Pet store to reimburse customers for sick pets’ medical expenses

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – A pet store with a branch in Watertown has agreed to reimburse customers for medical expenses to treat sick pets it sold.

New York state Attorney General Letitia James said The Pet Zone failed to disclose what medications the pets were given before they were sold.

“Deceiving families into buying sick puppies and kittens is not only cruel, it’s illegal,” James said in a statement. “The Pet Zone turned a happy moment of bringing home a new pet into misery for pet owners when they discovered that their pet was sick and that they had to pay expensive medical bills to help them recover.”

The Bell Pet Company, which operates The Pet Zone, has agreed to pay up to $200,000 to customers for their pets’ medical costs.

James said the store, which also operates in Albany, Poughkeepsie, and Queensbury, hid pets’ conditions by not disclosing some of the medications they were on.

Reimbursements are available to consumers who purchased a pet since January 1, 2014, and have a veterinarian’s certification within 14 days of the purchase that their pet was sick and unfit for sale.

The agreement also requires The Pet Zone to ensure that every pet has been examined by a licensed vet and has received all vaccinations required by state and local law.

Consumers will be provided accurate and complete records of the pets they purchase.

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