PHOENIX — Sarah Becker has a big personality, she also loves art, the theater, and animals.
Sarah is reliant on a wheelchair however and wants more independence.
She started researching specialized service dogs and thought she had found one. In January 2022, Sarah's mother, Kim, signed a contract with Veteran K9 which operates out of the state of Tennessee.
They paid a $2,000 deposit then $200 monthly until they paid in full for a service dog that fit Sarah's needs. Veteran K9 also promised sessions to help train the dog.
A few months in however Sarah and her mom got a big surprise. They say Veteran K9 changed their payment program and instead of paying the monthly $200 they accidentally paid the entire remaining balance of $6,386.
Sarah says Veteran K9 offered them a refund, but she and her family decided to let them keep the money. They were now paid in full and expected the service dog. However, a year later, Sarah reached out to the Let Joe Know team because they'd received promises but no dog.
"I was so mad and upset," said Sarah, recalling a time when she'd been told a dog would be hers only for that to never happen.
Let Joe Know volunteer, Madina, got to work and requested a partial refund from Veteran K9, but it was never issued. That's when Madina tried something else. Since the family paid with a card, she helped them file a case with the bank.
"We got about $6,500 of the $9,500 back," said Sarah, adding she felt it was fair that Veteran K9 kept the non-refundable deposit and some payment for any work.
Sarah put the money they received back into finding a service dog through another trainer.
The Let Joe Know team reached out to Veteran K9 again to get their explanation about what happened.
We emailed the company's listed addresses as well as the emails included on Sarah's contract and called their phone number repeatedly. We never heard back.
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