Deposit, Refund &
Reservation Policy.

A reservation fee of $500 + applicable Wisconsin sales tax secures your place on the waitlist for a specific Stokeshire litter. This fee is applied in full toward the final purchase price of your puppy and constitutes confirmation of your intent to proceed with placement.

Sales tax is collected and remitted directly to the State of Wisconsin and is non-refundable under all circumstances.

If cancellation is requested prior to confirmed breeding, 90% of the reservation fee is refundable. The remaining 10% covers administrative and processing costs and is not returned.

Once breeding has occurred, the reservation fee becomes fully non-refundable regardless of individual circumstances. The following do not qualify as reasons for refund after breeding:

• Change of mind, including interest in a different breed, breeder, or lifestyle change
• Financial hardship or change in circumstances after reservation
• Timeline changes — litter delays, heat cycle shifts, or scheduling conflicts
• Puppy preferences not met — gender, coat, color, size, or markings unavailable
• Medical issues, relocation, or personal events affecting ability to receive a puppy
• Non-response to emails, missed communications, or scheduling failures
• Miscarriage, loss of pregnancy, or no puppies produced from the breeding

Your payment constitutes acceptance of these conditions. The non-refundable clause protects the integrity of our breeding decisions and program allocation. We breed only when demand justifies it — initiated breeding represents an irreversible commitment of time, care, and resources.

Reservation fees may be transferred one time to a future litter within 24 months of the original payment date, subject to the following conditions:

• Transfer request must be submitted in writing prior to Puppy Selection Day
• Transfers are granted only if space is available on the desired litter
• Failure to request a transfer before Selection Day results in forfeiture with no credit
• Only one transfer is permitted per reservation fee

The remaining balance is due no later than 72 hours before your scheduled go-home date. Failure to complete payment on time may result in loss of reserved placement, forfeiture of your deposit with no refund or credit, and release of the puppy to the next eligible family on the waitlist.

The POL upgrade fee is always non-refundable and non-transferable. This applies in all cases — including if you later decline to proceed, if your preferences are not met, or if you elect to pass on available puppies. The POL upgrade is a preference-based privilege, not a guarantee of a specific puppy.

Breeder obligation: If a female fails to produce viable puppies, Stokeshire will work to honor your POL upgrade on the next qualifying litter.

Client obligation: If viable puppies are produced and you elect to pass on the litter for any reason, your POL upgrade fee is forfeited.

Stokeshire reserves the right to limit or cancel breedings if fewer than three families are committed, change the stud on listed litters, and override POL placement order in rare cases based on the best interest of the puppy — including temperament, medical considerations, or therapy placement priority.

All training, transport, boarding, and associated service fees are non-refundable once paid or scheduled. No refund, credit, or reimbursement will be issued for any of these services under any circumstances.

The only exception to the non-refundable nature of the puppy purchase itself is covered under the Health Guarantee, which applies exclusively to undisclosed, life-threatening congenital conditions or medically documented allergies as reviewed under that policy.

Stokeshire publishes all key dates and updates — including heat cycles, breeding confirmation, birth, Selection Day, pickup, and training milestones — on the relevant litter page in advance. It is the sole responsibility of each client to stay informed by regularly monitoring their litter page and this website.

While courtesy emails are sent for major milestones, Stokeshire cannot guarantee email delivery due to spam filters, provider blocks, or inbox settings. Failure to receive or open an email does not alter any financial obligations, selection deadlines, or waitlist status.

By placing a deposit, you explicitly agree not to initiate a chargeback or payment dispute through your financial institution in contradiction of these terms. Stokeshire maintains detailed timestamped records of deposit acknowledgment and policy acceptance.

In the event of a chargeback attempt, Stokeshire reserves the right to submit all documentation to the payment processor for legal rebuttal, pursue recovery of funds including fees and damages via small claims court or collections, and bar future participation in the Stokeshire program.

This policy is governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin. All disputes shall be resolved under the jurisdiction of Taylor County, WI.

A portion of every reservation fee supports the Red Fern Scholarship Fund, which exists to help place therapy-grade puppies with children and families experiencing hardship. Your participation in the Stokeshire program directly furthers this mission.