Buying a puppy is a big decision. Choosing the right breeder is an even bigger one. Not all breeders are the same. Many have different philosophies on what sort of clientele to sell to, which dogs are suitable to breed, whether health testing is important, which type of food should be fed, what age puppies are ready to go home, when to neuter, if at all, offering full registration…the list goes on and on! When you buy a puppy from Flanders Kennels, my goal is to make things as cut and dry as possible. I know a lot about dogs. I have been working with them closely for over 20 years. I have read countless scientific articles regarding best practices to ensure a long and health life for our canine friends, and I try to have opinions based upon the most current information available. I’ve spent time working alongside veterinarians, at animal shelters, and out in the field. That being said, I don’t have the answer to every question imaginable. Everyone has their own unique set of circumstances that could cause a dog to react differently in their home compared to mine, or someone else’s. I welcome all questions. If I don’t have an answer I feel 95+% confident about when giving you the answer, I will research the answers from a credible source and get back with you as soon as possible. My goal is to ensure the best life possible for any puppy whelped by one of my dogs and its owner’s complete satisfaction for the life of that dog.
A major benefit to adopting a puppy from my kennels is the guarantees I offer. Not all breeders offer a guarantee on your purchase, meaning you could spend a lot of money on an unhealthy puppy, costing you more money shortly after the sale. My goal is to minimize that risk for you, because nobody wants to deal with that heartache and added financial burden. All of my breeding dogs are OFA-certified and checked for abnormalities of the heart and in the blood prior to breeding. This greatly increases the likelihood that their pups will also be healthy. Any puppy purchased from Flanders Kennels comes with a 7 day return policy. This gives you ample time to have your new puppy seen by your vet to confirm its overall health. If for any reason, a licensed veterinarian finds the puppy to be physically unfit, the puppy can be returned to Flanders Kennels for a full refund, including deposit. A signed document from the veterinarian stating the reasons for this assessment must be included upon return. In addition, a puppy in good health may also be returned within 7 days for any other reason, for a refund, less deposit and travel expenses, just in case you feel you made a mistake and this puppy won’t be the right fit for your family. After the 7 day period, if a dog purchased from my kennels ever needs a new home due to unforeseen circumstances, it can be returned to Flanders Kennels without refund. Any dog adopted from Flanders Kennels MUST NEVER be surrendered to a shelter or rescue organization. If you are having difficulty with your pet, and cannot make things work with the help of professional training, I will work with you to help you find a new, suitable home for your dog, but every dog sold by me will always have a home with me, if one cannot be found within a reasonable time frame.
In addition to the basic 7 day health guarantee, every puppy sold by Flanders Kennels includes a limited health guarantee against genetic defects. This means if a covered defect is discovered by a licensed veterinarian, the costs associated with treating the dog will be covered, up to the purchase price paid for the puppy. The specifics of this guarantee are highlighted below. Flanders Kennels reserves the right to have a second veterinarian confirm stated defect prior to issuing a full or partial refund. A written statement regarding the defect, pictures, and invoices concerning the amount paid for services to evaluate and/or treat the problem, must accompany a request for payment from Flanders Kennels. This policy is to give you peace of mind that I will stand behind every puppy sold long after the sale and work with you to make things right if an unforeseen situation arises regarding your dog’s health and well-being.
HEALTH GUARANTEE
This health guarantee is optional coverage for a puppy purchased from Flanders Kennels and is not a requirement of sale, but gives the buyer additional securities not provided in the standard purchase agreement. The cost of this health guarantee is included in the purchase price, but may be waived by the buyer within 7 days after the puppy is possessed. A refund of $200 will be returned to the buyer/new owner if he/she decides it is unnecessary within seven days from taking possession of the new puppy. The breeder must be notified via phone/text message/e-mail, prior to the end of the seventh day after possession should the buyer choose to cancel this elective guarantee in order to receive a full refund.
The health guarantee ensures your puppy will be free of genetic defects that could cause substantial financial expense to you, the buyer. It does not cover accidents, acts of neglect or abuse on the buyer/new owner/assigned caretaker’s part (i.e. overexercising, overfeeding, allowing the growing puppy to jump from heights more than 12″, acts of other animals/people). It does not cover bone breaks, ligament/tendon tears, cuts, bruises, common illnesses, allergies, and/or viruses and bacterial infections. Specific conditions to be covered by this health guarantee will be itemized below. All conditions must be documented and signed by a licensed veterinarian in your home state or in the state of Michigan in order to be considered valid.
COMPENSATION FOR COVERED GENETIC CONDITIONS
If it is determined by a licensed veterinarian that your dog suffers from any of the covered genetic conditions listed below, you will receive monetary compensation up to the full purchase price of the puppy, to address these issues. Any expenditures exceeding the purchase price of the puppy to correct these issues will be the buyer/owner’s responsibility OR the puppy/dog may be surrendered to Flanders Kennels and a full refund of the purchase price paid (less rebates and travel expenses) will be issued and it will be at the discretion of the breeder what to do with the puppy/dog once back in his possession. Compensation provided will NOT exceed reasonable cost to correct the condition. The breeder, at his discretion, may locate another highly regarded veterinarian in your area willing to perform a corrective procedure at a lower cost and services will be carried out there or the buyer can apply that estimate towards similar procedure being performed by his/her veterinarian. For example, if your dog requires entropian eye surgery and your veterinarian estimates cost of procedure to be $350.00, but another vet in your area will perform this same surgery for $250.00, you will receive $250.00 which may be used to cover/help cover the expense at the vet of your choice.
LIST OF COVERED GENETIC CONDITIONS
This is a complete list of all conditions being covered under this health guarantee and the term such conditions will be covered for. To receive compensation for any of these conditions, you must submit proof signed by a licensed veterinarian in your state or the state of Michigan to the breeder, Timothy J. La Violette, prior to getting treatment for the condition. The breeder can be reached via phone/text at (269) 783-9324 or e-mail: flanderskennels@yahoo.com. No compensation will be provided after-the-fact. The breeder MUST be notified prior to any corrective services being carried out by a licensed veterinarian.
For the health guarantee to be deemed valid, ALL of the aforementioned conditions mentioned in the purchase agreement must be carried out, meaning that all routine vaccinations must be performed on a regular basis, by a licensed veterinarian/veterinary technician, (third 5-in-1 vaccine must be received prior to the pup reaching 13 weeks of age, rabies vaccinations up-to-date, heartworm testing, deworming, etcetera). Note also that early spay/castration of your pet nullifies ALL terms of this health guarantee.
HIP AND/OR ELBOW DYSPLASIA: The puppy purchased shall be free of dysplasia of the hips and/or elbows as a condition of a birth defect for a period of 30 months from birth, as determined by OFA certification methods (Note: Borderline is not considered dysplastic for purposes of this Health Guarantee). Certification is available for dogs beginning at 24 months of age. This means you have a 6 month window to get hip and elbow dysplasia certification done on your dog, at your, the buyer/owner’s, expense. If OFA determines your dog to have severe dysplasia of the hips or elbows [grade III] (or a PennHip score exceeding 0.8), a full refund of the purchase price of the dog (less rebates paid and travel expenses) will be issued and the buyer/owner has the option to keep the dog and pay for treatment or surrender the dog to the breeder. Because this is a very costly procedure to correct/provide therapy for, the maximum compensation of the full purchase price, less rebates and travel expenses paid, will be provided, but no more. A dog receiving a grade I elbow dysplasia score or mild hip dysplasia score will be refunded at one-third the purchase price paid for the puppy, less rebates and travel expenses. A dog receiving a grade II elbow dysplasia score or moderate hip dysplasia score will be refunded at two-thirds the cost of the puppy, less rebates and travel expenses. Mild to moderate forms of dysplasia can be easily managed by keeping the dog at a lean weight (body size index of 3 or 4 on a 9 point scale) and daily light exercise in sand, pea gravel, or water. It should also be understood BEFORE signing this contract that hip (>40% of the breed) and elbow dysplasia (>33% of the breed) are EXTREMELY COMMON in Boerboels and this is a risk you are willing to take in purchasing one of these dogs from any breeder.
ENTROPIAN EYE: The puppy will be covered until 12 months of age if this condition exists and will be compensated financially for the cost of surgery, anaesthesia, and exam fee, and no more. If more than one surgery is required to correct this condition, only the cost of the first procedure will be covered.
FOLLICULAR DYSPLASIA: The puppy shall be free of follicular dysplasia for a period of 24 months from birth. Skin biopsy, at buyer/owner’s expense, required in order to determine positive identification of condition. This is an untreatable condition, however, secondary treatment of symptoms is possible. In the event a dog is diagnosed by a licensed veterinarian with this condition, half the purchase price of the puppy, plus the cost of the skin biopsy, will be returned to the buyer/owner to assist in ongoing treatment. For the purposes of this guarantee, Dilute (D-locus) gene in Boerboels is not considered Follicular Dysplasia and will not be covered under the terms of this section.
UVEODERMATOLOGIC SYNDROME, DOMINANT PRA (PRA-D), OR CATARACTS: The puppy shall be free from these retinal defects for a period of 12 months from birth. Ongoing treatments will be covered until the condition is reversed or when the purchase price of the puppy has been reached. PRA-D can be determined via DNA testing, prior to 12 mos of age. If DNA testing is done and the whelp purchased from Flanders Kennels is type C (Affected), a refund of the purchase price of the puppy, less rebates paid, will be issued.
THYROID DISEASE: The puppy shall be free from thyroid disease for a period of 12 months from birth. All costs incurred for treatment will be covered, up to the purchase price of the puppy, less rebates paid.
BLOOD CLOTS/BLOODBORNE GENETIC DISEASES: Diseases of the blood shall be covered until the puppy reaches 12 months of age. Coverage is only extended for proven genetic disorders and does not cover trauma or diseases caused due to contact with mosquitoes or other insects, birds, mammals, bacteria, viruses, or any other flora or fauna. Compensation to correct/treat will be provided in full up to the purchase price of the puppy, less rebates paid.
GENETIC SKIN CONDITIONS: Skin conditions will only be covered due to a proven genetic defect and will be covered until the puppy is 6 months of age only. Dermatitis and other environmental factors and/or allergies are not covered. Maximum compensation will be half the purchase price of the puppy or less, if treatment is possible to correct the condition.
MUSCULAR/BONE/NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES: The puppy shall be covered for a period of 12 months from birth against any genetic muscular, neurological (e.g. Wobblers Syndrome) or bone deformities or diseases. Note this does not cover any injuries suffered by the dog causing these conditions or issues as a result of improper nutrition/exercise (i.e. Rickets disease, knuckling, panosteitis). The disease must be thoroughly documented by a licensed veterinarian and submitted in writing to the breeder to be covered. Maximum compensation is up to the purchase price of the puppy, less rebates paid.
GENETIC HEART CONDITIONS: The puppy shall be covered for a period of 24 months from any genetic heart defect. This must be documented by a board certified veterinary cardiologist in the state of Michigan or the state where the buyer/owner resides and submitted to the breeder prior to any compensation being paid. This guarantee does not cover heartworm or any heart condition not related to a birth defect, such as dietary-related DCM. Maximum compensation is up to the purchase price of the puppy, less rebates paid.
Any conditions not listed above are NOT covered under this health guarantee. It is your, the buyer/owner’s, responsibility to ensure proper care of your dog and seek veterinary help if anything seems out of the ordinary. Any abnormal behavior exhibited by your puppy could be a sign of something majorly wrong, so don’t ever take chances when it comes to your pet’s health. It is wise to consider purchasing pet insurance for your dog if you can not afford an expensive procedure in one fell swoop. There are several good options available if you do some research on the internet. Thank you for purchasing a puppy from Flanders Kennels. I’m sure your puppy will make a wonderful addition to your family for years to come! Questions, pictures, and updates are always gladly welcomed and can be submitted to the breeder, Timothy J. La Violette via text message (269) 783-9324 or e-mail: flanderskennels@yahoo.com .