(WSVN) - One of the great things about adopting a pet from the animal shelter is that they have their shots and are fixed — except one neutered dog is now a father of four puppies. How did a neutered dog become a dad? It’s why one woman called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Nikkyta headed to the animal shelter to pick out a cat.
Nikkyta Siegel, puppy was neutered?: “As I was there waiting for the kitten, I actually saw him, and I just knew I had to take him home with me.”
Nikkyta got the cat and adopted Charlie, although it might be more accurate to say Charlie picked out Nikkyta.
Nikkyta Siegel: “Charlie just has his personality and his way. He just showed me love from the second I saw him.”
One great thing about getting an animal from the shelter instead of buying from a breeder: they are cheaper, often healthier, and have been fixed.
Nikkyta Siegel: “The fee was $65, and that did include him be neutered, that did include him having all his shots and that he was healthy.”
A year later, Charlie has turned out to be wonderful, and when Nikkyta takes care of her friends’ two dogs, Charlie has playmates.
Nikkyta Siegel: “At that time, one of the females ended getting their period, and I wasn’t worried, because my Charlie, he’s neutered, right? So why would I worry?”
Not concerned, till she got a call from her friend.
Nikkyta Siegel: “She called me, and she told me, ‘Listen, my dog is pregnant.”
Charlie is now the father of four puppies.
Nikkyta Siegel: “Two boys and two girls, and they are so cute. They are adorable.”
Nikkyta headed back to the shelter to find out if there was a neutering mistake, or a miracle conception had occurred.
Nikkyta Siegel: “They all checked him and, yeah, it turns out that he was not neutered.”
Now Nikkyta has to care for Charlie, the four puppies and their mother, way more work than she expected.
Nikkyta Siegel: “I adopted one dog, but now I have the responsibility of six — feed them, walk them, buy them food, then worrying some of having to get them all their vaccines and the rabies done.”
Nikkyta is irritated, of course, not with the puppies, but with the fact they came from a dog she paid to have neutered.
Nikkyta Siegel: “Who doesn’t love puppies? I’m not going to say I’m angry at the situation. I just think it’s unfair, everything that I’m going through now, because of this and because of their mistake.”
Well, Howard, you can’t put toothpaste back in a tube, and you can’t unbirth puppies, so what can be done?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “Legally, this is interesting, because we cannot find any similar court cases regarding a failure to neuter or spay. But general principals of contract law would say the county failed to hold up their end of the contract when they did not neuter the dog. Therefore, they have to fix Charlie and what the law calls consequential damages. In other words, spay and neuter the puppies also.”
We contacted the Miami-Dade Animal Shelter, and they were great. In Charlie’s case, they said, there was a data entry error. In other words, someone wrote down he was neutered when he wasn’t.
They then took care of Charlie, spayed his girlfriend and will vaccinate and fix the puppies when they are old enough — doing it all for free.
Nikkyta Siegel: “I am happy about it, I really am. I think that that was very good of them to have done.”
And, of course, the most important question for Nikkyta: what about the puppies?
Nikkyta Siegel: “All the puppies got homes. I ended up keeping one, and they all did get loving homes with family members, so they are able to still come together and play and have fun.”
And, actually, the animal shelter offered to find homes for the puppies, but Nikkyta wanted to know who got them, so she handled it. Everything turned out well.
Got a problem dogging you? Ready for someone to give birth to a solution? Take a pregnant pause and call us, so we can fix things.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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