Q: Can I file criminal charges against a women who lied to me about a puppy being in good health when I bought her?
She was listed as a breeder on puppies.com and I purchased a bulldog from her that she said was perfectly healthy, I have all of the messages documented just so you know. Then the morning I got her I messaged the woman to let her know that the dog wasn’t breathing normally and seem to have a lot of congestion, but she told me it was perfectly normal and I could call her if I needed anything else. That same night I ended up in the emergency vet with the puppy, and she was diagnosed with a deadly case of pneumonia, I am mediately contacted Gina only to have her ignore me and not answer any of my calls or messages. I spent thousands on trying to keep her alive and she passed away this morning after having her for one week but I want to know is, how can I file a police report because not only did she defraud me but I caught her trying to sell the same dog under a different name so she is going to scam someone else.
A: This is a civil matter, not criminal. You can sue her in Small Claims court for the purchase price of the animal and the vet bills you incurred.
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