Sickly puppies can be returned

How much is that doggy in the window?

And does he come with a money-back guarantee?

Yes, he does, according to California's so-called puppy lemon law, which allows a buyer to return a dog for the purchase price -- just like for a pair of shoes at Nordstrom -- if the animal gets sick because of an undisclosed illness or condition.

If that sounds heartless, the law also allows the consumer to keep the sick puppy and still be compensated for some medical costs.

"The puppy lemon law is especially for people who didn't want to take a dog back, like merchandise," said Mary Randolph, attorney and author of the book "Every Dog's Legal Guide." "They have a choice."

That was the situation for Aida Akhavan, who bought a Maltese puppy in June at Posh Puppy in Tarzana. She went there with her children, then 11 and 9.

"My kids wanted a small dog that they could hold and carry," Akhavan said. They picked out an especially playful puppy, for which she paid $1,900.

"We named him Junie, because of when we got him," she said.

The puppy was a bundle of energy and there were no major, apparent health problems until December.

"One night, all of a sudden, he yelped and I saw him limping," Akhavan said. "He couldn't put his foot down on the floor."

She took the dog to her veterinarian, where Junie was found to have a luxating patella, a genetic condition that causes a knee to displace.

Akhavan's vet told her the condition was congenital and probably due to overbreeding, which occurs when a female dog is kept nearly constantly pregnant so she can produce numerous litters.

Surgery to repair the condition would cost $3,200. But that wasn't so much on Akhavan's mind when she angrily called the store to demand contact information on the breeder.

"I needed to know who the mom was," she said. "I wanted to put a stop to it."

Posh Puppy has since become a focus of protests by animal rights groups that say it and a sister store in Beverly Hills get dogs from high-volume puppy mills. The owners of the store, John and Michelle Yoon, declined to be interviewed for this article.

Akhavan was not given the information she wanted by the store but was told she would be compensated for her vet bills. She had to be, under the puppy lemon law.

The law -- part of the Polanco-Lockyer Pet Breeder Warranty Act -- is triggered if a dog bought from a store or breeder becomes sick within 15 days of the sale or develops health problems because of a congenital condition within a year.