Naive dog owner signed a ‘neuter contract’ for the puppy she bought through classified ads — then the seller used it to sue her

A pet owner looking to adopt a puppy for her children was not prepared for the distress caused by the seller. Ashley England, who goes by @ashengland on TikTok, shared her bizarre experience with a puppy seller she contacted through a newspaper advertisement, later finding herself in a legal mess. She had signed a handwritten “neutering” contract that became a recipe for disaster. 

In the viral clip with 3.7 million views, England candidly recounted her nerve-wracking encounter with the puppy seller who initially seemed like a nice lady, until things took a turn. The woman explained that she had been married for 16 years and wanted to get a puppy for her four kids. “A month ago, I started looking for a very specific kind of dog I would like. I wanted a long-haired female Chihuahua,” England said. She had one growing up and was confident the breed makes “great dogs,” and decided to get the same for her family. Hailing from Utah, the mom began searching breeders selling the specific kind of puppy and found one in the KSL classifieds. 

Stumbling on an ad, England discovered an adorable puppy and reached out to the seller. She received pictures and scheduled a meeting to finally meet the seller and the puppy she’d picked. The meeting was successful, and England paid the seller a deposit, trusting her to hold it until Christmas morning—hoping to surprise her kids on the special day. However, that’s when things went awry. “I never heard from her. I had asked for pictures, she never sent them. She was just really spotty on her communication,” the pet owner revealed. Raising suspicions, England figured it was best to get the puppy right away instead of waiting until Christmas. 

The day after Thanksgiving, England and her husband arranged to meet the seller to pick up the puppy. The couple waited while the seller delayed the meeting, only to inform them that the puppy was not available anymore. “Oh, I’m so sorry. My husband decided to keep your puppy, but I brought these other two instead,” the owner recalled the seller’s words. Unconvinced, she argued that she must get the puppy she’d picked out. However, her negotiation failed, and she ended up bringing home another puppy that the seller had brought. Eventually, England’s husband suggested that they had probably been scammed.

Later, England texted the seller to express her disappointment when she had already paid a deposit. Moreover, the puppy she got, though adorable, seemed sick and was scheduled to see a vet. The seller agreed to give her a partial refund, but not without a catch. When they met to for the refund, the seller demanded the puppy back. “I’m not giving you my puppy, and you're [sic] keeping half of my money,” the creator confronted. Then, the cheeky seller informed her that the "spay and neuter" contract she signed earlier also stated that she would only get half a refund if she decided not to keep the puppy.

The situation escalated; the police got involved but could do little. The seller threatened legal action while continually changing her story. England refused to return her puppy and received angry texts from the seller about legal action. Now, she is waiting for the seller to send court papers, but remains confident that the seller was probably in the wrong and will lose the legal battle.

You can follow @ashengland on TikTok for more videos.