Breeders take dog away from 9-year-old after incident with parents

<p>Two Wallkill parents say the puppy they planned to give their son for Christmas was taken back by a dog-breeding couple just days before the holiday.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 26, 2017, 10:35 PM

Updated 2,556 days ago

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Two Wallkill parents say the puppy they planned to give their son for Christmas was taken back by a dog-breeding couple just days before the holiday.
"My son said he'd give back all his Christmas gifts and his allowance for the year to get the dog back," says Chuck Sweed, the boy's father.
Zena, a Springer spaniel, was supposed to be an early gift for her 9-year-old son Noah.
The Sweed family hadn't yet paid for the dog, which was in their home on a seven-day trial basis. Two days before Christmas, the Sweeds say the dog's breeders repossessed Zena.
Linda and Ralph, the breeders, technically own the dog, and after a few missed phone calls and an encounter that escalated to police involvement, they took Zena back, the Sweeds say.
The Sweeds say they didn't realize the breeders were expecting to talk during the trial period. They planned to touch base and finalize the dog's purchase after the holiday.
But the breeders say the terms were clear, including their expectations for return calls.
When asked if there was a chance to rectify the situation and return Zena to the Sweeds, the breeders said no. 
They are accusing the Sweeds of harassing them and say they don't like how the situation unfolded.