, that came with reached out to *********************** that refused any wrong doing, which the eye drop their vet gave them on 3/31/25 was actually ear drops. Also, *********************** admitted to my daughter that this puppy was in a barn alone. On 2/4/25 her son **** ***** admitted he was the one to take care of their animals and when asked about feeding he said he just opened a bag of dog food and left it. We did digging into IA Fox Creek Farms today and found complains by other people that bought puppies from them and complaints in 2018 and 2022 for neglect of animals by ****.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/13/2025

   I did advertise the puppy as blind in one eye and with special needs. This is what our vet told us, and he didnt see anything wrong with the other eye. The puppy otherwise was very healthy and should be able to lead a normal life. The eye had an infection earlier that was treated with antibiotics. It was better, but looked swollen, so the vet had us switch to drops he prescribed for her that had both an antibiotic and a steroid in it. It made a lot of difference in a short time. Now, the complainant says her vet says its for just ears. My vet responded saying that it is the same medicine and same amounts are used in both the eye and ear drops. He was out of the one that actually said eyes on it, so he prescribed for her what he had, which made a great difference. The buyer even mentioned that the puppys eyes looked a lot better than on the advertisement,where we posted 6 pictures of her running and playing with one being a closeup of her face, where you could easily see her eyes.
  
  
  On both the advertisement and the website we posted the puppy as having special needs because of the blind eye. We were totally upfront about what we were told. This puppy was not blind in both eyes. It ran around in the yard playing with its siblings or with my son having no issues with seeing. The buyer says her vet told her the pup was blind in both eyes and referred them to an eye specialist, as he admitted he wasnt an eye expert. I was able to talk to their vet the day after the buyers daughter called me. He seemed very confused by what I was saying. He said he never said the *** was blind but just speculated about whether it might be sometime. Thats why he recommended the specialist. He also stated that other than the eye, the puppy was in great condition. After talking to my vet again, he reiterated that the puppy was only blind in one eye.
  
  
  I never said the puppy was in a barn. It was housed in our kennel building and had been the only puppy in its pen, since her sister sold. The buyer told me later on the phone, she knew the reason we asked them to call us an hour before their arrival was so that we could clean up the puppy from where it was being kept in our filthybarn. We have a heated and air-conditioned kennel building. And we always give puppies baths before sending them to a new home. We ask buyers to call, so that if they get held up for some reason, we arent just sitting waiting on them.
  
  
  My son told them we allow the puppies to free-feed using a commonly used raised feeder. There is a nothing unusual about this method of feeding. We never just open a bag of dog food and leave it. As far as **** complaints, the issues were addressed and resolved immediately.
  
  
  The mother signed our genetic health guarantee contract, which all buyers do, stating that if they took the puppy to their vet within 72 hours after receipt of the puppy and the vet finds it isnt in good health or able to be medically treated, they notify us within 24 hours. The buyer shall return the puppy to us with the vet documentation and registration papers. They are then eligible for another puppy of equal value when one becomes available. This puppy was offered at a reduced price because of the eye, which we were very upfront about. Also, added to the contract, which I pointed out the buyer, right above where she signed it, I had added in bold print Buyer is aware of puppys eye issues and accepts it, understanding that any future treatment connected to it is not covered by this guarantee.
  
  
  I told the mother that even though, she wasnt guaranteed any money back from the contract, I wanted her to be satisfied, so on the phone, I told her I would be willing to give her the money back, but the puppy must be returned to us. I text the offer to her again. She replied by sending me text screen shots of all the places she planned to report me. This all occurred within a day of them picking up the puppy.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  ***********************
  Iowa Fox Creek Kennels