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Health Guarantee & Purchase Policies
At Heavenly Hilltop Farm, bringing home one of our puppies is about much more than the day you pick up your puppy.Our commitment begins long before a litter is born, with thoughtful pairing decisions, health testing, careful puppy raising, and honest communication. It continues after your puppy goes home with support throughout your dog’s life. We want our puppy families to understand what we promise, what we can reasonably guarantee, and what responsible ownership looks like before making the decision to bring home a Heavenly Hilltop Farm puppy. Our Two-Year Genetic Health Warranty Every puppy bred by Heavenly Hilltop Farm is covered by a two-year warranty against life-inhibiting hereditary or congenital defects. For purposes of our warranty, a life-inhibiting defect is a hereditary or congenital condition that substantially impairs the dog’s normal quality of life, causes permanent major functional disability, or is reasonably expected to substantially shorten the dog’s life. If a qualifying condition is diagnosed before the puppy reaches twenty-four (24) months of age, the puppy family should contact us promptly and provide complete veterinary records and a written diagnosis from a licensed veterinarian. When the diagnosis reasonably requires specialty expertise, we may request confirmation from a board-certified veterinary specialist or an independent review of the medical records. If a covered hereditary or congenital defect is confirmed, Heavenly Hilltop Farm will provide, at our discretion, one of the following:
Our warranty does not reimburse veterinary bills, diagnostic expenses, medications, surgery, travel, lost wages, or other expenses unless we specifically agree to do so in writing. What the Warranty Does Not Cover Our genetic health warranty is intended specifically for qualifying hereditary and congenital defects. It does not cover conditions caused by or materially contributed to by accidents, trauma, toxin or foreign-body ingestion, infectious exposure after the puppy leaves our care, neglect, abuse, obesity, inappropriate nutrition, or other environmental or acquired causes. Common, treatable puppy conditions are also not considered life-inhibiting genetic defects. These may include intestinal parasites such as giardia, coccidia, roundworms or hookworms; fleas, ticks or mites; minor ear or skin infections; small umbilical hernias; minor bite variations; retained deciduous teeth; or other non-life-inhibiting conditions. Orthopedic conditions are evaluated individually. If reliable veterinary evidence establishes that a condition is a qualifying hereditary or congenital defect, it may be covered. Conditions caused or substantially contributed to by trauma, obesity, injury, inappropriate conditioning, or another acquired cause are not covered. Veterinary Examination After Going Home We ask every family to establish care with their own veterinarian and have their puppy examined within 72 hours of taking possession. Your puppy will go home with the veterinary, vaccination, deworming, and health information we have available so your veterinarian knows what care has already been provided. If your veterinarian identifies a serious concern that appears to have been present at the time your puppy came home, please contact us promptly. We want to be involved early and work with you and your veterinarian to understand what is happening. Nutrition, Exercise & Veterinary Care We provide our families with recommendations based on our experience raising puppies and dogs, but we also recognize that every dog and every household is different. We do not require a particular brand of dog food, supplement, or feeding program as a condition of our genetic health warranty. We may also recommend age-appropriate exercise and encourage families to avoid excessive repetitive impact while puppies are developing. These are recommendations intended to support healthy development — they are not conditions used to automatically void a genetic warranty. We encourage families to work with their veterinarian to make decisions appropriate for their individual dog. Size, Coat & Appearance Part of the fun — and sometimes the surprise — of raising a puppy is watching them mature. We can provide educated estimates based on breed, parent dogs, genetics, previous puppies, and our experience, but we cannot guarantee an adult dog’s:
Coat and shedding expectations can vary by breed, generation, and individual genetics. Allergies are also complex, and even dogs with desirable coat traits may still produce allergens through dander, saliva, skin, or coat. Companion-Pet Placement Most of our puppies are placed as beloved family companions. Companion-pet puppies are sold without breeding rights unless breeding rights are specifically approved in writing by Heavenly Hilltop Farm. Owning an intact dog does not automatically make that dog suitable for breeding and does not create breeding rights. Families who choose to keep a companion dog intact are responsible for preventing intentional or accidental breeding through appropriate supervision, secure containment, and separation from intact dogs during reproductive cycles. Breed-specific requirements may apply depending on the puppy purchased. Goldendoodle Companion-Pet Requirements Goldendoodles purchased at our Companion-Pet Price are sold without breeding rights and are placed under a written spay/neuter agreement. We support allowing dogs appropriate time to physically mature rather than requiring early or pediatric sterilization. Our Goldendoodle companion agreement asks that the dog be spayed or neutered after appropriate physical maturity and no later than twenty-four (24) months of age, unless the family’s licensed veterinarian recommends delaying the procedure based upon the individual dog’s health or development. A veterinarian-recommended delay is acceptable. It simply does not create breeding rights. Until sterilization is completed, the family is responsible for preventing intentional or accidental breeding. Goldendoodles sold with approved breeding rights are governed by a separate written Breeding Rights Agreement. Breeding Rights Breeding rights are not automatically included with the purchase of a Heavenly Hilltop Farm puppy. On select puppies, breeding rights may be available to approved homes for an additional purchase price and under a separate written Breeding Rights Agreement. Breeding rights are about much more than leaving a dog intact. Dogs considered for breeding should reach appropriate physical and emotional maturity and complete comprehensive breed-appropriate health and genetic testing. Temperament, structure, health history, genetic compatibility, mate selection, and responsible placement of future puppies all matter. Payment for breeding rights does not guarantee that a puppy will ultimately mature into a suitable breeding dog. Our goal is not simply to produce more puppies. It is to encourage thoughtful, responsible breeding that protects the health and welfare of the dogs and the generations that follow. How to Reserve a Puppy If you are interested in one of our current or future puppies, we begin with a few simple steps. We ask prospective families to first complete our application and speak with us by phone. We genuinely want to get to know you, learn what you are looking for in a dog, answer your questions, and help determine which puppy or upcoming litter may be the best fit for your family. Once you are ready to move forward, you will receive the applicable Puppy Purchase Agreement to review and sign before submitting your reservation fee. A puppy is considered officially reserved only after we have received both:
Reservation Fee Policy Reservation fees are non-refundable if the Buyer changes their mind, decides not to proceed with the purchase, or is otherwise unable to take the puppy as planned.At our discretion, a reservation fee may be transferred one time to another available or future Heavenly Hilltop Farm litter. Any transferred reservation must be used within one year of the originally selected litter’s scheduled go-home date. If Heavenly Hilltop Farm is unable to complete the placement of the selected puppy because of a health concern, loss of the puppy, or another circumstance within our control, the family may choose to transfer the amount paid to another available or future puppy or receive a refund. For reservations made before a litter is born, pregnancy, litter size, sex, color, markings, coat, and individual puppy availability cannot be guaranteed. Final Payment & Payment Options The remaining balance is due no later than the puppy’s scheduled pickup or delivery date unless other arrangements have been made with us in writing. We currently accept payment through:
Transportation, delivery, boarding, training, or other separately arranged services are not included in the puppy purchase price unless specifically stated otherwise. Breed-Specific Purchase Agreements Because Heavenly Hilltop Farm raises more than one breed, our purchase agreements are specific to the breed and type of placement. Our Goldendoodle, Standard Poodle, Old English Sheepdog, and Sheepadoodle programs may have different registration, breeding, coat-trait, or placement considerations. We believe the agreement a family signs should accurately reflect the puppy they are purchasing rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all contract. Approved families receive the complete applicable Puppy Purchase Agreement and any necessary addenda before finalizing their puppy purchase, giving them an opportunity to read the terms, ask questions, and understand their responsibilities before bringing their puppy home. If Life Changes We understand that sometimes life changes in ways no one expected. If at any point during your dog’s life you can no longer keep them, please contact us first. Heavenly Hilltop Farm will accept one of our dogs back or work with the family to help identify an appropriate new home. We never want one of our puppies surrendered to a shelter, rescue, auction, commercial broker, pet store, research facility, puppy mill, or high-volume reseller when we can be involved in helping that dog. Returning or rehoming a dog does not automatically create a refund obligation, but our commitment to helping our dogs find a safe home does not end when they leave Heavenly Hilltop Farm. A Lifetime Relationship A contract is important, but it is not the relationship. We want families to feel comfortable contacting us with questions, updates, concerns, funny stories, growing-up pictures, and everything in between. We put a tremendous amount of thought and care into the puppies we raise, and we remain invested in their well-being long after they leave Heavenly Hilltop Farm. Health • Integrity • Honesty • Hope Loved wherever life takes you. Forever Family. |
