A grieving Gorham couple learns that the puppy they bought online needs pricey surgery.

GORHAM – Seeking comfort following a family death, a grieving Gorham couple that bought a pet online learned last month the puppy needs an expensive medical procedure to survive.

Kimberly Pierce of Gorham lost her 17-year old son Austin Sloat, a Lake Region High School senior, in a car crash in Bridgton on Sept. 5.

A few months later, she said, she and her husband, Bob Pierce, ordered “a little comforter” from a Florida dog breeder.

The couple received their French bulldog puppy they named Petey on Jan. 6. She said Petey cost $1,750 and another $350 to cover shipping.

Three days later, she said, their veterinarian diagnosed Petey as having severe pulmonic stenosis, a heart valve disorder.

The news was hard to take.

“I can’t lose anything else,” Pierce said.

Although the Florida breeder is providing a replacement puppy in April, and Petey could have been returned, the family decided to keep the 13-week old puppy.

“We love this dog,” Pierce said.

She said Petey would undergo a $4,200 surgery on Thursday, March 21, at Tufts University in North Grafton, Mass. She said the procedure involves going through Petey’s jugular vein using a balloon catheter to fix a narrow heart valve.

She said without an operation, Petey could only have six months to a year to live.

“It’s pretty bleak,” she said.

Despite the malady, Petey on Tuesday was enjoying the company of Charlie, the family’s 140-pound Newfoundland dog.

“He’s rambunctious,” Pierce’s daughter, Maeghan Sloat, a Southern Maine Community College student, said about Petey.

Given her experience, Pierce offered some advice to others thinking about buying a dog online: “Make sure your pet is checked by a reputable vet before buying it.”

The family has set up a Facebook page, facebook.com/helpsavepetey.

Kimberly Pierce of Gorham holds her 13-week puppy, Petey, she bought online, only to discover the puppy needs surgery for a heart problem. Petey’s buddy, Charlie, a 140-pound Newfoundland, sits by.