hi i am seeking advise as i sold a puppy last year with a contract saying if any time you can no longer take care of the dog/puppy it must be returned back to myself the breeder and i will find a suitable home they have the pup on the net and i have tried contacting to no avail and advise would be great thanks

I really don't know if this would stand up in law (correct me if I'm wrong!) as once you have sold the pup it belongs to the buyer to do with as they wish.
Maybe you could reply to their ad as an interested 'buyer'?

hi i always put to bring the dog or pup back and i will sell the dog or pup on there behalf as i like to know were they are going so its not that i am takeing the dog and not remburseing [excuse the spelling]its just i like to make sure they are going to the right people who under stand the breed

There is an interesting thread going on general just about this if you care to read leemai,

When it comes to returning pups to breeder, making it a contract to do so I would actually have a problem with that myself, in my puppy packs I always ask in writing and in person that if anything should happen in the future rather than selling on or re-homing a puppy/dog that we be offered it back as first refusal as our pups/dogs always have a home with us. Now, I know I have no legalities with this, but my puppy owners know we will always have our dogs back and that is the best that you can do as a breeder.

The reasons that a new owner may not wish to return a pup are:

Fear of humiliation and the Tut,Tut
Fear of a breeder not understanding,
Wishing to have all monies spent returned,

If you can rule out the first two reasons, it must be to do with money, how do you stand on that issue?

I myself would not wish to give a full refund if say a pup was wishing to come back 6 months on, but sometimes that can backfire and a puppy owner will advertise a pup to get all of their money back. I guess in that case, rather than the pup being passed on you would need to offer the amount asked.

If I were you, and you have had no luck with contact, I would now ask a friend to pose as a buyer and buy back the pup, at least the pup will be back with you again, whether you tell them afterwards or not is up to you. :-)

hi i have always had a good relationship with the pups owner so it was out the blue that the pup was for sale they have him at a very low price and just want rid by the sound of the advert i would give them the price they are selling him for because i would rather him back than sold to anybody.i did send a very nice email as i am a very resonable person saying all i have is the puppys wellfare in mind thanks

If these people only knew how much we will always love our pups, :-(

I doubt these people will ask for any buyer to sign the transfer of ownership infront of them with a new address, so you can transfer the pup back to yourself once a friend brings back the pup and all the paperwork, just make sure that any friend you send makes sure that they (the pups owners) sign the transfer slip over, and go and rescue your pup back.

You have my sympathies. We recently got one of our pups back. The owners had contacted us, but we had just moved to Northern Ireland so travelling to pick up the pup was a huge financial expense. If we had payed the price they were asking for her on top of travelling expenses, it would have made things very tight financially just after a house move.  The time between us offering a price and them accepting was horrendous, I felt sick, although I would have made my husband pay whatever they wanted.

I wojuld try and contact them and say you'll happily buy the pup back and collect him immediately. Good luck!

You shouldnt need to RESELL the pup just rehome it.  Why resell it when you have already sold it once? It is your job as a breeder to rehome any pups returned.  If people decide to donate money then why not give it to rescue?  Sorry but I do not agree with re selling dogs or items unless you are running a business.  This should have been made clear in your contract.

I sold a puppy in 2005 and the family split up.  I drove the 200+ round trip and my expence and took the dog back, had it at my house for a week at my expense before REHOMIG him FOR FREE to a family 10 kiles away.  Yes I lost money but I dont breed for profit - if you cant rescue dont breed.

Sorry if this is harsh!

This should have been in  your contract that you would REHOME the puppy and that he would not be resold - people need to be aware of this, peopl will manipulate others.

If you have put you will SELL on their behalf you have slipped up I am afraid - you should have stated will be REHOMED not SOLD!  I doubt there is much you can do as you have stated puppy is an item that can be sold.

I think the OP meantt he current owners are reselling the pup, not that she, the breeder would resell it.

Hi jackson,

sorry my misreadin either way puppy rehomed for free!

they new owners were selling the puppy with out letting me know when i stated in the contract to contact me and i have offered to buy him back but no reply i am really gutted as i dont know weather he has been passed on already thanks for your replys

also as a breeder of this pup i feel reasponsable as were this little mite ends up i like to keep in contact with all pupy owners and that concern last to the day they reach rainbow bridge i have always stated in the contract return to me age is of no importants.I just dont want any puppy/dog i have bred end up in rescue [even though they do a really great job ]

I'm sorry I'd NEVER rehome anything for free, from experience no amount of vetting on your part will ensure a good home, too many are happy to lie thru their teeth to get what they want, SO a decent Fee goes some way to putting a value to the animal not just a throw away commoditiy.

I'm sorry I'd NEVER rehome anything for free, from experience no amount of vetting on your part will ensure a good home, too many are happy to lie thru their teeth to get what they want, SO a decent Fee goes some way to putting a value to the animal not just a throw away commoditiy

I totally agree with you on that one. Two years ago I had one of my puppies returned to me after a family breakup.They did want money back minus fees for vet ect(Ihad him checked over before I rehomed him).I rehomed him with a very knowledgeable  family and he has been in seventh heaven ever since.They paid a decent fee for him.Most of the money I returned to the family.You see a lot of wanted ads the papers asking for free/very cheap pedigree pups/dogs...if they cannot afford to payhow can they afford to look after the dog?Also giving a pup/dog away  free ,unless you personally know the people you could be suppling an animal which will be used for breeding again and again!

I really do feel for you, but I have a feeling what is put in the contract does not hold water in law - hopefully someone will correct me, or it may be worth checking with a solicitor before taking any further action legally.  As far as I know, dogs are considered 'property' in law, and once that 'property' passes to another, then they can do with their 'property' what they please.  My understanding is that this is why rescues actually retain legal ownership of the dogs they rehome, so as to retain some legal right to what happens in the future.
The cost  of a pedigree  dog is not cheap (understandably), and I suspect this is behind a lot of people selling on to try to recoup some of their expenses (irrespective of whether it is morally right or not), especially in the current financial climate.

Personally, I think you may have more luck if you get a friend to pose as a buyer and buy him/her back, rather than going the legal/moral route.

We went through a very similar thing last year with an owner placing a 5 month old pup in breed rescue. We had kept in contact with the owner in the 3 months that she had the pup but she suddenly stopped answering e-mails and telephone calls. I was concerned and left a message to say I was going to visit as I was concerned for the dogs welfare (she had eaten slugs previously and ended up with slug pellet poisioning), we then had an e-mail stating she had gone into rescue. To cut a long story short we had a legally drawn contract with the owner stating the dog must be returned to us for whatever reason they could no longer look after it. Our solicitors (who are specialist in this area) worked tirelessly for us to get the pup back as she had to fulfiill her contractual rights to us. It must have cost her a packet as we were in-undated with solicitors letters from her. Basically the bitch had been re-homed on the day that she went into rescue !! and after speaking to them she was very settled, we could have gone to court but felt that as the dog was happy and an innocent 3rd party was involved it wasn't fair. From what I was led to believe the contract is legally binding (ours was drawn up by a solicitor) and if you have enough money to fight for it it may be worth persuing it , maybe a solicitors letter to them in the first instance pointing out the contract that they signed was legally binding may do the trick. I wish you luck and hope you get the pup back.

hiya a contract as so many people have commented is not worth the paper it is writen on i give out the contract for my and the new owners peace of mind i have got a freind to pose as a buyer but the owners have now taken the advert of the site i found it on .i still have no reply for emails sent thanks for all replys i will keep you posted thanks

hi all some good news i have been able to get in contact with the owner of the puppy and they have decided to keep him and have said they will return he back to me if ever there is another problem and i will purchase him back.so thats one worry sorted thanks for everyones replys

Glad that all has worked out well, being cynical I would check BRS also for change of ownership just in case

I've only had one person do similiar but in fairness they did contact me.  I managed after a couple of weeks to sell her for them and she couldn't be in a better home as her owners now adore her.  She was only 6 months old and feel that the original owner wanted a duplicate of my 11 year old at the time that she'd seen, of course we all have to work on our dogs to get them like that, it doesn't just happen over night.

I bought one of my puppies back for £200 went and collected him.  Anyway after living with him a short while we decided to keep him but sadly it didnt work out as he was not bought up to be part of a pack and never really settled.

Someone who had one of my older dogs daughters emailed me and we were talking and I mentioned I was looking for a new home for him.  Anyway she met him and they rehomed him.  I never charged a penny for him as it was more important for me to find him a new home that was right for him. 

I have also rehomed another dog recently again for no fee and he is again the most loved dog.

While I agree some people are not good with something got for free I think sometimes if you know the people concerned it is irrelevant about the money however I do feel if the pup or dog is being sold on the open market for nothing then possibly it would attract the wrong type of person.

Glad it worked out in your case though.