Bought a Sick Pet Store Puppy? What You Can Do
The Puppy “Lemon law” 🍋
Under New Hampshire law (RSA 437:6), anyone who acquires a dog from a licensed seller has 14 days to have the animal examined by a licensed veterinarian. If the vet finds the dog is not free of disease, the new owner may either return the animal for a full refund or request a substitute, as long as they return the animal within two business days of the exam and provide the vet’s certificate.Many people unknowingly buy a sick puppy from a New Hampshire pet store or breeder. If this happens to you, there are things you can do to help prevent it from happening to other people and puppies. Contact us if you want help!
Start with a bad Online Review!
You can help other consumers by reviewing the pet store or breeder online and describing your experience. Yelp and Google Reviews are the most popular review sites.
1. Report it to the Humane World for Animals
If you purchased a sick puppy from a store or suspected puppy mill, report it to Humane World for Animals.
2. Contact the New Hampshire attorney general
File a Consumer Complaint electronically or by printing and mailing a form.
3. Contact the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture
To make a complaint, call (603) 271-3551 (8:00 am–4:00 pm, M-F) or send email to the following three addresses:
- Dr. Nathan Harvey, Assistant State Veterinarian: nathan.d.harvey@agr.nh.gov
- Anna Richards, Veterinary Technician: anna.l.roberts@agr.nh.gov
- Pet vendor complaints: petvendingcomplaints@agr.nh.gov
4. Contact animal control
Animal Control in the town/city where the pet store is located may not have jurisdiction over the store, but it’s good to alert them to your situation. Animal control officers are busy people, so be prepared to leave a message.- Manchester Animal Control: (603) 792-5461
- Nashua Animal Control (Bob Langis): (603) 594-3500
- Hudson Animal Control: (603) 886-6011 or (603) 889-PETS (7387) or jmcmillan@hudsonnh.gov
- Lebanon Police: (603) 448-1212
5. Contact the Better Business Bureau
You can file a complaint online with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). This is an important step because Better Business Bureau reports stay on file and are available for others to read. (Note: As of Aug 2025, The Puppy Palace, Manchester, NH gets an F from the BBB.)
6. File a complaint with the breed club or registry
If your puppy came with breed registration papers, contact the registry. You might also contact the parent breed club for the breed of your dog.
7. Contact the media
Local news outlets are always looking for human/animal interest stories. Reach out to New Hampshire newspapers, radio stations, and television channels via “tip lines” or contact an investigative reporter directly. Provide as much documentation as you can (photos, video, receipts).
- To Contact WMUR, call (603) 669-9999 or send email to breakingnews@wmur.com
- To contact the Union Leader call (603) 668-4321 ext. 757 or email news@unionleader.com
- To contact NHPR, call (603) 228-8910 or email news@nhpr.org