The old adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” tends to rear its ugly head more often than most people would prefer.
But if you were never clued in as to why you actually got the deal you did, where does the fault lie when you learn the truth?
Redditor nevermadeagreement34 recently ran into this very issue after buying a new puppy from a breeder, so she turned to the subReddit “Am I the A**hole” (AITA) to see if she was in the wrong for her actions.
She asked:
“AITA for ‘backing out’ of an agreement I never made?”
The original poster (OP) explained the situation.
“2 months ago my Dad (54M[ale]) approached me with an opportunity to buy a female labrador puppy from his friend (let’s call him Joe) who shows and breeds pedigree labradors.”
She assumed she was getting a sort of friends and family discount.
“According to my Dad, Joe was offering me the labrador puppy for a heavily discounted rate ($80) because I was his friends daughter. Nothing else was mentioned to me about why the puppy was so cheap but I assumed my Dad’s friend Joe was just being generous.”
“Looking back I was definitely naive but I’d been wanting a labrador pup for a long time and the offer was just too good to pass up.”
When she went to get the new puppy, she was still unaware that anything was amiss.
“That same day I drove over 2 hours to Joes farm to collect my new 3-month-old labrador puppy and sign the paperwork transferring the ownership of the pup to me.”
“Joe never mentioned anything else about the terms of the sale and I never signed any other paperwork or contract regarding further terms.”
“I want to stress that in the period directly after the sale, neither Joe or my Dad discussed with me the apparent “extra terms” I had supposedly agreed to.”
“Until recently.”
That’s when the OP learned the real reason she was able to get the puppy so cheap.
“I mentioned to my Dad that I had booked Jennifer (name of pup) for her desexing next month and my Dad immediately told me I had to cancel. He went on to explain that he had agreed (on my behalf) to allow Joe to use my labrador to breed more pups for him to sell.”
“This is apparently why I was able to buy Jennifer for such a discounted rate. I was shocked but frankly not surprised since my Dad has a long history of neglecting to mention important details/lying by omission.”
She refused to go along with the agreement since she had known nothing about it.
“As far as I’m concerned, I never agreed to these terms so I’m not bound to them. Dad and Joe may have had a verbal agreement but I am the legal owner of Jennifer and there was no verbal (or written) agreement between me and Joe so I don’t care.”
“I called Joe and made it crystal clear to him that I absolutely was NOT planning to breed Jennifer, let alone give him the puppies to sell.”
The breeder was not pleased.
“He was upset, called me a few choice names, and demanded I pay back the difference between the discounted rate and the normal rate for Jennifer since I wasn’t breeding her for him.”
“I refused because I legally own Jennifer now and the sale is over. If he wanted me to breed Jennifer he should have talked to me about this personally because I was the buyer, not my Dad.”
The OP is now stuck wondering if she’s in the wrong.
“Joe is apparently fuming, my Dad is angry because he doesn’t understand why it’s a big deal, and other extended family members who know Joe think I’m being a b*tch and should at least pay him back the difference.”
“But I honestly just don’t feel like I’m obligated to. It’s their fault, especially Joe, for not mentioning these extra terms to me before the sale. He’s the seller and he show know better when conducting his business.”
“Also according to the ‘agreement’ I would have to breed Jennifer whenever Joe wanted (so I’m guessing nonstop).”
“Plus Joe would not have to pay for Jennifer’s medical expenses when pregnant and that would all come out of my pocket. Hard pass.”
Redditors then gave their verdict on the situation by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
They firmly sided with the OP.
“NTA”
“Have your dad pay the difference, as he was the one who deliberately lied by omission.”—Zokathra_Spell
“NTA – he sounds like a backyard breeder who doesn’t actually care about the health of the breed.”
“Real breeders would charge extra for a puppy with breeding rights and a legal document would be drawn up. You should only breed a female dog 3 times or else it’ll start to heavily impact her health.”
“He doesn’t care about the health of these dogs. Go through with the desexing and don’t pay that guy anything.”—Swegh_
“NTA that’s on Joe’s dumba** for not mentioning such a HUGE detail to you.”—rustyshackleford1301
“NTA – this sounds like the craziest nonsense I’ve ever heard.”
“I’ve heard of breeders having new owners specifically sign contracts saying the WON’T breed the dogs, I’ve never heard of someone trying to force the new owner to be part of their puppy mill…”—Wikidess
Many warned the OP to take some precautions in case her dad or the breeder try to retaliate.
“NTA – the dog is *your* dog, and you do not owe anyone anything.”
“You are absolutely correct that if the terms of the sale included making the dog available for breeding, that the transfer of ownership paperwork needed to include that information.”
“It didn’t, and nothing else was signed. There isn’t sh*t anyone can do, legally.”
“Do be careful though, because I wouldn’t put it past a scorned BYB (backyard breeder)(and frankly, that’s what he sounds like with this attempt to force you to breed dogs for him) to steel your dog.”
“Make sure that she’s never outside alone, be careful at dog parks, be sure she’s chipped, and be clear with any groomers, daycare or boarding centers that you and *only you* are to pick up your dog.”—Alert-Potato
“NTA. Make sure you have your dog chipped and some sort of tracking device on the collar.”
“I wouldn’t trust Joe or your father not to try to take the dog back. Maybe also look into getting some cameras put up at your place.”—Aquatic205
“Small tattoo in the dog. It makes it easier to know its your dog and micro chip can slip placement. I’d honestly do both tho.”—littlebitmissa
The OP may want to consult with a lawyer just in case, but it certainly sounds like the breeder doesn’t have much of a legal leg to stand on.
At least she can rest a little easier knowing that the internet has her back.