Help Me Hank: Gone To The Dogs

Look at these adorable puppies - and what’s even more heartwarming- look at all the happy families clamoring to take one home.

It’s a sweet ending to what began as a very sad story.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"What would happen to these animals if you hadn't saved them?

Leigh Grady, Sterling Animal Shelter
"They'd be dead."

Leigh Grady runs the Sterling Animal Shelter. She and her volunteers use a van as a life line -- trekking across the country to rescue pups from shelters where they would have been put down.

Leigh Grady Sterling Animal Shelter
"They come to us every single week."

The van is also a traveling billboard for her puppy rescue mission--but now it's the van that needs rescuing.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Is this how this is supposed to look?"

Leigh Grady, Sterling Animal Shelter
"Absolutely not."

Leigh and her sponsors shelled out $3,700 to shrink-wrap the van with their logo.

Leigh Grady, Sterling Animal Shelter
"You can see all along all of the edges there's bubbling, peeling and cracking."

They didn't get the advertising look they expected.

Leigh Grady, Sterling Animal Shelter
"I can't stand to look at the van. It just horrifies me."

But when she complained to the wrap company about the work shortly after it was done--they disagreed.

Leigh Grady, Sterling Animal Shelter
"They looked at it walked around it a hundred times and then told me that it was an acceptable form of wear and tear."

It was unacceptable to Leigh and even after some touch-ups--the plastic continued to peel and bubble.

Leigh asked the company for a refund, but they wouldn't budge.

Leigh Grady, Sterling Animal Shelter
"Everyone was really passing the buck."

So Leigh called for some roadside assistance.

Leigh Grady Sterling Animal Shelter
"Hank could get me my money back."

Peeling, cracking and splitting: this looked like a case of defective merchandise.

We called the company and reminded them in cases like this, Mass law says the consumer gets to choose repair, replacement or a refund.

Leigh just wanted her money back.

Finally the company agreed--and soon this check arrived in the mail.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"When the envelope came and you took the check out what did you think?"

Leigh Grady, Sterling Animal Shelter
"We were very happy."

After Leigh has the wrap removed by a pro--she'll use the refund money to wrap up her van again. And she says when you think about it’s shiny new coat--you should also think about its precious cargo.

Leigh Grady, Sterling Animal Shelter
"Every nose needs a home."

More information:

For more information about the Sterling Animal Shelter
http://www.sterlingshelter.org/

Consumer information about Defective Merchandise
http://www.state.ma.us/consumer/Pubs/shop.htm