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Our Havanese, who is considered by the breeder, Lynda Denson, as a "Teenie Tiny", was born June 28, 2006. His name is Darby. I flew to Kansas City International Airport on September 19, 2006 to pick up Darby from New Hampshire. I missed many red flags, one being Mrs. Denson does not allow you to come to her home to see the puppies! She does not like you to ask questions and responds defensively when you do. She intensely dislikes the AKC and registers her puppies with the APRI, what she claims is the second largest registry in the U.S. I have copies of emails from her where she is just plain rude and nasty. She also charged $3, 500 for Darby because he is "rare". I was so in love with Darby just by his photos, that I clearly chose to ignore the big red flags. This was my first experience buying a pure bred puppy. Two months after bringing Darby home, the day after Thanksgiving, 2006, Darby became very ill. He was disoriented, could not walk, was falling down, etc. The short story, after getting Darby to a hospital, then to our vet, was that he had a liver shunt, which is deadly. Mrs. Denson was cold and simply said that she would give us another dog if Darby died and no refund. If we had not had the money to pay for Darby's surgery, subsequent vet visits and medications, he would not be with us. Our vet said this is what happens when breeders mess with Mother Nature, by changing their size from standard to whatever size they choose - in this case a "teenie tiny". Darby is a wonderful dog but this breeder is not wonderful. She breeds many Havanese out of her home of the standard, mini and teenie tiny sizes. I was not aware of irreputable breeders until this awful experience and I urge anyone looking for a Havanese to NOT buy from this breeder, do your homework and only purchase the standard size. This was a painful, not to mention costly, experience. We are very fortunate to have Darby because he is a wonderful dog and is completely well now. I cannot imagine life without him, nor can my husband. We just wish I had never found Lynda Denson's website and had been on the ball about the kind of breeder she is. Her website says they have only healthy dogs and as is also on her website and as she related to me, she has never had an unhealthy puppy. BUYER BEWARE
To all of you who have decided to attack me, I would respectfully like to add a response about Lynda's comments. As Lynda Denson said there are two sides to every story. And she could not be more correct. The problem with Lynda's story is that she has included out and out lies and total fabrication of the truth. First of all what Lynda forgets is that I have her emails. If she retains her past business emails, it would be a good idea for her to look them up and remind herself of what she said. As far as phone calls go, I would be more than happy to contact our telephone company for copies of all bills during that time which would show the times Lynda and I spoke over the phone.
"Once we received the deposit from her, she started talking to AKC breeders who convinced her that any teenie tiny Havanese would be sick and unhealthy and that we were just selling unhealthy runts. She started calling practically every day with more questions and concerns that she had received from AKC breeders. We bagan to think that she would never be happy with any puppy, because she would always be thinking that something was wrong with it... so, we offered to give her deposit back, and we would keep Darby. She said no... she was in love with Darby and she wanted him."
I received my information from a Havanese forum. Although it makes no difference whether I did or I didn't, I never contacted any AKC breeders. I absolutely admit that I ignored huge red flags; however, I was purchasing a purebred puppy for the first time. I should have known better, but I let my emotions regarding our beautiful Darby, of whom I had only seen photos, get the better of me. I am a retired woman, now 61. That was my fault. We had two emails regarding my questions. And I simply asked questions. I gave no indication whatsoever of what I have been accused of above. Just standard questions you ask a breeder. Lynda decided I had been talking to AKC breeders and all of her comments are her opinions. Those words were never said or written by me. She was defensive, upset, and angry that I asked the questions. Lynda's answers were curt and unfriendly. I had obtained the suggestions from various websites as to questions that should be asked of a breeder. After that email, I wrote back to her immediately and basically told her to take a deep breath that I had not intended to offend her; I was simply trying to learn facts. She wrote back a very pleasant email and basically apologized for overreacting as she did. I have these emails. Except for offering our deposit back and my saying we loved Darby and wanted him. The rest is from Lynda's imagination. That is the truth.
"Mrs Warren flew into Kansas City to pick up Darby. We met her at the airport. This saved her a 5 hour drive to pick up the puppy. And, it is true, that for the safety of our family and our puppies, we do not allow strangers to come to our home to look at puppies."
I was not allowed to come to Lynda's home, so I don't know how I was saved a five hour drive to pick up the puppy and I certainly was not going to have him shipped as cargo, nor would I whatever age a dog might be.
"Everything was wonderful for about 2 - 3 months, and then I got this call from Penny.and she was very upset. She had taken Darby to the park where he had been romping and playing and having fun. Everyone who saw him was in love with him! However, when they got home, Darby started getting sick and she had taken him to the vet. Penny said the vet thought that he might have a liver shunt, and if so, he was probably going to die! We were totally devestated. We loved Darby too! I tried to comfort her the best I could and I assured her that we would honor our contract with her. I told her to send us a statement from the vet, letting us know what was determined to be wrong with Darby, and if it was congenital or hereditary we would definitely replace the puppy with one of like value. I also asked her if she was sure he hadn't eaten some sort of plant or something in the park that could have made him sick? She had said that he was so full of life and had no signs of sickness and this came on him suddenly after they returned from the park. I asked if she was sure he didn't have low blood sugar...and was possibly going into hypoglycemic shock? She said that the vet
was running tests and she would get back to me when she knew anything definite."
As I said in my first posting, I flew to Kansas to pick up Darby on Tuesday, September 19, 2006. The day after Thanksgiving, November 24, 2006, approximately two months after bringing Darby home, we were in New York visiting my husband's step-daughter, when I got a call from the friends we boarded Darby with, telling me that when Darby got up in the morning (he had only been left there the day before) he was falling down, disoriented, etc., and they had taken him to the Animal Emergency Hospital. They suspected it might be low blood sugar. I cried and cried. Could this really be happening to Darby? Our Darby? We flew home on the next flight and went immediately to the emergency hospital where they had Darby on medication. They said it was not low blood sugar and suspected it was a liver shunt. They said he would be stable over the holiday weekend and they would fax their report to our veterinarian. I took Darby to his regular veterinarian first thing Monday morning. The surgeon, after many tests, determined that Darby had a liver shunt. Without medication, he would die. And further, without surgery, he would live a short while. We of course, opted for surgery. However, because he was so small (2-1/2 lbs.) surgery could no be performed until he had gained more weight. He was put on a special diet and we gave him two different medications through January 2007. Our vet, who is a well respected veterinarian on the East Coast, said, "This is what happens when breeders mess with Mother Nature". After I learned Darby's diagnosis, I made one call to Lynda Denson. I was emotional and scared and everything I said in my first posting is what actually transpired. I am dumbfounded about this "park" story as that is total fiction and I have no idea why Lynda has concocted such a story. I am stunned. Lynda offered to take Darby back and that was it, but I did not want to give Darby up. I was simply so shaken by his diagnosis. Of course I called her because she said none of her puppies had ever had any health problems. Her website has changed many times as to what is stated on the site since I first learned about Lynda, but she has consistently said none of her puppies have ever had health problems.
I want to make something perfectly clear. Not once, never, ever did Lynda Denson ask me for a statement from our vet. Not once. This along with the park story is total fabrication and where she came up with that, I have no clue.
"We didn't hear from Mrs Warren for a day or two, and then she called and said she had taken Darby to another vet and he didn't think it was a liver shunt, but it might cost $3000-$5000 to treat it. I asked her what he said was wrong with the puppy. She would not give us an answer. She wanted us to pay the $3000-$5000 to fix her dog. I reminded her that we still had not received anything from a vet telling us what was wrong with Darby, and I told her we had a fax machine, where she could fax the information to us quickly. There was still no offer to send us any vet information telling us what was actually wrong with Darby. Penny kept calling and telling us how sick Darby was and how hard this was on her. She kept insisting that we were going to pay the $3000-$5000 to make Darby well. We loved Darby and we definitely wanted him well too! We were truly sorry that Penny was having to go through these hard times with Darby. We were also very worried about him! However, If we were going to pay that kind of money to treat a dog, we wanted something in writing from a vet, showing what was actually wrong with the dog, that it was truly genetic or hereditary, and that the vet thought there was a good chance that the treatment would work and that Darby would be a healthy happy dog with a chance at a good life! Also, if we were paying that kind of money to treat a dog, over a long period of time, we would want the dog to be here with us, where we could supervise his treatment, and so that we would know WHAT we were paying for! We still had no way of knowing WHAT was actually wrong with Darby. Penny would give us no actual vet information, and we had no way of knowing
if this was truly a congenital/hereditary problem? or if the dog had eaten something poisonous? or what was actually wrong with him?
We did refuse to send any money... We had no information!
That is when Mrs Warren got really upset with us. She called at all hours of the day and night telling us that we were horrible breeders and accusing us of being a puppy mill and of breeding sick and inferior dogs. She called us all sorts of negative names and accused us of all sorts of things and didn't believe anything we tried to tell her. I finally had enough and I told her that I was extremely sorry for what was happening with Darby, that wheter she believed it, or not, we loved Darby too...and that we were willing to stand behind our contract 100%. If Darby
died, we would definitely be willing to replace him with a puppy of like value, as the contract/guarantee stated...but that until she was willing to send us a vet report, letting us know what was actually wrong with Darby, that there was nothing we could do to help her. We finally asked her to not call back again, until she was willing to send us a vet report, showing what was wrong with Darby. I suppose this is what she felt was rude... We never heard from Mrs Warren again, until about a year later, when she wrote and asked us to take her name off of our E-mail list.
Since Mrs Warren never sent a vet report, showing anything wrong with Darby, we assumed that it was NOT congenital or hereditary, BUT, just to be on the safe side, we did not ever breed those two dogs together again... Even though they had produced GORGEOUS puppies and there had been 2 chocolates in the litter. Since we had not received any information as to what was actually wrong with Darby, it was not worth taking a chance, in case it was some sort of a liver shunt...We were very sad about Darby and we often wondered about him? whether he was alive? or if he had died?"
I do not know what Lynda's motivation is here other than to discredit what happened, but everything short of asking for her to pay for Darby's surgery ONE time, and the figures she suggests are simply bogus...again in Lynda's imagination. She did ask me not to call her again and she never received another phone call from me. I have never been in touch with her and only when I received an email from her regarding new puppies, did I respond with a request to remove my name from their list. NONE of the above ever took place. These multiple calls from me NEVER took place. I have not a clue as to why she would go to such great lengths to come up with this story. We are not in a court of law, but if we were, I absolutely would not hesitate to provide proof that those phone calls never took place. Lynda, you can make up stories all you want. But for a woman who claims to be a Christian, you have lied.
I did not call Lynda at all hours of the day and night and I never called her any derogatory names; and especially did not call her a horrible breeder, puppy mill or anything else she wants to fabricate. Why she has gone so overboard in her character assasination of me, I can only conclude is because she is trying to defend something dishonest she did and her only means for doing so is to lie.
The park? Darby eating something at the park? Never happened. Asking me for a statement from Darby's vet? Never happened. Making accusations of her being a horrible breeder, a puppy mill, etc.? It never happened.
Now, Lynda aside, those of you whom have chosen to attack me without knowing the facts, what I have written about her is the absolute truth. From this point on, I can do nothing about what you think and I am not going to continue to respond to your rubbish. You are simpy defending someone you believe to have told the truth but, again, without knowing all the facts. I can do nothing about Lynda lying, other than tell you exactly what happened between Lynda and me. I am just a regular person who was trying to buy a new puppy, the first puppy of my own, who could also travel with me from the east coast to the west coast and back to see our grandchildren. Our grandchildren adore Darby. Everytime they see him, whether I am out there or they here, it's always a fuss between our excited granchildren as who gets to hold Darby.
I did tons of research over a two year period prior to buying Darby. Despite that research, I now know I should have investigated this breeder further. I didn't, and that was my biggest mistake. But for Lynda to get upset with me for asking questions in one email that are standard questions to a breeder is simply silly. Should I have asked them BEFORE I sent her my deposit? Yes. Should she be be rude to me for it? No. For her to be upset with me for calling her when Darby became seriously ill with a liver shunt and to exaggerate (lie) beyond all common sense is incomprehensible to me.
Darby had his surgery in January 2007. It was a horribly agonizing day, plus he could not come home for three days so I practically lived there. The good thing is that the surgeon and everyone at the vet's office, adore Darby like everyone else does. The surgery was clearly successful and they were able to close off the shunt. I have photos of Darby afterwards all stitched up and green tape around his right paw/leg for the intravenous tube. He was pretty quiet due to the sedation wearing off, and after three days, was more than ready to come back home. He still had to stay on one med for awhile, but that's been over for some time and he's been back to a happy and healthy little dog. He turned two on June 28th this year and we celebrated. Not that Darby knew what was going on! I care very much about Darby and at the slightest sign that something isn't right, I take him to our vet. He goes in very soon for his yearly physical and to be safe, the vet plans to run some liver enzyme tests to make sure there are no problems associated with the liver shunt.
Back to Lynda's accusations, this blogging attack from her is too ridiculous. I'm not even going comment more about it because it's just another unwarranted attack.
And to Savage Truth and the others, you simply do not know me and you have chosen to comment without doing any investigation of the facts. I cannot do anything about what you wrote; I just have to write it off to your defending Lynda because you had a good experience with her and that is wonderful. I did not. More than you know I wish our Darby hadn't had to go through the pain and suffering of the surgery.
Many of the people who are most aware of my experience with this breeder have encouraged, pushed, nagged me over the past couple of years to put up a web page to alert others about our experience. I did not and I wouldn't even know where to begin. Finally, I gave in to posting on this blog. I gave my story and now you have all of it except copies of Lynda's emails and a statement from Darby's vet (which I will be happy to provide to anyone who asks). Perhaps, with the facts, you will come to a different conclusion about this incident.
Darby is the most beautiful dog in the world to us and to everyone that meets him. Everyone loves him. He adores us. He is fun, funny, loving, playful, sweet, cuddly, kissable, adventuresome and the absolute light of our lives and we are grateful every day that his illness was caught in time and he is with us still. Every night he is on our bed right by my head or my side. He always makes sure a part of his body is touching mine. He loves it when my husband walks in after work and is simply a happy and healthy dog. He is not a barker. He will be sitting on the floor by my husband or me when we're on the computer. He will wait and wait and wait, and finally when he doesn't get your attention, he does one little, "Arf!" He loves to play fetch and loves to run around the room in and round the furniture like a race dog with this low growl. The only other time he barks is when you are playing with him and he will get so happy and excited he will bark encouraging you to do more. He is very good at sit, down, stay and come. He completely knows what you're saying when we say, "Wanna go outside?" or "Wanna treat?" And we're working on tricks with him!
For those of you who apparently think of me as a heathen, I hope you now think differently. But if you don't, you don't...and my life will go on. For Lynda's future customers, I hope they never have to go through what we did with Darby and obviously with Lynda. May you all continue to enjoy your beautiful Havanese puppies/dogs. They are clearly the best breed there is.
Lynda Denton is a pathetic liar and certainly does not represent a Christian, and not deserving of my time. This is my last post on this matter. I believe with all my heart that what goes around comes around and, Lynda, your day WILL come. As a Christian, you know God has a plan for people who out and out lie for their own gain. My conscience is clear no matter how hard you have tried to completely fabricate the stories in your previous post and now this one. Am I sorry I ever left my original post. Yes, I am. However, the one good thing that came out of it for me is that you have confirmed everything I have thought about you since you displayed your ugly side, . a side that others here have not yet experienced. Fortunately for these people who have responded on your behalf, there has not been a reason for them yet to have it exposed.
To Cookie Armstrong: You are right. My age has nothing to do with anything. And thank you, I have very good life.
Someone many years ago told me that my fantasy that everyone in the world is good is just that ... a fantasy and that I needed to wake up. Well, boy I sure have now.
By your own admission, you purchased a 'teeny tiny' animal from a breeder who wouldn't allow you in her home, who behaved defensively when questioned, overcharged you considerably from what a reputable breeder in your own area would have charged, and was just plain rude and nasty before you bought the dog.
Not only that, you didn't do your homework on pedigreed dogs, the breed, or the breeder. Had you done so, all these issues would have been avoided.
You got exactly what you paid for---a whole lot of trouble and heartbreak.
Penny. You have a dog you and your husband love and if you had never found Lynda Denton, you wouldn't have Darby to love.
Breeders don't usually allow you to come to their homes because there have been too many thefts of dogs from breeders after such visits.
My recommendation is that you get over it--you've got what you wanted in Darby and should be thankful for that.
Your attitude suggests that Darby should have been repossessed from you--keep that in mind.
I think you'd better be careful that a lawsuit is not brought against you for filing your complaint.
As the nationally syndicated personal finance columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, I would like to post both a personal AND a business response to this item.
I personally purchased a small havanese puppy from Lynda Denson, probably about the same time this writer did. He is darling, healthy, and smart. The entire process was honest and above-board. I also flew to Kansas City to pick up my puppy, and enjoyed meeting Lynda. I have communicated with Lynda over the past 18 months since I have had my dog -- Sampson, and have found her to be open, helpful, and VERY concerned about her puppies, and the homes they find. I have highly recommended her as a breeder to anyone seeking a Havanese puppy. (And you can see a photo of Samson, and my long-standing comments, posted on her website.)
Even more important, I think this type of "business character assasination" is both dangerous and counter-productive, since there is no way to combat these untruths. I have no idea who wrote this posting, but it appears she is still enjoying her dog. I only feel sorry that a puppy wound up with such a vicious owner!
I'd be happy to have my vet (who has appeared on Oprah) write a letter attesting to how well-bred and healthy my dog is. And I'd like to see the writer prove her comments with a letter from her own reputable vet!
I'm sure if the person who made this post is still unhappy, Lynda could find a good home for her dog. In fact, I'm ready to volunteer! And that's The Savage Truth, as I always end my columns.
I am Lynda Denson, the breeder who sold Darby to Penny Warren.
First of all, I want to say that we are thrilled to hear that Darby is alive and well!
We also loved Darby very much and it tore our hearts apart to think that he was ill, or that he had possibly died. We wish no ill or harm to Penny Warren and we hope that Penny and Darby have a long and very happy and healthy life together!
Of all the puppies we have sold, I am only aware of one dissatisfied customer. (Penny Warren). If we have another dissatisfied customer, we are truly not aware of it. We have been extremely pleased with the health of our dogs and our puppies! We have worked very hard to establish our breeding program and have searched round the world for Havanese dogs who were not runts of the litter, but who were just naturally small and came from small parents and small grandparents. We try so hard to raise healthy dogs, and to treat our customers in a professional and courteous manner. Our vets always comment on the wonderful health and temperaments of our puppies! There are 2 sides to every story... and this is our side of the story.
Penny Warren bought Darby from us in 2006. He was a gorgeous teenie tiny chocolate/white puppy.
He was one of my favorites, out of all the puppies that we have ever raised.
I really wanted to keep him, for breeding, but I had no small puppies to breed him to at that time, who were not too closely related to him for breeding...Penny fell in love with his picture and wanted him so badly. I agreed to sell him to her.
Once we received the deposit from her, she started talking to AKC breeders who convinced her that any teenie tiny Havanese would be sick and unhealthy and that we were just selling unhealthy runts. She started calling practically every day with more questions and concerns that she had received from AKC breeders. We bagan to think that she would never be happy with any puppy, because she would always be thinking that something was wrong with it... so, we offered to give her deposit back, and we would keep Darby. She said no... she was in love with Darby and she wanted him.
Mrs Warren flew into Kansas City to pick up Darby. We met her at the airport. This saved her a 5 hour drive to pick up the puppy. And, it is true, that for the safety of our family and our puppies, we do not allow strangers to come to our home to look at puppies. Our dogs are treasured family pets. All puppies are born and raised in our family room. We are not an impersonal kennel. The puppies are an intregal part of our daily lives. Penny was elated and thrilled with Darby... She had nothing but positive things to say about him. He was such an ADORABLE puppy. Everyone who saw him fell instantly in love with him. He was tiny and he had a wonderful personality! Everything was wonderful for about 2 - 3 months, and then I got this call from Penny.and she was very upset. She had taken Darby to the park where he had been romping and playing and having fun. Everyone who saw him was in love with him! However, when they got home, Darby started getting sick and she had taken him to the vet. Penny said the vet thought that he might have a liver shunt, and if so, he was probably going to die! We were totally devestated.
We loved Darby too! I tried to comfort her the best I could and I assured her that we would honor our contract with her. I told her to send us a statement from the vet, letting us know what was determined to be wrong with Darby, and if it was congenital or hereditary we would definitely replace the puppy with one of like value. I also asked her if she was sure he hadn't eaten some sort of plant or something in the park that could have made him sick? She had said that he was so full of life and had no signs of sickness and this came on him suddenly after they returned from the park. I asked if she was sure he didn't have low blood sugar...and was possibly going into hypoglycemic shock? She said that the vet
was running tests and she would get back to me when she knew anything definite.
We didn't hear from Mrs Warren for a day or two, and then she called and said she had taken Darby to another vet and he didn't think it was a liver shunt, but it might cost $3000-$5000 to treat it. I asked her what he said was wrong with the puppy. She would not give us an answer. She wanted us to pay the $3000-$5000 to fix her dog. I reminded her that we still had not received anything from a vet telling us what was wrong with Darby, and I told her we had a fax machine, where she could fax the information to us quickly. There was still no offer to send us any vet information telling us what was actually wrong with Darby. Penny kept calling and telling us how sick Darby was and how hard this was on her. She kept insisting that we were going to pay the $3000-$5000 to make Darby well. We loved Darby and we definitely wanted him well too! We were truly sorry that Penny was having to go through these hard times with Darby. We were also very worried about him! However, If we were going to pay that kind of money to treat a dog, we wanted something in writing from a vet, showing what was actually wrong with the dog, that it was truly genetic or hereditary, and that the vet thought there was a good chance that the treatment would work and that Darby would be a healthy
happy dog with a chance at a good life! Also, if we were paying that kind of money to treat a dog, over a long period of time, we would want the dog to be here with us, where we could supervise his treatment, and so that we would know WHAT we were paying for! We still had no way of knowing WHAT was actually wrong with Darby. Penny would give us no actual vet information, and we had no way of knowing
if this was truly a congenital/hereditary problem? or if the dog had eaten something poisonous? or what was actually wrong with him?
We did refuse to send any money... We had no information!
That is when Mrs Warren got really upset with us. She called at all hours of the day and night telling us that we were horrible breeders and accusing us of being a puppy mill and of breeding sick and inferior dogs. She called us all sorts of negative names and accused us of all sorts of things and didn't believe anything we tried to tell her. I finally had enough and I told her that I was extremely sorry for what was happening with Darby, that wheter she believed it, or not, we loved Darby too...and that we were willing to stand behind our contract 100%. If Darby
died, we would definitely be willing to replace him with a puppy of like value, as the contract/guarantee stated...but that until she was willing to send us a vet report, letting us know what was actually wrong with Darby, that there was nothing we could do to help her. We finally asked her to not call back again, until she was willing to send us a vet report, showing what was wrong with Darby. I suppose this is what she felt was rude... We never heard from Mrs Warren again, until about a year later, when she wrote and asked us to take her name off of our E-mail list.
Since Mrs Warren never sent a vet report, showing anything wrong with Darby, we assumed that it was NOT congenital or hereditary, BUT, just to be on the safe side, we did not ever breed those two dogs together again... Even though they had produced GORGEOUS puppies and there had been 2 chocolates in the litter. Since we had not received any information as to what was actually wrong with Darby, it was not worth taking a chance, in case it was some sort of a liver shunt...We were very sad about Darby and we often wondered about him? whether he was alive? or if he had died?
Now, all of a sudden, over 2 years after they purchased Darby, there is a posting from Mrs Warren on this Complaint Board, dated August 6, 2008 ?
Apparently, Darby is alive and is doing well, which is absolutely WONDERFUL! but someone is doing everything they can do, to try and damage our reputation as breeders.
The thing that is fishy about all of this, is that as soon as this complaint showed up, we received an E-mal from a blogging business, telling us about this complaint against us, and offering to repair our reputation by doing a massive blogging campaign. They could fix everything and make it right for only $599 a month!
They would write a lot of good things about us, that would force the bad things back to the bottom of the list, and our reputation would be repaird. If they were so good
at blogging, were they the ones that dug up this old blog and posted it as a new report, hoping to extort money from us monthly? Did Mrs Warren hire them to try to damage our reputation, and they then turned around and tried to get us to hire them to fix our reputation? We have no way of knowing... but, after prayer about how to proceed, we felt that the only option we have is to post our side of the story... and to hope that all of the wonderful references on our website will speak for themselves. Our puppies are beautiful and healthy and we have MANY satisfied customers in over 38 different states and in Canada. If we were truly such bad breeders, as what Mrs Warren makes us out to be, then surely there would be a LOT more bad reports about us out on the internet? If you were considering buying a puppy from us, but have been put off because of this one bad report...then all we ask is that you look at the puppies on our website... and you look at the references on our website... and let your heart be your judge. We have tried very hard to build a good reputation. We will trust in the Lord, to let truth prevail in this matter.
Sincerely,
Lynda Denson
Kansas Mini Havanese
We purchased our teenie tiny puppy from Lynda Denson in Oct. of 2006. Dazy is a very healthy, full of energy dog! Every vet check that Dazy has had done, including a full wellness check shows she is very healthy. Our vet just loves Dazy and has said that we were lucky to have a good breeder since Dazy being so tiny was so healthy. Ms. Warren, one of my questions to you is WHY ARE YOU REFUSING TO SEND A VET REPORT TO LYNDA? WHY, after two years is this happening. Wouldn't your dog showed signs of something being wrong long before this? Lynda is not stupid, why would she or any breeder send you money to pay for something that you refuse to disclose being wrong? Dazy just turned 2 and is in perfect health, never been sick since we have had her! Anyone thinking about buying a puppy from Lynda PLEASE. DO NOT HESTITATE! She is a good breeder and a caring breeder with only the pups welfare at heart! The fact that she doesn't let you go to her house, didn't bother us, Lynda was wiling to meet us to help cut some time from our drive to pick up our puppy! If you could have seen Lynda's look as she handed Dazy over to us, you could tell she was in love with the pup and it broke her heart to give Dazy over. Have you ever seen the inside of a cargo bay of an airplane? Let me tell you, that area is dark and it is cold, how frightening for a puppy fresh from being taken from everything they have ever known! Ms. Warren, WHAT ARE YOU REALLY UP TO?
The short story: I am very happy with my healthy, energetic Havanese. My experience with the purchase could not have been better. I refer the name of this breeder to everyone I know. I would be hesitant to purchase my next dog from anyone else.
Penny, maybe you should know what you are talking about before you decide to public showcase your inept information.
My name is Courtney Newlin and I live in Emporia Kansas, about 10 miles away from Olpe where Lynda D. lives.
First off, I would like to say that I am so saddened and angered that anyone would even THINK of attacking Lynda and her business. I have actually been inside Lynda's house and it is not a puppy mill. It is not torture chamber for poor little dogs. It is their HOME. Their home where they are played with, socialized, held, LOVED.
Lynda has one of the biggest hearts I have ever come across. There was a puppy that was very timid and laid-back, and he was getting picked on by the other puppies, his tail was getting chewed on and he was just having a rough time. I adopted the dog from her and his name is Leroy and he is absolutely beautiful. He lives with my mother and they are best friends. He has brought joy and laughter to my family's life. And Lynda has been active with Leroys life ever since he left her home. When we had questions about cleaning them, she is the first person we go to. She is helpful, extremely smart, extremely kind and loves those dogs more than people realize.
She runs her business in a fair, logical, Christian manner. She does not breed dogs just so she can get a paycheck. She doesn't sell "faulty" dogs and they are not prone to sickness, since she keeps them so healthy.
Penny, it is YOUR fault that you are dissatisfied with Lynda's services, when she has gone way above and beyond what she was "required" to do to help you through Darby's illness. And it is YOUR fault that you were never compensated for the bill, since you never provided Lynda with any sort of statement from your vet, etc.
Again, Penny, maybe you should know what you are talking about before you decide to public showcase your inept information.
If you would like to speak with someone who actually knows Lynda and what they are talking about, please contact me.
courtslater@yahoo.com
If you are interested in purchasing a havanese from Lynda, you should, with no reservation. 1 Dissatisfied customer, who clearly has an illogical vendeda should not be stopping you. Thanks
First of all I'd like to say that Penny you have alot of nerve to say anything about the Denson's when you would not provide any proof of your claim!
We have a mini Havanes named Fudge who will be three in December. He is very healthy and happy. We have two children that adore him and he adores them as well. Fudge is a part of our family. We drove 3 and a half hours to meet the Denson's and pick up Fudge. The Denson's met us in Kansas City so we did not have to drive any further then we did. They where wonderful to us and Lynda was so excited to see how happy we where to get Fudge and how excited my children where about him. I could not be happier about how Lynda treated us and what a wonderful dog we have in Fudge. Penny unless you plan on providing some proof so your claim I think you should back off and be calling Lynda and her family to say you are soory for the mess you have caused and you should also be posting somethind on this site to say your sorry as well.
I would not hesitate to purchase a puppy from the Denson's ever!
Something is terribly wrong here and it is NOT with Lynda Denson or any of her breeding practices. Since we purchased our darling 3.25 lb. TJ from her over three years ago he has never had a sick day in his life. I have such high regard for Lynda that I want to become her business partner as soon as I can move to a location that doesn't restrict dog breeding. My three Havanese have been the joy of my life and I love Lynda like a sister. She is absolutely scrupulous in everything she does.
Our small Havanese are every bit as robust as our standard sized Havanese. It is true that the AKC has said and done things to discourage the breeding of small Havanese... I don't know what their motive could possibly be, but they aren't very pleasant people to deal with.
Why, Penny, did you refuse to provide documentation regarding Darby's illness? It's a perfectly reasonable request and a responsible one, too, as breeders must be fully informed about any possible genetic problem with their breeding stock. If your actions are about money, that's pitiful.
I will be praying that you will make right all the damage and hurt you have caused Lynda, offer her an apology and explanation, and accept the gracious forgiveness I am sure she will extend to you. And I pray that you can undo what you have done before you reap what you have sown.
I adopted my little friend Maestro from Lynda Denson around the same time that Ms. Warren adopted Darby. Maestro is the best little dog I've ever had. He is the most charismatic and well bred puppy I've ever met. He's been to several different nationally recognized veterinarians and groomers and they all comment that he is the BEST bred Havanese that they have ever encountered.
I am sorry that you suffered a traumatic experience. I believe, however, that much of this was at your own doing. Lynda's policies could not be fairer. Your complaint is completely unsubstantiated and would never hold water in any court - it would be wise for you AND/OR this website to remove this complaint lest you AND/OR this website want to be on the receiving end of substantiated legal action.
My question to Penny is why she waited nearly 2 years to make this attack. What has happened in her life to make all this anger surface at this time? What does being retired and age 61 have anything to do with it? I am retired and age 64 and recently became the owner of Oatmeal. Believe me, had he needed verterinarian attention, I wouldn't have gone running back to the breeder about the dog I had accepted as mine. Get a life.
The most important thing to us, is that Darby is happy and healthy! and that he is loved... and despite the attacks and the misrepresentation of the facts... we do believe that Penny loves Darby. I don't know why Penny Warren chose to attack us two years after Darby was ill? But, we are thrilled to know that Darby did not die and that he is alive and healthy and full of life! THAT is the most important thing.
Mrs Warren seems to have a very selective memory. Why in the world would I make these things up? These are the things that she told us when she would call.
I understand that she was upset at the time and maybe she doesn't remember, but she called us MANY times and she was EXTREMELY RUDE in the calls. After my husband listened in on one of her calls, when she had woken us up in the night, with one of her calls, he told me that I was to tell her not to call back until she could provide some sort of PROOF about what was wrong with Darby.
The next time she called, accusing us of all sorts of thing, that is what I told her. She
did stop calling and we never heard anything from her again, until sometime last year when she wrote and asked to be removed from our E-mail list. We figured that since she would not provide a vet statement, that the problem was probably not congentital or hereditary. We had no idea if Darby was alive? or dead?
ANY BREEDER, would ask for something from a vet, stating what was wrong with the puppy! Our contracts even state that the buyer needs to notify us within 48 hours, with vet documentation, if the puppy is severely ill, so that the guarantee/contract will not be voided... but, mostly so that we can be involved in the process and KNOW if there is a problem. Why is she so ready to provide anyone who will contact her, with a copy of these things, when she refused to provide them to us? Are they even real?
Mrs Warren claims to be able to provide home phone records... what would that show? How many homes or phones does she have? I know that several times she said she was contacting us from her daughter's home before she ever got Darby... she says that she practically lived at the vet office when he was ill, she could have called from a motel, from a relative's home, from a pay phone, from a cell phone, from a friend's cell phone...
She claims to have rude E-mails from me...Everyone knows that E-mails can be altered and made to say whatever someone wants to make them say. No, I did not keep her E-mails... and our computer crashed last year, so I do not have copies of anything that I would have sent her, but most of our conversations were over the telephone.
This [redacted] is not a good thing. Anyone can post anything here as a complaint and there is no real way to defend yourself. Comments about the original story are shown far below the original story... Comments are listed as complaints... The [redacted] has a deal with Google that causes their reports to go to the top of the search engines... I will definitely think twice before I ever believe any complaint that is posted here, in the future!
We have hundreds of satisfied customers. We try to treat our customers with courtesy, honesty and respect. But, no matter how hard you try, you cannot please everyone. We are very sorry that Darby got sick and we are THRILLED to find out that Darby is okay today! We are also extremely thankful that we have not had this problem show up in any of our dogs or our other puppies.
We are sorry that Penny Warren has let her friends (who do not know us, or anything about us) keep this anger stirred up in her for so many years... We pray that she will be able to let this go, and enjoy Darby and the rest of her life and that she will be THANKFUL that she has such a wonderful puppy... which she would have never had in her life... if it were not for us!
We have a totally clear conscience about this situation. I have told the truth... as we remember it, from two years ago... I have not fabricated or "made up" anything.
I will turn this over to God and let God be the judge. There is nothing else I can do about this, so I leave it in God's hands. We pray that what satan and Mrs Warren meant for harm, will be turned around to actually work in our favor.
I was a bit apprehensive about leaving a response, as so much had already been said by so many. I was a bit concerned that by leaving a response, I might be "beating a dead horse". Of course not literally!
I'll tell you first that my wife and I have a beautiful Havanese named Leroy, that is the proverbial light of our life. My daughter Courtney Newlin (see earlier post) received Leroy from Lynda. As a newlywed, she was unable to give Leroy the attention he so much wanted and needed, so Grandma and Grandpa adopted him. :-) Leroy is a handsome, healthy. smart and such a loving young dog. He has become the adopted son of our two older dogs and never fails to shower us with love and affection. He has truly been a blessing to us, and that's coming from a man that didn't like small dogs. :-)
Leroy has been so very healthy, but there have been a few times when he baffled us with something that wasn't common with our other dogs. Lynda was never more than a phone call away. She was never too busy, never put out with our call (and I'm sure she rolled her eyes on some of them), and ALWAYS took a keen interest with the right answer. Not only that, she'd follow up several times after our initial call just to make sure all was OK. We felt like we had a dog breeder on our personal retainer. Now that's being spoiled!
So why am I writing this? We love Leroy and most everything that could be said, has been said? The problem is the last post, in which too much was said! I know Leroy and Lynda Denson (yes we named our Havanese after Lynda's husband), and have for several years. We went to church with the Densons. We know of the love she puts into her animals. She's not running a puppy mill, she's raising someone's future best friend right now! Lynda has made gifts of dogs that could have sold for a lot of money, because her heart and her soul are right. In fact, I'm sure she could make a good amount of money on her pups if those two things weren't always in the way (heart and soul).
Lynda and Leroy Denson are good Christian people. I only wish I had half the relationship with God that Lynda has. Maybe someday?
So what was wrong with the last post. It's written about a Christian by a Christian. But there is so much anger, lack of forgiveness, lack of trust and just plain pain in the words. Isn't it past time to stop this now. I don't mean to be pompous, but wouldn't our Lord and Savior expect that? Isn't it time to start enjoying what we have? Maybe everyone should give their wonderful Havanese dogs a hearty hug and get on with life! Bitterness is a terrible disease that will sooner or later eat through the most health soul. God bless each and every one of you!
Tom Slater
Lynda of Kansas Mini Havanese must have gathered her friends and family to post such angelic descriptions of her but the fact of the matter is that there are no such things as "mini" or "teeny tiny" Havanese, just as there are no such things as "tea cup" poodles. The AKC would never accept such a "breeder" for membership who claims to have mini or teeny tiny pure bred dogs. This is very much frowned upon by true Kennel Club breed standards. It is simply unhealthy to breed runts and runts and runts. Liver shunts, hypoglycemia, heart problems, thyroid problems are just a few of the problems that are prevalent in dogs that are bred improperly like this. Think about it. There are Havanese that are properly bred which meet AKC standards well and weigh about 8-9 pounds. The price of such well-bred Havanese are about $[protected]. Lynda is selling them at $3000 or $3500! That's insane. Do you people understand how ripped off you're getting? You are paying double the price or more for dogs that are poorly bred. Yes, I said "poorly bred". Dogs that are well-bred require health tests of all breeding stock. For Havanese, this includes Patella certification and CERF. CERF is a test by an ophthalmologist who checks for cataracts and other genetic eye disorders/defects. A good breeder, a reputable breeder does CERF testing every year. Does Lynda get this done for her dogs? Think about it. Why pay double or more the price because of the tricky advertising of "mini" or "teeny tiny" Havanese when you don't even know what kind of genetic disorders are in their pedigree line? It's not smart. If you want a small Havanese and you want a healthy one, then you find a breeder who is a true "good" breeder of Havanese who is a member of the AKC and who abides by the rules of the AKC and you most importantly does the proper health tests on all their dogs. Don't get fooled. Stop and think: Why is Lynda not a registered breeder with the AKC? Would they even accept someone who sells "teeny tiny" Havanese? NOPE>
Six years ago, we began our search for a Maltese.We read that there was no such thing as a teacup ...we did not know if this was true or not-as we had no expereience.
We fell for the cutest one pound Maltese pup---whose breeder labeled as teacup. We loved his little face, were ready for a dog, so we bought him.
Six years later, he is happy, healthy, adorable, and only 3 pounds. I guess he is living proof of a healthy, teacup maltese. He has never had a problem. Ever.
Do some breeders tell people that a dog will remain teeny tiny and then they grow to be standard size? Yes. And that is wrong---just because the buyer most likely paid more for the smaller size.
BUT, are there healthy teeny dogs that are under the standard size of a particular breed? Yes, there are.
So I disagree with the above posting.
Also---from what I understand the AKC only recognizes the standard size of certain breeds. So, if the breeder in question does not have these pups recognized by the AKC, it is due to them being smaller than the standard size, right?
This is unimportant to me---as I am interested in a dog as pet; not for breeding or showing.
I am currently fostering a mini-Havanese from this breeder through a rescue organization. The dog is wonderful; however, this dog does have health concerns as a young dog should not have test results of high bile liver acids as well as ALT. I would recommend anyone who is seriously considering a purchase from this breeder to request for a bile acid test as well as ALT test prior to purchasing a puppy.
Lynda Denson is a kind person who would never try to trick you. You just purchased a teeny tiny doggy. That could have happened to anyone. Just because it's pure breed does not mean it won't ever have problems. You need to face the facts, you bought a dog from someone, and something bad happened, so you have to blame it on someone. Blame it on yourself. Not Lynda.
A few years ago I decided we were ready for a dog and knew given our lifestyle we needed a dog around 10 lbs. Our friends had a mini goldendoodle that I fell in love with, but still that breed was too big for us. I did a lot of research, about 2 mos worth on small breeds and really liked what I read about the Havanese. I found Wheat State Havanese and now we have Lolly a black and white bundle of love! She was supposed to be a mini, but she is actually 10.5 lbs. When she was 10 mos old she developed Patella Luxation, I think that's how you spell it. I contacted Lynda right after the vet visit confirming this and she was devastated. Evidently, Lolly was the first of any of her puppies to have this. Lynda offered to pay for 1/2 the surgery and give me another puppy free, both of which I declined. She did, however require that I send her pictures of the x-rays, etc., which I did unlike Penny Warren who never provided Lynda w/any sort of vet bill or explanation from a vet. I told Lynda that just like human babies, dog babies don't always come perfect and she had done everything possible to ensure I had bought a healthy puppy to begin w/and this wasn't in her realm of responsibility. It's very common for small breeds to have this condition and when I bought this dog, just like when I had my children, there were no guarantees that they would be trouble free. One thing I would like to point out further about Penny is that she admitted to having her puppy in a park, when he was very young, perhaps he ate something or was exposed to something before he had completed his vaccinations that made him sick. That was the one thing my vet stressed so strongly to me when I first got Lolly was to not take her to parks or on walks where she could pick some illness up before she had completed her vaccinations, which I did. And Lynda not letting anyone come to her house may have had to do w/the fact her husband was a tour bus driver and was only home a few weeks a year and she was just protecting herself being alone and too many other breeders only allow you to come to the place of breeding when you are ready to pick you puppy up due to the Parvo virus. Too many breeders have lost a whole litter b/c they allowed people to come see their puppies and Parvo was tracked in on shoes or whatever. Whatever the case w/why Lynda runs her business the way she does is her business and if you choose to do business w/her then you are responsible for that choice. It's become very evident in our country today that it is too easy to not take responsibility for our actions or decisions and forget accountability, let's just make our problems someone else's. If Lynda were really selling unhealthy, runts then there would be more complaints w/the interenet than just this one. She has puppies in 40 states and Puerto Rico and Canada, that's a lot of puppies and w/just one complaint and a bad one at that, that's a pretty good track record. Most business owners only wish they could boast those statistics, but then if most business owners ran their business like Lynda does hers, then maybe they could!
I don't know about the complaint or the story but that breeders don't allow people in their homes because of theft? WHAT A RIDICULOUS CLAIM! Sounds like something a non reputable breeder would say. I've spoken to quite a few reputable breeders and have never heard of such a thing! Actually, it is suggested on every website that explains how to find a reputable dog breeder that a HUGE red flag is when you can't see the home of the breeder. Afraid of theft? Well for $1, 4000 a pup (minimum) invest in an alarm system. This comment upset me because it just gives home ran puppy mill an excuse to not show the environment in which the dogs are raised and another loop-hole to avoid getting caught.
We have two of Lynda's dogs. We couldn't be happier. We have also met other customers wino have purchased dogs from Lynda. No complaints from them, either. I can assure you, Lynda cares about each and every dog she has.
Simple rule of thumb is that if a "breeder" won't let you see the puppy in situ with the mother there is something seriously wrong. I know this breeder and would not trust her.
I purchased a little havanese puppy from Ms. Denson 3 years ago who was 7 months old at the time.
I have spent most of the last 3 years trying to help him overcome a terrible start In life.
He would jump at the slightest noise, he was extremely defensive and couldn't "cuddle" because he didn't trust anyone.
He takes moves in his direction clearly as aggressive and gets very agitated and defensive. He could not relax when held close to my body, despite me patting him and verbally assuring him he was loved and safe.
The only place he would let his guard down was while he was in his kennel. He obviously was much more comfortable there than anywhere.
He doesn't chew to clean his teeth and work off anxiety like every other dog I've ever known. Now he has dental issues because he must never have had proper items to chew as a puppy.
This poor little creature was never loved or socialized like a puppy would be if he had been included in a healthy environment as a baby.
I overlooked all the red flags, including my vet saying the dog did not have normal muscle mass and was significantly underweight when he was examined upon delivery. His comments included the fact that he must have come from a dog farm where puppies are treated and caged like livestock rather than little creatures to be nurtured and loved.
I've thought long and hard about this disclosure after all this time, but every time I think of someone paying $3500 for a poor little creature who wasn't even fed enough to grow normally as a puppy it breaks my heart.
My teenie puppy has improved in trust with me, but continues to be extremely afraid and anxious in public and even with anyone who might come to our home.
I'm a retired person who has spent a lot of time for the past 3 YEARS trying to undo the neglect and/or abuse this poor little guy obviously endured while in the care of Kansas Havanese.
There is no doubt in my mind that the physical and emotional situation my poor little guy came from was not the loving and nurturing picture Ms Denson paints on her website.
Even looking at old pictures on her website it show many puppies who look dirty and matted if you look at them closely.
Boy, did I miss the red flags. Truly, one of my biggest regrets, ever.
Maybe we were really lucky but I am so thankful to Lynda! She has been a pleasure to talk to and this is my first “small dog” and she guided me through patiently giving endless info about the breed to assure we matched to a puppy for my family needs. Suki is an amazing loving dog. Everybody in the neighborhood loves her including the vet who said she is super healthy. Like another person said, dogs are living creatures and are not guaranteed to be healthy. I do however felt that Lynda cared for the outcome of Suki even after the sale took place. I still talk to her about Suki and give her updates. I have never met her. She sent Suki to Philadelphia via a pet flight and the transport was really easy and safe. We are so happy with our ball of furry love! I thought Lynda was very easy to talk to, thoughtful, and very caring. The complaints to me did not sound like the Lynda I communicated with.