Sharon M Struck in Montrose, SD sold a Friesian filly with a broken hip Montrose South Dakota

Sharon Struck of Montrose, SD sold me a Friesian filly D.O.B. 06/04/2017(that I named Tripoley) that I bought on a signed contract that said filly was being sold healthy and sound in mind and body.  Tripoley left Sharon Struck's home in Montrose, SD on October 29, 2017 late afternoon and arrived at 7:30AM on October 30, 2017 at my home in WI.  The minute Tripoley got off of the trailer I noticed she was off on her right hind and her right hip was 1.5 inches lower than her left.  I called Sharon Struck immediately and she said she left her property just fine and it had to be from the shipper.

I called my Vet out immediately and within an hour they were there taking x-rays.  Their machine could not find anything in the lower right limb but we knew the injury was in the hip but their x-ray machines did not have the power to take images through that much muscle and tissue.  So the following morning I took the filly to the University of Wisconsin where they did x-rays with their advanced equipment and ultra sounds and reported these findings:

"Tripoley presented to the UW Veterinary Care for evaluation of pelvic asymmetry and right hind limb lameness. Radiography and ultrasonography were performed, where degenerative changes to

the right coxofemoral joint were identified. Synovial fluid analysis was additionally conducted to screen for the presence of septic inflammation. 

The appearance of the lesions on radiographs and ultrasound images are suggestive of a chronic condition. The origin of these abnormalities is unknown. Tripoley may have experienced some form of trauma at an earlier age, which has progressed to the current asymmetry and lameness appreciable on clinical examination today. Osteochondrosis or a healing fracture of the capital physis, acetabulum or ilium could not be ruled out with the standing radiographs. It is possible that the abnormalities seen on Tripoley's radiographs and ultrasound images are consequences of a previous trauma, infection or abnormal development of her right coxofemoral joint."

When I called Sharon Struck from the UW hospital telling her the filly was damaged and that I am sending her back and I want my money back she said, "I don't want her back.  You bought her, she is your problem now!" and hung up on me.  She ignored all following calls, texts and e-mails.  I have sent her and her local Vet all of the x-rays and Vet reports which clearly state this is an older healing injury but she claims she knows nothing. 

My shipper said the filly was aced to get on the trailer because she was being taken from her Dam, still not weaned and acting up.  She did take pictures of the filly before she got on the trailer and the pictures clearly show muscle atrophy, the lower right hip, protruding pelvis and her tail bent to the left.  With all of this evidence Sharon Struck still denies her being injured at her place.

I then hire a lawyer in SD to send her a letter, I gave her 2 options trying to be nice tell her to refund my purchase price and I will eat the medical costs or refund all of my monies which include purchase price, shipping, medical costs….all coming to over $8,000 to date and she called the lawyer and rejected both offers.  I know have to take her to small claims court in SD. 

In the end the filly has to be euthanized because she is in so much pain she drags her right leg when walking, her right hip is so low and not growing properly that it is affecting her back and her left leg.  She is in miserable pain even with pain meds it is very obvious.  If Sharon Struck addressed this injury to this foal as soon as it happened there would have been a good chance of her survival but she did not, instead she let this foal suffer, then sold her with this broken hip and put her on a trailer to be shipped in all of this pain.   

The UW offered to do a necropsy on the filly once she is euthanized which I will be bring that report also to the judge when we go to small claims court.