Now I'm really upset. :(

I called three times today to talk to the breeder about when I can pick up my puppy.

First call, early this afternoon, nobody answered so I had to leave a message on voice mail.

Second call, a young man answered, said she wasn't there, and when I asked to leave a message, he said, "We're kinda busy right now," and hung up on me.

So I waited half an hour, and called back. I got voice mail again.

Yes, I have a very thorough handwritten receipt for the deposit. No, it doesn't make me feel any better that I have probably paid $250 for a scrap of paper and a whole lot of bad feelings about myself for being so gullible.

I have their address, so I can at least send her a letter. I can also just go down there at the end of next week when he's 8 weeks old, with my dad and brother in tow, and tell her I'm ready to pick him up.

If she is trying to rip me off, I will sue her. Even if it costs me more to do it than the $250 she stole. I'm sure I'd win, but I would definitely make her pay all fees and court costs.

• I'll also put an ad in the same paper she did, telling everyone what she's done.
• I'll contact whoever I have to ....
• the IRS, because I doubt they're paying taxes on this income.
• the humane society, because I doubt her "facilities" would be considered humane.

Maybe this bad feeling I have is wrong, and her son or whoever answered the phone is just a huge asshole. Maybe I'm not giving her enough of a chance to contact me. Maybe I'm wrongly assuming that they're all dishonest people.

But in the past I've always regretted it when I didn't trust my intuition. My intuition smells a rat.