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Very heartbreaking! Do not trust what's advertised or stated.Ms. Basinger cancelled sales agreement contract within 24 hours of scheduled pick up of puppy. Ms. Basinger stated she had “serious concerns wether or not you will be financially able to provide for this puppy". This was a result of my request that the puppy’s immunizations be updated according to the promise of “current vaccinations” in the advertisement & per the website’s stated " strict vaccination & worming schedule". Ms. Basinger contended that once I had paid the deposit for this puppy it’s healthcare was my financial responsibility not hers. I disagreed & voiced my opinion that it was the seller’s responsibility to provide updated vaccinations according to statements per advertisement & website & per the date of ready agreed upon. As a result, Ms. Basinger refunded my deposit effectively cancelling the agreed upon contract within 24 hours of picking up puppy.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I think it was a blessing on your part. Just a couple weeks ago my husband and I were wanting to drive over and pick up a male and female shihpoo from her for our 9yr. old son. I emailed her and asked her about Brutus and Sophie, and told her I would get back to her within an hour. She said no problem. My husband called her to advise her of our traveling plans and tell her which two we wanted for sure, and she sold Sophie right out from under us. No apology or anything. Still we were willing to go pick up Brutus. She was completely uninterested in making the sale for some reason. Said her daughter had a birthday party that Sat. morning and the only way she'd make the sale was in a Mcdonald's parking lot. I asked her if any of her customers ever wanted to see the parents of these puppies as we did...and she then went on to tell me that she never lets anyone come to her home because that was a privacy issue for her. She basically ratted on herself at the end of our conversation and said that she didn't allow people to come to her home because the next thing she knows ABC news will be knocking on her door asking about her puppy mill...and that nobody would understand unless they were breeders. I have been watching her website and I believe she is nothing but a puppy mill now. There were several red flags to me that something was wrong. I wouldn't buy from her. Ever.
If i am asked to hold a puppy for a client past the age of ready which is usually 8 weeks of age then i am basicly boarding a puppy and any vaccinations are the responsibility of the clients. If a puppy is not ready to be released then i will assume responsibility for vaccinations. I provided the first vaccination for juanitas puppy at six weeks of age. The puppy was ready to go at eight weeks but she did not want to come and pick her puppy
up until it was nine weeks old and she expected me to provide the nine week vaccination at my expense. I guess i could have kept her puppy until it was old enough to have had all the puppy shots at my expense. I refunded her the deposits because i had concerns for the welfare of the puppy. My first priority will always be my puppies.
G
Now in response to the second complaint. No i do not let strangers who contact me online come to my home. I have small children and i live very rural. It is not a matter of hiding anything it is a matter of safety and what i am comfortable with. My husband works alot and is often not home during the hours that clients would want to come and pick up their puppies. I offered to meet Elane at McDonalds because my daughter had a ball game that morning and i thought it was a convient place. Elane took everything i said way out of context. When she contacted me about the puppies she was interested in I asked her if she would like to put a deposit down on the puppies. She said she would need to speak with her husband. I sold the puppy to another client before she contacted me back and she was upset. I can only hold a puppy with a secure deposit. Just because a breeder is not comfortable with letting strangers come to their home does not make them a puppymill. This term is used incorrectly by so many people. Puppymill is a term to describe a filthy noncaring breeder cares nothing for the dogs. A puppymill breeder does not care who they sell a puppy to. They offer no kind of guarantee on the puppies they sell. The do not try to work with a client once a puppy is sold. They do not post instructions on thier website concerning the next 48 hours once a puppy is sold because they do not care about the next 48 hours. I found this board by accident and i am defending myself when i have done nothing wrong. It is heartbreaking to know that people will attack other people without just cause. If these complaints were in regards to the welfare of the puppies health or if they were more than just blind accusations then they are justifiable but this is nothing more than a witch hunt. Now here are three types of people who unjustly will attack someone and go so far as to actually make unfounded false accusations online. Is it any wonder that breeders are reluctant to let strangers come to thier home. You never know what kind of nut job you are dealing with. Please visit my website www.poshpuppylove.com and after reviewing my site if you feel i am a puppymill then please call me. Thank you
Then SHOW the video of the pups and their parents, and your kennel. SHOW that, because that isn't opening your home to strangers, BUT when you do have 50-100 breeding dogs, well, maybe that is WHY you don't want people coming to see, because people that are actually DOG people, would be heartbroken seeing what you are doing. In it for the $$$ that is all. IF NOT, then show a video, PLEASE. PROVE ME WRONG MISSY
If you didn't mean to stir the honey pot then why did you comment on somthing you know nothing about. You do not know me and to go as far as to tell someone to call the police on me. Are you serious? Who are you and what kind of person says things like that. I am sorry screening a client over the phone or thru email does not constitute enough trust that i am willing to open my home to them. People can say what they want and it is not feasible nor realistic for me to hop on a plane and interview a client in person before i agree to sell them a puppy. Do you have any suggestions on how i may improve my screening process because you seem to be such an expert on how reputable breeders should do things. I guess only reputable breeders can go that extra mile is that what you are saying? A few years ago a young girl only 14 years old in a small rural town (Greenbrier Arkansas) just like mine less than 30 minutes from where i live was kidnapped, raped, tortured, and then murdered by someone who contacted her online. Guess what she had put her trust in him. You can see it however you want and it does not matter to me how you look at it. My family comes first always. I am an RN and i have had a ring side seat to tragedy and what people are capable of doing. My reasons are my reasons and i feel that i have justified them enough.. On one last note There is a leap of faith that a breeder who sells online must take when approving a forever home for a puppy they sell. Yes they hope that things are as they appear to be but honestly how much trust can be establish thru phone conversations. Anyone with any sense can understand that. Yes i will turn a family away if i have my doughts and i do screen my clients the best i can. I do care about where my pups go and i always have their best interest at heart. I care about my family more. The day i turn my HOME into a pet store or a petting zoo will be the day i put a sign in my yard saying "OPEN TO THE PUBLIC"
Hello Jon. I heard you have this fascination of some fictional character from the NBC sitcom (The Office) Bob Vance from Vance refrigeration.
If you have any questions or concerns about me, my policies or my dogs please contact me directly. Thank you
Oh ME, ME! WHERE is the VIDEO of your PUPS and their PARENTS Missy? Come on, because I will not stop here. I will keep asking, until you post something. Although, you have changed your email address and puppy mill business name SO many times, you probably wont even see this. SHOW THE VIDEO
Bought a Bichon Frise from Missy has today. I had never met her, talked on the phone yesterday. Read these comments and thought? However, I went to her house, saw her puppies, and was very impressed! She is NOT a puppy mill, everything was top of the line and obviously had well loved puppies. Just wanted to share eye witness comment to reassure anyone who might have questions. WandaC
First off, this is also a lie, she will NOT allow you to her home. Another FAKE review. Boy she must have a lot of family to keep writing all this crap for her. No video of the pups and parents, no video to show her 50-100 breeding dogs. No videos to show where she drops off and picks up pups from other puppy mill breeding family members. And so top of the line? THAT she has had to change her reputable business name at least 3-4 times in the last 9 years. WHERE is the VIDEO MELISSA?
sad person didn't get pup BUT if they have enough time to bash someone on this site then they have time to look for another breeder. personally, Ms. Basinger was the only one of 4 that i contacted that responded to my every question and called when i asked her to call, answered when i called or called me back relatively quickly. Like the man said, you got your money back, shame on you for bashing people! i bet you don't even wave to folks that let you in front of them on the road. Maybe you need to get a hobby, go to church more. Life is too short to post on the internet when YOU FEEL you're having a bad day! Let's give more thanks and praise for what is going on good in life than to focus so much on "your idea" of the negative. I've had a 150% positive experience with this breeder and would recommend her to ANYONE and EVERYONE i know.
Fake review, she doesn't answer every question, can't get photos of the pups right away because all of them are NOT in her possession. No videos of the [censored] or the Sire, ever. Puppy Mill 100%, and has changed the name of her puppy mill business at least 3 times. Acting like she is a big church going person my [censored]. Someone like that, who would abuse animals just for the money, is NOT a believer. She is a believer in $$$ and that is all.
This is a lie! She is Short with people and does not go out of her way for anything. You are someone that personally knows this woman, hence what you wrote. If you know her so well, get her to put a video walking from the outside of her kennel, so we can all see if it is the one we can see on google maps. Show the pups with the parents. Then maybe more people can have a 150%? (not possible, no such thing) experience. Oh yes, and since this was written 9 years ago, why has such a church going woman changed the name of her puppy mill business 3 times? No video, no proof, 100% LIAR
I bought a puppy from this breeder and my puppy had a lot of problems the first few months we had him. Plus some deformities that she did not mention to me. It was my fault for not noticing them when I bought him, but I could not tell that from the picture and it was late at night when I picked him up. The vet told me that his health problems were probably a result of dirty puppy mill conditions or having way too many puppies. I cannot verify or deny that since I never saw the conditions he was raised. The vet bills cost me a lot of money, but we love him so much that we just wanted him to get healthy. I have to say that his temperament is great and now that we made him all healthy he seems to be doing good. This is my personal experience with buying a dog from her.
I will not go back and purchase another dog from this lady.
I called to inquire about a brown female yorkie poo named jasmine on a saturday, told melissa I wanted the pup, she asked me to email her some info via her website which I did, but I never heard back from her on sunday as she stated. I called her again monday morning, and she said she was off to the vet to get jasmine's shots so she could ship her out on wed. I asked her if she could send me some recent photos with jasmine and a white piece of paper in the shot with my name on it so that I know the photos were recent, and I asked her to send me a paypal request for the money. Come 7pm I hadn't gotten the pics, a call or the request for the money, so I emailed her again. She responded after 10pm... With 2 photos (none with the paper with my name in them) and I still hadn't gotten the paypal request... What I did get was an email saying that she could not afford to pay the vet bills and put them in my name until I paid for the dog, and that she had booked the flight though and if I wanted the pup I needed to make a payment by 9am in the morning ... I told her if she couldn't send me a pic with my name in it I'd have to pass... She responded rudely by saying "I can't believe this" well that's ok I have another lady who wants her anyways ... I already sent her the pics and told her she could have the pup... When I offered her another suggestion ... She said too late I already told the other lady she could have the pup... Very unprofessional, and very rude ... For no apparent reason at all ...
Still the same to this day, August 2021. Never a video with the [censored] & Sire and absolutely positively NEVER a video with the [censored] and the pups. She sells the females off in groups of 3-5 and ONE male. She doesn't care about these dogs, and yet says oh they are so precious, oh they are so cute. The noises she makes in her videos to get the pups attention, because all they know is a tiny little cage, probably just wire on the bottom at that. They shake and look around because they don't know where they are at. This woman IS A PUPPY MILL. She is a disgrace. Come on Melissa, WHERE ARE THE VIDEOS OF these dogs, when you go through all those Southern State on your route that you have, where are you dropping puppies? WHAT pet stores do you dump your dogs off at, and all your puppy mill family members that you pick up from along the way. I think her puppy flight nanny is family too, because I asked if they HAD EVER BEEN TO WHERE SHE KEEPS HER DOGS< and low and behold, NO RESPONSE> yep, these freaking thangs ALL WORK TOGETHER. It is ALL about the money, and NOTHING ELSE TO THEM.
This is how melissa talks to her customers, when all I asked was for some photos taken of the dog I was buying with a white piece of paper with my name on it in the frame, as the tips on the puppy site suggest: "My son is in the bed now! If i was going to just send you a random photo that i already had don't you think i would have gotten it to you earlier like this morning when you first asked. The reason i was not able to send a photo untill 8pm was because i did not take it until he got home from school today and then my daughters came to visit brought dinner and we ate and i just got down to the computer. These are her current photos what you wanted to see was what she looks like as of now and that is what i sent. I have already emailed the other lady and told her that she could have her. If she decides not to take her i will let you know and i will have my husband help me with another photo. It will be next week before i will be able to ship her if the other family decides not to get her as i will not have time to get her vet checked if i miss her appointment in the morning.
Melissa
Show the videos melissa of the pups and their [censored]> you will not do it. she just avoids it like the plague. she will not show you! then when you question her, she wont sell to you, because she knows she is a puppy mill! no videos of the [censored] with their pups ever. posh puppy love, havanse whatever and cutie poo pups, puppy mill puppy mill puppy mill
Here is melissa's email that came after 10pm... Mind u I spoke to her at 9am and she told me she was headed to the vet... Now in this email she didn't go, and is asking me for money by 9am the next day, and I hadn't even been invoiced yet: " Sorry for the delay. I was not available to take photos today so had to wait until this evening. I did not take her to the vet this morning because i had not been paid for her and i cannot afford to get all the health papers made out in a clients name unless i know for sure they are getting the puppy. I will have to take her tomorrow but will need payment before i leave in the am around 9:00. I do understand about wanting to see photos i was just not able to get any until late today. I did get a flight booked on delta airlines flight # 1776 arrives into atlanta at 3:23pm on the 17th." -- I guess she couldn't pay for shots, but somehow booked the pups flight...
Has a puppy mill business that is why she can't get all the photos, and or no videos of the pups with their [censored]. she will never show the parents in a video, because they are overbred, and not taken care of. she is a liar, puppy mill business, with the rest of her family members. no video of the pups and their [censored], don't buy from her< you are supporting a puppy mill here.
First of all i would like to start this post off by apologizing to whom ever wrote the post in the name of Iovemyfamily. I have no idea who this person is or what puppy she recieved from me. To my knowledge i have not been contacted personally by the person. I was not given the opportunity to discuss her puppy with her or even address the issues she is saying her puppy had. To whom ever you are i apologize and please contact me as i would like to discuss this with you further. Thank you
I hate these blogs. They are very harmful and disturbing. Things get lost in translation and a one sided story can be painted however you want it to be. This is an apology to Curtis if i came across as rude or unprofessional. There was alot of misunderstandings between me and Curtis as the emails he was recieving from me were not being opened in the proper order. I will attach the last email i wrote to Curtis this morning trying to explain my policy and procedure and exactly what had happened. I have since spoke to Curtis over the phone and the miscommunications have been worked out. He told me he was going to take the comments off this blog but i guess he could not. I was hoping he would at least let everyone know what had happened once everything was ironed out. Here is my last email to Curtis
"That is just it Curtis I booked a flight for you I then sent a invoice to you that ihad no idea did not go thru until you told me later that night. I then had to leave for the day. Came home had my son hold the puppy so i could take some photos. Was having a real hard time making the paper stand up so just took it out of the photo not thinking it was a big deal at all. Met with my daughters had dinner and then sent the photos to you. Just for clarification the vet appointment was to get a health certificate in your name for travel it was not for vaccinations. She has already had those. That is why i have to be paid before i can get the health certificate because they are individual for each client. I just have to get things done in an order. The reason i told you i would have to be paid by 9am was because the rescheduled vet appointment was at 10am and without payment i could not get a health certificate issued to you. Without a health certificate she can not fly. It was no more no less. I did the best i could with the time i had and my busy schedule yesterday. You gave me the option of the sign or just forgetting it so due to the complications of it all i opted to forget it. It is very difficult to get all the details worked out for a puppies flight in one day. That is why i usually ask for at least three. You had contacted me over the weekend but since i never got an email from you i figured you were not interested in her. So i did my best yesterday to get it all worked out. You left a comment on the complaints board about me and left it out there for people to assume i do not give my puppies vaccinations. Why would you do that Curtis? If you own your own business then you are aware of how damaging stupid blogs like these can be. Did i really deserve that. Tone do emails have tones. Tone gets lost in email. I am sorry Curtis that this did not work out with Jasmine. You gave me an option to either comply to your will or back out of the deal. I made my choice. You are upset with my choice so decided to act in a harmful way. Not fair!
Melissa
Melissa and I have talked, we worked everything out. After all we went through, I'd say forgo the emails and text and just pick up the phone. Once I said what I had to say and Melissa spoke her piece, we realized 2 things, she wasn't getting my emails and texts and I wasn't getting hers. I have my new pup, my wife and I are happy.
Wow! I am absolutely appalled at the lies you are saying about Melissa and her dogs. You are all bold face liars that have obviously had everyone cater to you in life. After working with Melissa to get a puppy from her, I truly believe you have all taken a situation that was very honest and straight forward and turned it around to blame her as you didn't get your way. Her puppies are of amazing quality and personality. I called her a year ago now to purchase a female from her. She asked me several questions about what kind of dog I was looking for as far as size, quality(show or pet), color, disposition, hair, etc. We spent several conversations discussing my home as well as her breeding knowledge to ensure both of us felt comfortable with each other. I wanted a dog that was not raised in a kennel and had no socialization. She wanted to make sure we were a family that could afford to properly care for the pet before we purchased it. There are several expenses to raising a pet besides the normal vet cost (food, grooming, toys, treats, etc) The female that I initially fell in love with ended up not being the best choice for our family and Melissa was very upfront with us. While the family wanting a wonderful pet would have been very happy with this female, she knew I wanted a dog with perfect teeth. I didn't want one that would have teeth turn or shift as the adult teeth came in. She took her to the vet several times and she had a wonderful bite but at the last visit found that she may have one tooth come in crooked. My daughter was going to use her for showing so we needed perfection. Missy called us right away and apologized but gave us different options right away. She could have very easily sent the female to me and we wouldn't have realized it until she was closer to 6 months of age, but she was too honest to do that. I have nothing but the upmost respect to her as a breeder. The lineage is amazing. The dogs were all DNA tested to verify there was nothing but purebred dogs in her line by AKC. Besides the facts that she has several generations to go back on genetics with.
To Ms. James: seriously you are going to complain because she wouldn't hold a dog for you to make up your mind if you wanted it or not. Her main goal it get her puppies in loving homes. So she holds the dog for you and then you decide not to get it... then she just lost the sale and the next person has gone on to find another dog. I wouldn't hold a dog for anyone that was not serious enough to put a deposit on the dog either. You don't walk into Walmart and tell them to hold a TV for you without a deposit/layaway, so why would you expect someone to hold a dog for you without a deposit... Oh I get it ... you expect to be catered to. Life doesn't work that way.
THUD: Now seriously, you obviously don't have a working brain cell... or don't care about your family safety. For you to meet someone on line and invite them onto your property puts your entire family at risk. I work in a city ER as a nurse and see deals go bad every day in fact several times a day. I commend Missy for protecting her family. If you are concerned about buying a dog from a breeder, contact the local police/sheriff department and ask them about the conditions of an establishment. If a breeder has nothing to hide, which I know Missy doesn't just with the several conversations I have had with her, she would have no problem with the officers to come inspect the property and give you a follow up report. They will be upfront and honest with you . Maybe you don't believe in protecting your family or yourself and that is your choice but people on the internet can make themselves to be anyone that they want to be. There a easy ways to check on a breeder but without a thorough background check on an individual you are setting yourself up to be injured.
LUVMYFAMILY: I have only one thing to say to you...LIAR LIAR LIAR. You are going to hell for telling false statements about someone. First of all, you really expect me to believe you picked up a brand new puppy in the dark and didn't turn a light on to inspect the dog the entire ride home, BULL. Second, Missy is way to cautious to meet someone in the dark. Have you not read her blogs above... she doesn't let people on her property for fear of the crazy people in the world so now you expect us to believe that she is going to leave in the late evening/ dark to do an exchange. Thirdly, She is way to good of a breeder to breed deformed dogs. None of her dogs that she uses to breed have deformities in the line. She breeds to perfect the breed and stay within AKC standards. She doesn't just throw two dogs together to see what she comes up with as many other breeders do. So you better get your facts straight as you owe her an apology or you will find yourself in a very HOT place later on.
Ceedee3: Honestly I think you owe her an apology. You attempted to ruin her reputation and have damaged it to some extent because of your blog. You need to tell the entire truth and admit you were wrong. I know there is much more to the story than you want to admit. I am sure able to read through those lines.
Finally, Missy keep up the great work. I love my little girl and will definitely call you when we are ready for another pet. I have sent many people your way as I know the quality of dogs you produce. She is a wonderful dog that is perfect in everyway. You did a wonderful job getting us the exact dog we wanted.
SO if you know Missy SO WELL, convince her to put up a video of her "kennel" with the parents and the pups. Oh yes, and why you are at it, WHY has she changed the name of her up and up business several times? Please get a hold of your friend ASAP, and have her do this, to show how mush she cares about her pups. No video, I will never believe a word that this woman says, EVER.
I saw this blog after I purchased a maltipoo puppy from Melissa. It was actually right after I picked him up from the airport. I live in Cleveland, Ohio so I had to rely totally on my conversations with Melissa. This blog really made me question if I had made a mistake buying from her. I viewed the video she had posted of the two little male puppies, at least 20 times, trying to reassure myself this puppy was actually the one I purchased. I contacted the vet that signed the certificate, which was included on the crate with the puppy. She assured me Melissa is in there often with her puppies and if there was anything wrong with the pup, the vet would not allow the puppy to be sent. Melissa contacted me immediately after her vet called her, telling her of my concern. There is no way to be 100% positive without being able to visit the kennel myself. I can tell you I received an adorable little male who seemed very well adjusted after his long trip from Arkansas. I purchased a male golden-doodle several years ago and when I picked up that puppy, he was so traumatized from the 3 flights he had to take to get him to Ohio, he still has issues in the car. This little guy I got from Melissa on Wednesday was very happy to see me, had no problem eating when we got home and was just as happy running around as any puppy I have ever had. As far as I'm concerned, this male maltipoo is well adjusted, beautiful little pup.
I wish I would have found this blog a week ago! Melissa advertised a price for a male maltipoo, I called to reserve, very excited! My kids and I watched the video, fell in love, started coming up with names . . . only to get an email later in the evening that the actual price of the puppy was nearly DOUBLE what was advertised . . . after several emails and a phone conversation, we will NEVER do business with this breeder. She claims the advertised price I saw (on several websites) was incorrectly posted, and in fact the sale price was $350 dollars MORE than was advertised. So . . . at Christmas time, and extra $350 is not in the budget, which I explained to my tearful kids why we couldn't get the puppy we were so excited about. She was difficult to deal with, and I explained where we saw the advertised prices, and why we were unable to purchase the puppy. I informed her I would be leaving a review of our experience with her company, to which she replied I was threatening her . . . I am a disappointed mom, but not threatening, I only wish to warn others to confirm price of dog before proceeding, actually I would urge potential customers to find another reputable breeder. We found a wonderful breeder in Missouri - they are WONDERFUL, and saved our holiday (we found a perfect puppy for our family there)
It is very difficult to respond to this post in a professional manner. I am going to post the emails between Teena and myself to show how I dealt with the situation as fairly as I could afford to. Yes it was Christmas and my kids want presents just like everyone else. I run a business not a charity program. Here are the emails:
I'm sorry, I need to confirm the price for Eli before I place a deposit. I've seen several sites with various different prices for Eli. What is the current price for him. I'm afraid $800 is way above our budget . . . Thank you.
Teena Gold
Yes i do apologize for this my daughter posted the puppies for me over the weekend and she made a mistake. I have some little cream boys that are in your price range and a little white girl that is $500. Thank you
Melissa
No thankyou, but I will be leaving an online review for the service received from Posh Puppy Love.
Teena I have done nothing to you it was an oversight on the price of the puppy. I am sorry for the confusion. What are you upset with me about. I am not refusing to sell you the puppy. You are more than welcome to purchase Eli.
Melissa
We want to buy him, although we can only afford the price we thought he was ($450), not at $800. I specifically was only looking at puppies we could afford so I wouldn't get my kids' hopes up for something we couldn't buy. I'm upset you aren't standing behind the advertised price if the puppy ($450). (regardless if the mistake, it is my children who are having to learn the difficult lesson that some people don't stand behind what they say) I'm only going to warn others that your company doesn't stand behind your word. I would have appreciated the same warning. It would have prevented the tears I'm dealing with tonight.
Teena
I am sorry about all this confusion. I cannot afford to sell this puppy for $450 but i will meet you in the middle and make you an offer of $600. It was a total oversight a common mistake. The price on ebay classifieds is set up where you can only enter in one price. I had various prices on the pups as the little solid black and white ones sell for less than the black and white parti ones and this is a harder color to get in a maltipoo. That is why i direct people to my website prior to purchasing a dog so that they can see the price of each individual puppy and i leave all my contact info so that they can contact me as well. In no way am i trying to scam anyone. I did not take a deposit from you and then up the price of the dog that would be the scam and poor service. If you are interested in my offer let me know. Again i do apologize for the confusion. I am not an unreasonable or mean person but just like everyone else i do make mistakes and so does my company. I feel my offer is fair and just like you told me damaging reviews do hurt one business weather they are justified or not. I am making you this offer as compensation for my mistake and the confusion it has created. Thank you
Melissa
That is just it the mistake in the price was not my word. It was the word of my confused daughter on a search engine website that was directing you to visit my companies website www.poshpuppylove.com and the price of the dog was listed on my website www.poshpuppylove.com for $800. That was the advertised price of my company posh puppies located on the posh puppies website the website of my company. Now had the price been $450 on my website and then i jacked it up once i realized you were interested in the puppy then there is where posh puppies would have been dishonest and not standing behind my word. I had made you an offer of $600 which is $200 less than my asking price on my posh puppies website for the puppy and explained to you why you saw $500 on ebay which was an average price for the litter not an individual price for each puppy. There again people were directed to visit my website www.poshpuppylove.com If you are interested in the offer let me know. Thank you
Melissa
Melissa, I am not unreasonable either, frustrated I didn't confirm the price before I let the kids get crazy excited, then really disappointed, while I explained that $800 is not in our budget to buy a dog, especially right now. I have been searching for another puppy that would fit our needs, and successfully found another black and white male maltipoo in our price range. Problem solved. I really appreciate your willingness to meet me in the middle. Earlier on the phone, I was at my son's practice, and was admittedly frustrated with the situation, but I didn't get the impression you cared for the roller coaster emotion of kids getting a puppy at Christmas time, only to find out, nope, sorry it costs nearly double. Thank you for your offer, I appreciate it, and I offer my apologies for being overly frustrated, and rude. Have a nice holiday,
Teena
Great i am glad you found a puppy that will fit your needs. Teena it is not that i do not care about kids and their emotions i have five of my own but when you are being threaten and attacked it is very difficult but to feel anyway except offended and defensive. That is the emotion you were getting from me not a lack of caring for your childrens feelings. That is also why i wanted to call and speak with you so that somthing could be worked out. That is why i followed up with the email so i could finish what i wanted to offer over the phone. I hope your Holiday is a good one.
Melissa
These were the last two emails between me and Mrs Gold. These emails were sent and recieved on the 4th of December. Two days later on the 6th she writes this review. Little confused aren't you? If you read any of these reviews and have questions or dought please give me the opportunity to defend myself before passing judgment. Please remember there are always two sides to every story. That is why i always keep my emails between my clients and myself. Now you can see for yourself the conversation I had with Teena.
Melissa Posh Puppies
The best way i know to respond to the complaint about me from Teena Gold (honeybunches) is to post the email conversations i had with her.
I'm sorry, I need to confirm the price for Eli before I place a deposit. I've seen several sites with various different prices for Eli. What is the current price for him. I'm afraid $800 is way above our budget . . . Thank you.
Teena Gold
He is $800. I am not sure what site you saw him at that is less. I will recheck the sites and the prices. Sorry for the confusion.
Melissa
Yes i do apologize for this my daughter posted the puppies for me over the weekend and she made a mistake. I have some little cream boys that are in your price range and a little white girl that is $500. Thank you
Melissa
Teena I have done nothing to you it was an oversight on the price of the puppy. I am sorry for the confusion. What are you upset with me about. I am not refusing to sell you the puppy. You are more than welcome to purchase Eli.
Melissa
We want to buy him, although we can only afford the price we thought he was ($450), not at $800. I specifically was only looking at puppies we could afford so I wouldn't get my kids' hopes up for something we couldn't buy. I'm upset you aren't standing behind the advertised price if the puppy ($450). (regardless if the mistake, it is my children who are having to learn the difficult lesson that some people don't stand behind what they say) I'm only going to warn others that your company doesn't stand behind your word. I would have appreciated the same warning. It would have prevented the tears I'm dealing with tonight.
Teena
I am sorry about all this confusion. I cannot afford to sell this puppy for $450 but i will meet you in the middle and make you an offer of $600. It was a total oversight a common mistake. The price on ebay classifieds is set up where you can only enter in one price. I had various prices on the pups as the little solid black and white ones sell for less than the black and white parti ones and this is a harder color to get in a maltipoo. That is why i direct people to my website prior to purchasing a dog so that they can see the price of each individual puppy and i leave all my contact info so that they can contact me as well. In no way am i trying to scam anyone. I did not take a deposit from you and then up the price of the dog that would be the scam and poor service. If you are interested in my offer let me know. Again i do apologize for the confusion. I am not an unreasonable or mean person but just like everyone else i do make mistakes and so does my company. I feel my offer is fair and just like you told me damaging reviews do hurt one business wether they are justified or not. I am making you this offer as compensation for my mistake and the confusion it has created. Thank you
Melissa
That is just it the mistake in the price was not my word. It was the word of my confused daughter on a search engine website that was directing you to visit my companies website www.poshpuppylove.com and the price of the dog was listed on my website www.poshpuppylove.com for $800. That was the advertised price of my company posh puppies located on the posh puppies website the website of my company. Now had the price been $450 on my website and then i jacked it up once i realized you were interested in the puppy then there is where posh puppies would have been dishonest and not standing behind my word. I had made you an offer of $600 which is $200 less than my asking price on my posh puppies website for the puppy and explained to you why you saw $500 on ebay which was an average price for the litter not an individual price for each puppy. There again people were directed to visit my website www.poshpuppylove.com If you are interested in the offer let me know. Thank you
Melissa
Melissa, I am not unreasonable either, frustrated I didn't confirm the price before I let the kids get crazy excited, then really disappointed, while I explained that $800 is not in our budget to buy a dog, especially right now. I have been searching for another puppy that would fit our needs, and successfully found another black and white male maltipoo in our price range. Problem solved. I really appreciate your willingness to meet me in the middle. Earlier on the phone, I was at my son's practice, and was admittedly frustrated with the situation, but I didn't get the impression you cared for the roller coaster emotion of kids getting a puppy at Christmas time, only to find out, nope, sorry it costs nearly double. Thank you for your offer, I appreciate it, and I offer my apologies for being overly frustrated, and rude. Have a nice holiday,
Teena
Great i am glad you found a puppy that will fit your needs. Teena it is not that i do not care about kids and their emotions i have five of my own but when you are being threaten and attacked it is very difficult but to feel anyway except offended and defensive. That is the emotion you were getting from me not a lack of caring for your childrens feelings. That is also why i wanted to call and speak with you so that somthing could be worked out. That is why i followed up with the email so i could finish what i wanted to offer over the phone. I hope your Holiday is a good one.
Melissa
These were the last two emails between Teena and myself. They were sent on the 4th of December. She wrote this complaint on the 6th of Dec. I am a little confused!
Please remember that there is always two sides to every story before you pass judgment. I just showed you the other side to Teena Gold"s Complaint. If you have any questions or dought about Posh Puppies please give me the opportunity to tell my side of the story. Thank you Melissa
Can't believe the awful comments I've read! This was my first time ordering a puppy online and Melissa truly has been a pleasure and made this experience 1 to remember in a positive light. She was nice, very professional, answered all of my many questions, and threw in the micro-chip for me at no charge because she forgot to add it to my total. I was worried about receiving my puppy via airway, but he arrived a healthy happy pup who acted like he had been around my family and kids since he was born! He played, he ate, he even went potty on the pee pad his very time time. He even whinnied a bit when I made the kids go to bed. The puppy I received from Melissa was clearly from a loving home and not some filthy mill. He even smelled good after traveling from Arkansas to New Orleans on 2 different planes. My family and I couldn't be more satisfied. Whoever has a problem with this breeder you are clearly on drugs! I would recommend Posh puppy love to anyone and I wouldn't want to purchase a pup anyplace else! Keep doing what you are doing Melissa because your doing it well. One thing I've learned in life's lessons is that you can't please everyone so don't even try! ;-)
Just wanted to add my two cents here since I bought a puppy from Melissa fairly recently. While at this point I would not change a thing about where I purchased my pup, since he is the light of my life now, I think in the future I would do a little more research prior to committing to a new pet and where I purchase him. I never asked if genetic testing was done on her animals. I don't mean just a health test or AKC verification, I mean genetic testing on the parents: BAER (hearing), CERF (eye), patella, and hips. I don't know if she does this testing. I never asked to see photos of the parents, or the conditions of the kennels where he was born. (I live out of state so there was no way for me to see the kennel myself). Her website does not provide any of this information, so asking these important questions was entirely MY responsibility. I know Melissa advertises many different breeds of dogs on her site, mixed (designer) breeds also, and this can be a huge red flag for some. I am NOT saying puppy-mill, but more of a backyard breeder type situation which may turn off a lot of people.
That being said, my puppy was shipped to me by plane and arrived clean, happy, well adjusted, and ready to be my best buddy. I took him to the vet within 48 hours and he had both giardia and coccidia. I informed Melissa of this so she was aware that these parasites were present in my pup when I got him and likely in his littermates as well (because of the long incubation period of both of these parasites there was no doubt he arrived in my home with them already in his system). She was very concerned, and said she would have the rest of her dogs tested for it. A few rounds of medication and he was cleared up with no problems.
In the future, if I were to ever add another pup to my family I would spend the extra money and buy from a local breeder who focuses on only one or two breeds. I would ask about what type of genetic testing, if any, was performed on the parents. I would want to visit the home in person and see the living conditions of her animals and see the mother/father. Buying a puppy (a member of the family that will be with us for 15 or so years) any other way seems like too big a risk for me.
I just got a Havanese female puppy from Melissa. She arrived perfectly. She was giving everyone kisses the second she got out of the crate, and was eating and drinking perfectly! Shes a healthy puppy, and though its only been 5 days since we've had her she is doing great! She is so adorable, and we took her to the vet, and she has no parasites, and is in excellent health. Shes very playful, and we haven't had any issues with her. Melissa was quick to send me photos of my puppies parents over email when I asked. I live in California so my puppy had quite a long flight, but she seemed to handle it well, and Melissa packed all of her paperwork with her crate, and even some dog food for her. She followed up with us the day after the puppy arrived to make sure she arrived safely. I think she really cares for her dogs, and I would recommend her to anyone looking for a puppy!
I got a West Highland Terrier from Melissa years ago. He is a happy and healthy dog whom I have had absolutely no problems with. I wouldn't trade my Westie for the world, and he is the highlight of my life. I would just like to say THANK YOU to Melissa and for such a great, flawless experience. I think she truly cares about her dogs and their future owners, and I would not have changed anything about my experience with her.
I really have no serious complaints with Melissa. We bought a shiba inu puppy from poshpuppylove approximately 7 weeks ago. Here is a little about our experience. My boyfriend and I had found Parker on puppyfind.com. She was quick to respond with information about Parker. We picked the next Wednesday to transport him via air. The Sunday before we received Parker she called me on the phone and informed me of a suspected fungal infection Parker had acquired earlier that weekend. She reported that she was taking him to the vet on Monday, but would not be able to send the pup that Wednesday until the infection was treated. That Monday she sent me an email saying that it would be 10 more days until she could send Parker when the infection has healed. She offered to refund our money no questions asked. We decided that we had fallen in love with him via videos and pictures and as long as the vet said it was nothing seriously wrong we still wanted him.
When he arrived we took him to the vet and she told us that he was a healthy pup. He also told us that he had been treated with the best medicines for his fungal infection. We couldn't have been happier. He is an energetic, curious, smart and lovable little pup that makes us laugh all the time. He is great with little children following a little training on his and the kids part. He was pretty much potty trained when we got him.
The only criticism that I have of my experience is the abruptness of Melissa with questions. Yes, some of my questions were listed on her website already, but we are first time dog owners and needless to say a little nervous to do everything correctly for our new puppy. She acted like since she has gotten her money for the puppy she was free of him. Unfortunately, for her when people give you several hundreds of dollar for anything you get to answer questions several times regardless of if you have already answered them. Despite the email correspondence I would defiantly buy another puppy from her. I think she genuinely cares about her puppies, and while they are under her care she does what is right by the puppy. I think no one is perfect and discussing things via email may get misconstrued.
On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 8:32 PM, wrote:
Dear Melissa,
I want to thank you for bringing this awesome Westie into our lives. I also want to thank you for calming my nerves for being a first time parent(s) who have purchases a puppy only by seeing him online. This made me very nervous, but you kept my mind at ease.
When our new baby arrived, he didn't mess in his crate and in fact took his first little pee pee on the Philadelphia ground at the Cargo station. He let me hold him all the way home to Newark, De which took about 25 minutes. He kissed me and stayed in my arms the entire time. He was not scared at all.
He was joined by a brother Westie who is 3 and a sister Westie who is 14. I knew going in we would have some challenges, but after the last 48 hours everyone seems to be coming together...well...a little...I know it will take some time.
I did my homework on you and your company. I will tell you I read all the comments on a blog and thank god I read both sides. Some of those comments where very bad and honestly, those folks should not own pets! You stood your ground as a breeder and having a family. Good for you!
Wyatt who is now Cooper is doing wonderful. He is very playful which tells me your videos and your email are correct that the puppy's are very well loved and played with. Cooper is very happy and he even is doing great with potty training. My vet told me that he was very well loved and taken care of and he gets his next shot next week.
Thank you Melissa! Please keep doing what you are doing because you really raise some beautiful, loved and happy puppies that bring joy to families, especially mine! Please feel free to post this email to whatever page you would like!
Rayna (Newark Delaware)
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Thank you for your interest in one of my puppies.
Please visit my website www.poshpuppylove.com
Posh Puppies is also on You Tube and Facebook.
Posh Puppies
Shady business! I emailed Melissa about a puppy on her website- I've always adopted dogs but was looking for a breed that was hard to find/very pricey in my area. Seeing the many different puppies for sale should have been my first red flag- seems like a designer puppy mill! I asked several questions and most were ignored... She wanted to make a sale fast- ship the dog in 2 days but was dodging my questions. There was only one photo of the puppy online, I had asked to see more photos and she referred me to a youtube video from over a month ago (puppy was 12 weeks old, guess he wasn't as valuable $$$ to her). Again I said can you please snap a couple of more photos before I send a deposit?
...simple request in this day and age, with smart phones and this dog supposedly being in her home, it shouldn't have been as issue and would have taken SECONDS. This was a Sunday afternoon, she said she wasn't able to send photos until Monday NIGHT if he was still available. I decided to call her because there are certain questions the breeder should have NO problem answering. I never received a call back or an email, so I started looking at her reviews and low and behold... she sounds like a person who breeds puppies for money and doesn't have any ethics. Her replies were very short, no calls back, someone who CARES about the puppies they are cashing in on and make an income off of should be available to answer questions, be professional and not dodge certain questions. Luckily, local breaders told me this dog shouldn't be in a home with people who work full time... Melissa didn't ask me a single question, her screening process is $$$$$$$$$$$
I will be contacting the AKC and whoever else I can to make sure she is running her business ethically!
This complaint is from a young lady who is upset because I sold the puppy she did not leave a deposit on.. She asked if I would send a photo of the puppy she was interested in. I told her it would be on Monday before I could do that. I had company in and it was on a Sunday the day my family and I dedicate to the Lord and the only day I try to take off. I do not have enough cell phone reception at my house to text so I have to take photos with my camera edit and download them which is time consuming. Regardless of the reason I was upfront and told her it would be the following day . She told me she did not want to leave a deposit until she saw a new photo. I said that was fine and never once told her I would hold the puppy for her. Matter of fact I told her I could only hold a pup with a secure deposit and if he was still available on Monday I would send a photo to her. Another family placed a deposit on him in the mean time. I am sorry she missed out on this pup. He was an older puppy and I had him priced very reasonable. I knew he would be adopted quickly and I was offering her a video so she could get an idea of his personality. I knew if she waited she would miss out. I wanted the puppy to find a good home before he got any older that is all. He was a very valuable pup and was a great addition to the lucky family who got him. I understand her request but she made a choice to gamble that he would still be available. She lost. By the way my 2015 AKC inspection was terrific. I was in 100 percent compliance. Thank you Melissa
My wife and I were looking for a small breed puppy and spoke with Melissa at Posh Puppy Love, she was very helpful, friendly, and respectful to our concerns because we had never purchased a dog before. She answered all of our questions and helped guide us to the breed that suited our needs. Jasper was born 10 July 2015 and weighed 2.2 lbs, at his 12 week Veterans appointment the Vet said Jasper was a very happy and healthy puppy, he weighed 4.4 lbs. We were treated in a very professional manner and Melissa and her husband addressed all of our concerns. I highly recommend Posh Puppy Love to everyone who wants to take our little Jasper home.
Thank you Melissa for everything, now we're just waiting for the AKC Registration papers to arrive, UT for now we are extremely happy that Jasper is in our family.
I purchased a Welsh Terrier named Mac from a Melissa Barnes in 2009 - not sure if she is the same as Melissa Basinger - I've seen some online content indicating it may be the same person. She was based in Arkansas, a registered nurse, and communicated to us through a Harold Barnes email address. She would further dress up her small dogs in clothes when advertising them. If this is an entirely different person, than please disregard this post.
Let me say Mac is a great dog, but he's really sick.
Within a year after receiving Mac, he developed almost uncontrolable itching and scratching + biting. I'd compare it to a small child suffering from intense chicken pox. If left alone, he will scratch and bite himself until he bleeds. It's really heartbreaking and so stressful.
My wife and I live in NYC and thankfully have access to a variety of doctors, including animal dermatology specialists. After seeing seemingly 10+ doctors and a variety of tests (including skin test which Mac had to be sedated for), it was determined that Mac has severe allergies. And they will only get worse with age. Our animal dermatologist in NYC said Mac's allergies were among the worst he's ever seen.
After countless doctor visits and spending a small fortune to determine what is wrong with Mac, several fine doctors determined a mix of drugs to stabilize his condition, and now Mac can almost lead a normal life. He's still very special needs and has accidents when we cant watch him closely enough.
After responding to our initial concerns about Mac's condition when it first surfaced, we again contacted Melissa in 2012 to inquire about Mac's brothers and sisters, as we knew he came from a large litter.
We wrote Melissa to see if we or she could get in touch the owners of Mac's brothers and sisters, in case they too suffered from severe allergies and had not been fortunate enough or had the financial capacity to seek the professional help we benefited from.
We just wanted to share our prescription mix with these owners to make sure Mac's brothers and sisters were not suffering like he does without his medication.
Upon writing Melissa of this desire to help Mac's brothers and sisters, there was no response.
I do hope and pray for those other dogs.
This is in reply to Welsh owner. I do not recall getting any type of email in regards to Mac. If you sent it to the wrong email address then I would not have gotten it. My email address has changed from 2009. I am terribly sorry to hear about Mac and his allergy condition. The welsh terrier was a breed i had a few years ago. On occasion I did have a litter of welsh babies but to my knowledge none with allergy issues until I read this post. None of my adult dogs had allergies. I stopped breeding welsh due to the aggressive nature the breed had. Mac's allergies do not have to be the result of a genetic disorder. People and animals develop allergies for unknown reasons. The sad thing is when a dog has an issue with an unknown origin the vets will say it is genetic. I offer a genetic and a health guarantee on my pups. I do everything I can to make sure that the parents of my pups are genetically sound. I would not offer a genetic guarantee if I knowingly bred dogs with issues. What I am saying is to the very best of my ability I make sure my adult dogs are healthy sound dogs. The fact is though a dog is a biological creature and no matter what one does some things are out of my control. I can not blame or hold any one responsible when it comes to genetics. That is Gods work not mine. I can offer as much assistance to a family that I can. I can take a puppy back and offer a refund. I can offer a replacement puppy. I help with vet bills but I am not a miracle worker. If an issue comes up then i can remove that dog from my breeding program but is it fair to say a dog is not sound when 1 out of 75 pups he sires has an issue. It is not fair to blame breeders for things that are not always in their control. In the years that i was breeding welsh this is the only reported case of allergies that I am aware of. So does that mean I am breeding unhealthy genetically unsound dogs or could it mean that some thing just went wrong with this pups immune system. Could it mean that this puppy was a throw back from several generation back. Is it fair to paint the picture that my pups are prone to allergies. No it is not fair to say that. I am terribly sorry and sad that Mac has allergies. I wish the very best for him and I am thankful that he has a family that will help him and fight for him rather than throwing in the towel and putting him to sleep. Thank you for that. I am not trying to skirt my responsibility that is not the type of person I am but I am just wondering where does responsibility lie. Does it belong any where. Am I responsible or is the breeder who bred Macs grandparents responsible or is any one responsible for Macs condition. My grandson has eczema and he is allergic to eggs peanuts and the list goes on. My daughter and her husband do not suffer from allergies. She has two other sons and they are not allergy suffers. Who would hold my daughter and her husband responsible for Treys allergies. Just this morning I get a call from a show breeder who is selling me two champion bred show quality female westies. She was sending the pups to me today but she discovered one of these highly bread dogs has an under bite. This is some thing that could cause problems for the dogs mouth and is some thing that would permit a dog from being shown or bread. I have already paid for these two dogs. I did not get upset with this breeder. I understand this was not some thing she did or caused. The parents to this pup are perfect. They are international champions. I would not go around telling people not to trust her or watch out she has dogs with bad bites. Had I known that Mac was going to be a dog that suffered from allergies I would have never offered him to a family. I did not send his family a response because i did not get the info on his condition in 2012. They had my old email address. I do not recall any other family I sold a welsh puppy to having an issue with allergies. Thank you
We purchased our west highland terrier from Melissa and she was nothing but professional and very helpful as far as shipping to us. Our puppy arrived in perfect health and we have had zero problems! I work for the court system and I do not feel comfortable giving my address to people because I have a teenager. I would purchase another terrier from Melissa without reservation!
She has a Yelp now, warn people through her page!
Melissa for sure is in the business for the money and not for anything else! If you ask me she is running a PUPPY MILL! Theres just no way! She's a liar! She has a sweet southern demeanor to herself, but I believe she is in disguise! A sheep in wolves clothing! I bought a male Bichon pup from her back in Nov. 2016. He wasn't due to be "released" until 2 days before Christmas of which I had no knowledge of this! I wanted "him" Brady for my sweet toddler daughter who had been asking for a puppy for the longest. Nevertheless, I went ahead and purchased him. I went to the airport to pick up our new family member from Delta Cargo on Dec. 20th. OMG he was such a sweet darling little fella that we aWWW over the entire time. He showed no signs of illness, or anything. Anyways fast forward on Dec. 22nd. 2016 I had to take Brady to ER vet hospital because he was not eating, drinking, vomiting, had diarrhea etc. JUST AFTER 2 DAYS! I took him to the vet and he was admitted as an EMERGENCY. Test was performed on him. Extensive test and it came back that he had hypo and ____. He had to stay in the ER for 2 days costing me 1, 000! I had just spent 1250 on him to begin with! Brady's first doctor visit was at the ER! HE was SICK all along! Long story short Brady passed away :-( I was sooooooooo heartbroken it didn't make any sense to me, or my family and most importantly my 3 year old sweet daughter. Who by the way still talks about him and misses him DEARLY! I contacted Melissa day in and day out to let her know what was happening and going on. Melissa guaranteed and assured me that she would send us a replacement pup! Brady passed away on Dec. 30-31st. a painful death :-(. I still can't believe it! We NEVER did receive a replacement pup so I disputed the charges on my account as she did not own up to her bargain of the deal! Feb. came around and she advised that she received the notification of the dispute and what was going on- as if she didn't know! I told her straight "Did we receive a new puppy" she sent several emails detailing how she would send a new pup- she had to wait for a new litter, she had to wait until paypal contacted her back of which they did! This went on for month's! Now we are in June and yup you guessed it WE STILL NEVER RECEIVED A NEW PUP! I told her to shove it up her [censor]! I will be letting the entire world know that she run a puppy mill in to stay FAR FAR FAR FAR away from her! She is deceitful (what she called me) smh and a LIAR! STAY FAR FAR FAR AWAY!
Candace has left out some very big gaps in her side of what happened to Brady. This puppy died as a result of medical neglect from her. Candace received her puppy on a Wed end of December 2016. She called me on a Friday night and told me he was not feeling well. She took him to the emergency vet clinic. They kept him until Sunday morning. Candace told me that they could not find out what was wrong and his test were negative. They said he was hypoglycemic which is a symptom not a disease. It is low blood sugar from not eating. She cursed the vets and told me that nothing was wrong with him and they were stealing her money. She discharged the puppy against medical advice and took him home. She told me he ate and was doing fine. I told her to take him to see her regular vet the next business day and to make sure she had all the vet documents from the emergency clinic. She said she would. I followed up with her and she told me that the vet saw him and said he was fine. That nothing was wrong with him. Some days later she calls me and tells me he is very sick. I tell her to take him to the vet and I would pay for the bill just have them call me and I would give them my credit card. I follow up after not hearing from her and she tells me she is on her way to the animal shelter to drop him off because he is dying. This is the same day. I am in shock. I had no idea that this puppy was even close to anything like this because she told me he was doing fine. I did not have the chance to do anything for him. To this day I still have not gotten any documents from Candace proving that the puppy died. When I asked for all his vet records she sent me a photo of a text from the emergency vet asking how the puppy was doing and a photo of a bottle of medicine. No documents explaining the puppies condition prognosis or diagnosis. I asked about the documents from her regular vet and she told me she never took him to see her regular vet. She takes the puppy from the emergency clinic against medical advice and then never follows up to see her regular vet the following business day. I do not even know what was wrong the puppy. There was never a diagnosis. He never had a chance to live. Regardless of how neglectful this was handled I offered Candace a replacement puppy. The only reason I did so was because of her little girl. At the time I did not have any bichons and told Candace that she would have to wait on a new litter. She agreed to that. In the meantime Candace files a charge back on her credit card stating the charge was unauthorized which was a lie. I contacted her and offered her a refund or a puppy and she stated she would like to wait for a puppy and apologized for the charge back. I told her I would have to wait until paypal got the charge back issue cleared up before I could send a puppy to her. I also did not have any pups at the time. I had one puppy born in Feb. I contact her in April and told her about the puppy and also told her I was going to hold him until he got a little older. He was small and I wanted to make sure he was perfect before I told her about him. Candace is a very illogical and easy to upset so I have treaded very light with her. She agreed on the puppy. This puppy was never advertised because i was holding him for her. He was the only one in the litter. I contacted paypal to make sure the credit card issue had been fully resolved before I was going to send him and they told me that he credit card company could still pull the funds until June so to wait. So the puppy I was holding for her was going to be older because i had to hold him longer then expected and I knew Candace would not like that so I offered her a puppy from a litter that was born early April and told her I would ship him on the 14th of June. She wanted a puppy right then and did not want to wait two more weeks. She wanted to know if i had another breed I would send. I told her I would replace her puppy with a bichon which is what she paid for. I also told her that the hold up was due to the lie she told the credit card company resulting in a charge back. Had she not done that I would have had a pup to her months prior. I am attaching a copy of the email she sent me. Please keep in mind. I have no idea what happened to Brady puppy. I have never gotten any vet documents. I do not even know if the puppy truly died. Who takes a dying puppy and drops it off at an animal shelter especially when some one had offered to pay for his care. For all I know this was a scam. Candace has some serious anger issues. I am thankful that she sent me the email I am going to post. I was about the make the terrible mistake of sending her another one of my pups. I am not a deceitful person. I did everything I could to try to work with Candace. She was offered her money back. She was offered a new puppy and I offered to pay for Bradys vet care had she taken him when he was sick. I only had one bichon pup to offer her since this all happened in late december but was not able to send him because the paypal issue had to be settled first. Then he was too old. So the next litter I had was in early April and I agreed to send her a puppy June the 14th when he would be old enough to go. She told me to shove the puppy up my A___ and went into full attack. This is part of her email.
I will be writing reviews about you all over the Internet. You can take the puppy in shove him wayyyyyy up your [censor] like you probably did poor Brady which is why he f--king died [censor] after a week of being with me!
F___ YOU, YOUR VET, YOUR HUSBAND, YOUR KIDS AND ALL OF THE OTHER PUPS YOU HAVE TOO! I wish all of them die so that you and others can feel my pain! You can keep the change!
Your email address is now blocked too so whatever you reply won't resonate!
BYE
Bethany Patterson
May 30 (7 days ago)
to me
P.S. You are a HABITUAL LIAR TOO! I've been on your site like a hulk every since I lost Brady and every sense you said you would send us another pup back in Feb. you have NOT HAD ANY BICHON LITTERS IN SEVERAL MONTHS! Just like according to your site you would have Yorkies coming in MAY. You are a liar! You run a good game with your ever so sweet southern bell demeanor! All covered in disguised and just a money making operation! You just had a BICHON sitting around huh which was it the moms or dad that mate these pups that you were gonna send because you damn sure haven't uploaded or had a frise litter in monthssssssss!
BYE you lying piece of [censor]!
I am embarrassed to post this but I need everyone to know what happened here and what I have been dealing with. I have not put all of the email in this replay because it is disgusting.
I think she is a broker for puppy mills and not a breeder. I did get a dog from her and I love my dog. She arrived healthy and happy, however, she was not the dog in the picture. She was also not very engaging when it came to talking about my dog and asking questions which at the time I thought was a little strange as a breeder not wanting to discuss your dogs. I still got a great dog but I was always suspicious of someone who had a full time job as a nurse, three kids and able to breed all those different breeds she advertised on her website. I had asked her when she was going to have another litter of mal shih puppies and she said she didn't know. I asked her to contact me when she did and that was 7 years ago. I lived far away so I had to get my dog shipped to me, so I was never able to see her home, however, after reading these posts I don't think if I lived close I would be able to see it anyway. That's a little suspicious to me which is one of the reasons I think she is a broker and not a breeder.
Can you please explain to me why you would write this post about me. I do not deserve your speculation. I bring happiness to a lot of families. The pups in the photos are the puppies I sell and the puppy you receive. This complaint is so strange. You think I am a broker and I sent you the wrong puppy yet you are happy with your dog. The dog arrived happy and healthy, is a great dog and you wanted to be notified when I had a litter of malshis so you could purchase from me again. I am sorry if I made you feel like you were being ignored. My dogs are twenty four seven for me and so are my clients. It does not matter if I am not feeling well or if my kids are not feeling well or if I have a personal issue going on i still have to answer the phone and take care of my business. I do my best. I am NOT a broker for puppy mills. I own my dogs and my pups. They are raised right here at my home. You have no idea how many dogs I have. Yes I have different breeds and I do mix breeds but you do not know how many dogs I have of each breed. If you have so many questions why not pick up the phone and call me. I will gladly tell you how I do all that I do. I have a groomer, a vet, and help with my dogs. No I can not and I do not do it all myself. I would never let my dogs go neglected. I will never understand people like you. I hope this clarifies some of Richfields speculation and speculation he wants to plant in other peoples head. He or she sure does use the word "Think" a lot. Well why not be able to use the word "Know" before you write harmful malicious accusations against other people. Disqusting
WOW you are such a liar with this post. You will not show a video of your kennel, you travel through numerous States picking up puppies and dropping them at those sick puppy stores where they keep dogs in tiny cages. And now you sucked your daughter into doing the same thing. You are the one that is disgusting, and if you were SO honest you would gladly show people where the pups are raised, and welcome them to your home to see how nice and socialized, and not in tiny little cages. Puppy Mills in Arkansas, look it up, it will show a Huge star near Melissa's home telling you there are 50-100 breeding females there alone. POS needs to rot in H*LL
The Havanese we bought from Melissa/Missy for 2700.00 dollars is not a pure breed Havanese at all. Don’t trust anything this puppy mill breeder tells you. An honest, true breeder will welcome you to her/his home and accept a cashiers’ check rather than cash only at a gas station on the side of a highway. Don’t get burned by this scoundrel; you will forever regret your gullibility.
Do you know what breed she sold you? I have looked at her several sites and videos and noticed that her Havanese, Coton De Tulear and even her designer breeds all look the same..with maybe the exception that the designer breeds look smaller. It doesn't help that she has posted videos of Havanese pups on her Southern Charm Coton Youtube page saying it is a Havanese which made me question whether her Cotons are in fact Cotons given they look exactly the same. I found my self rewinding the video to make sure I heard correctly. Now I am curious as to what type of dogs she is breeding to get a similar look to the Havanese and Coton. Have you tested you pup to see what it is? I have been around both Havanese and Coton so I can tell by touch but it is very hard to tell her pups apart let alone distinguish through her pictures/videos and with all the red flags I cant help but question both breeds. Honestly, the pups are all cute but what pup isn't? I think that she would be able to sell the pups just as easily if they were not purebred..but to falsely advertise? I have read so many reviews of people judging negative reviews because of their positive reviews or asking if they love their pet any less because it is not purebred? They are missing the point or are speaking out of ignorance. Just because someone has a positive experience doesn't mean everyone will or that the people sharing there negative experiences are liars. Some can very well receive healthy pups while a few others receive sick pups. If you mix in poor breeding those chances increase. I don't know why people act as if it is impossible. Melissa just posted a Coton pup with no tail..research states that the only reason a pup would be born with no tail is defect or "natural Bob tail" as she claimed is if there was an injury and tail had to be docked otherwise it is a defect a result from poor breeding. Research also states that x-rays should be performed because a pup born with no tail has issues in the spine and depending on the severity could cause some serious problems down the road. Pups with no tail may even show signs like bowl incontinence. I hope the future owner of said pup does the research and is prepared should that pup have any issues. In regards to the comments you see online such as " what are you complaining about if your pup is healthy" "do you love your pup any less b/c its a mut" ? If only we could all understand and or agree that when we have a breed in mind and we go out of our way to search for that specific breed and are told that we are getting nothing short of that..WE EXPECT WHAT WE ASK FOR. so no we do not love the pups any less. We are just disappointed even angry that people deceive so easily. I am sorry you didn't get a Havanese. And thanks for your review because it helps people who are interested in one decide to settle or continue on their search for a pure Havanese.
I got a Coton de Tulear puppy from Melissa not too long ago.
After reading this complaint, I’ve decided to get a DNA test done for my puppy.
The results were very appalling.
He’s 62.5%Coton, 25% Maltese, 12.5%Chihuahua. On her website Southercharmcotons.com, she states that her dogs are pure bred. Bull crap.
US Too! Shes A Scammer- Broker. sells on puppy finder DOT com. All kinds of Breeds. she lied to us and said she only bred 3 times a year of the Cotons. BULL She has several websites. Profit is her game. Charging What she does. Im So disappointed I trusted her and She's a puppy mill. Her stories to everyone playing Christian furmila family Is a way to scams All. She has long barns on her property pumping out these Poor dogs. I'm disgusted. I KNEW something was up. She changed her attitude after we paid. I specifically told her How important It was where I was getting a puppy. She assured me it was ONLY Coton s. LIAR. Makes ME SICK
You are absolutely correct, she is a puppy mill. She will not show a video, she just mass produces, doesn't know who sires who. Those poor females that just keep pumping out puppies for her greed. She will have a special place come judgement day. I just wish we could cram her and her family members into a tiny little cage. That would be the ultimate punishment. No videos huh Melissa. Liar
YEP and if you have a DNA test she will tell you, because she knows, oh, they are not always accurate. omg she is such a liar. DNA proves everything. She needs to go down, and I wish we could get enough of us together to make an impact and shut her down. She probably isn't even really a nurse. That is probably a lie as well. IRS needs to be notified as well, because people like her do not pay taxes.
Damn, I wish I would have seen this earlier as well, I never knew that name, Southern Charm Coton. Boy oh boy does she keep thinking of the names huh. Cutie Poo Pups, Posh Puppy Love, Havanese Silks, and yours you have here. No Videos huh Melissa, come on, more of us are connected, we are going to bring, well, like the movie Tombstone, you tell them I'm coming, and H*ll's coming with me.
So sad, except for this [censored] who scams everyone, She is SICK and now she has raised her kids to think this is ok as well, The one drives around numerous States picking up and dropping off puppies. No video, of the pups and the parents, no way will she let you come to pick up the pup in person, because she has a family and she doesn't know what sick people there are coming to her home, BUT YET she will sell a puppy to anyone, anywhere, and just ship them off, NOT Knowing exactly whom she is selling it to. These same people COULD be the sick ones, that she will not allow at her home because of her family SHOWS she doesn't care where these dogs go.
How do i get a DNA test. Thanks
You can order a DNA test from Embark or Wisdom Panel. There are several different companies that claim they can DNA test your dog. The AKC can also DNA your dog. AKC DNA is the only DNA that I will recognize. They are not in it for the money. They have the pedigree information and dna on akc registered dogs that go back several generations. The ironic thing I find about the DNA companies that charge you $200 or more is that they are and will admit they can be wrong due to a limited data base. They will only disclose that if you question them. So if you have an AKC registered purebred dog with an AKC pedigree but the DNA companies tell you it is something different than what AKC says it is who is right and who is wrong. Do you believe the AKC or do you believe the DNA company that just took your money. Well I have to side with AKC. You know the American Kennel Club that puts on all the dog shows. They are the ones who have the generational information on all purebred AKC registered dogs. I definitely have to side with them when Embark has stated that they have a limited data base as they expand the data base you can have your dog DNA again for a better result. If you have any questions about the validity of a DNA test please contact the DNA provider and ask them these questions. Also just for clarification all purebred dogs have several different breed of dog in them. When the breed was created it was created using different breeds of dogs. It took several generations of breeding the dog to create the poodle or bichon or the Maltese. Each purebred dog is composed of several original breeds. So I would think that would also affect DNA as well...Just a thought...
I purchased a puppy from Melissa back in November of 2017 and our Shichon is absolute perfection! I actually did have a dna test done on our dog, only because I was given one from a friend, not because I thought we were lied to. It was 100% what breed we were told!
DNA testing is valid science. Embark has the most reliable system as they have the largest database. Wisdom Panel is 2nd to Embark, less reliable but still good. AKC can test only for the breeds that they recognize and there are many more breeds in the world that AKC does not recognize. AKC has always been primarily a breeding database charging money to register litters and the purebreds that they recognize. They have always been more about making money than anything else. They have refused to shut down registrations of known puppy mill puppies as doing so would affect their bottom line. They accepted mixed breed dogs in agility only after they discovered how much revenue they were losing due to mixed breeds competing successfully in NADAC, USDAA, and other venues. The AKC mission statement says they exist to promote the "sport" of purebred dogs; if that is so, then why allow mixed breeds to compete? Because their income is really what they are "promoting."
In response to Yoshis who has never purchased a puppy from me. You have no personal experience with me or my pups in the least. You did make some very valid points. First off why would I sell a havanese as a coton or vise versa or even mix the two breeds when both breeds are equally desirable. I have no trouble finding homes for my pups so how would that benefit me in the least. I breed my dogs with intent. Not everyone has trouble with judging dogs like you. There are differences and coton puppies do not look like a havanese puppies if you know what to look for. I DO NOT mix my cotons with a havanese... My cotons are purebred cotons with AKC DNA backing them and multigenerational pedigrees. I find it so ironic that people lose good common sense when it comes to reading reviews. Yes I had a puppy that was born with a bobbed tail. Yes it was a congenital fault which was clearly disclosed. The issues with a bobbed tail that she says she has researched did not apply to this puppy in the least. It was a cosmetic fault only. In response to Scout Sniper by the way I have no idea who this person is and cannot validate what he or she is claiming in the least. I do know that all of my dogs are AKC registered and I have AKC DNA on all of my cotons. That is the only DNA that I recognize. If he would like to contact me directly or contact AKC then this can be validated. Same goes for the lady who says that good breeders take cashier checks. Would you please contact me directly and I will send you the AKC verification you need to prove your puppy is in fact a purebred havanese even though you claim he is not but will not provide anymore information as to what you think he is... Please understand that it does not benefit me to claim a puppy is a certain breed when in fact it is not. Also I have no way of knowing if these reviews are even true and neither do you. No names are left on the review and when I try to reach out to these people by sending a message from this website I never get a response. I am not saying all bad reviews are lies but there is always two sides to every story. Deceit can go both ways...I am attaching a photo of a coton puppy first picture and a havanese puppy second picture...not the same look at all...
Sorry first photo did not load in the previous comment. This is a coton puppy. The photo in previous comment is a havanese puppy. Not the same at all...
“Cassie” does look like a coton, however, DNA test does not lie Melissa!
But we are in love with her, so no problem for that.
Scout DNA test can be incorrect. After I read your post I reached out to some show breeders and asked if they had anything like this happen to them and they told me yes. I asked them if they could explain to me how an AKC registered AKC DNA confirmed coton puppy with a 5 generational pedigree be DNA as a mixed breed. Here is the response from Embark on how they confirm DNA ancestry. "When we look at breed ancestry, we compare every dog to our current reference panel. As we work to expand our reference panel, we can reanalyze the breed ancestry to see if an individual dog is now more consistent with samples from the one breed. If the genetic results are consistent based on our expanded reference panel, we will update the results." So I asked for this to be explained to me and what Embark is saying is that they only test DNA against the dogs that are in their reference panel. If they do not have a certain bloodline in the reference panel then the computer will assign a breed. Embark does not have a complete DNA database for dogs that come from other countries. Such is the case for my dogs. My cotons have European champions in their lines as I have imported my cotons. European dogs are not in the embarks reference base. So I asked them could they be wrong and they said yes. If my dogs bloodline was not in their DNA reference base. I also asked them does their test confirm that this coton puppy is not a purebred coton given all the akc confirmation that it is and they said no and once they expand their reference base to have the dog tested again. Embark does not disclose this information on any of their websites. They do not realize how many breeders are affected negatively. They do not care as long as people keep giving them money for DNA lineage testing that can be false. Scout Sniper I hope this help explains why your coton could mistakenly be identified as a mix breed. I urge you to contact the genetic testing company and present to them this information. Yes your "Cassie" looks like a coton because she is a registered purebred coton de tulear...
Thank you for your response Melissa. I have no problem with the DNA results. You gave me a healthy coton, and we are in love with her. I will delete my comments in regards to the DNA test results. I apologize for the negative feedback.
Thank you. I just wish you had contacted me directly and gave me an opportunity. Comments like this and others that are unfounded are so harmful. People that read this go else where to look for a puppy. More damaging then you could ever imagine. Again thank you but I do not think you can delete what has been posted.
Scout, Melissa is constantly disputing DNA results. She sold us a $2K Havapoo and our DNA test results came back as, 50% King Charles Cavalier, 37.6% Poodle, and 12.4% Bichon; no Havanese at all. Melissa told me this was her 1st mistake in 20 years. Ha! Don't be sorry, she did the same thing to the people that bought our pup's sister and live in NY. They too paid for a Havapoo and a flight nanny. She either doesn't care or, is breeding so many puppies she can't keep track. Our pup also has health issues. She told me "nobody else is complaining so why should I tell them?". Scam!
Wow ok one sided version of what really happened here. Yes I did mistakenly sell a cavapoo as a havapoo and I admitted it and offered compensation for it. This was not brought to my attention until Jamie contacted me about the DNA test she had done on the pup. When I sold Harper to Jamie I was positive she was a havapoo. The mom was exposed to a cavalier by mistake an accident on my part but it was so late in her season I did not think she got bred by him. I noted the pups were a mixed litter and did comment in a video that some were cavapoos and some were havapoos. I was certain that Jamies pups was a havapoo. I was wrong and their is where I failed. I offered Jamie compensation. I offered her a 100% refund upon the return of the puppy. She stated she could not return the pup as they loved her and she had brought so much joy to them. So we agreed on giving her half of her money back and I did. I offered compensation two different ways. I never said to her "nobody else is complaining so why should I tell them" Here is a clip of what was said, " They told me that if the DNA marker for the dog in question was not in the database then the computer would assign a breed. They admitted that it was not 100% reliable. Therefore I am not going to call the other families when I have no way of knowing 100%. If they have any doubt I will address them". I was not going to call the other family Jamie is speaking of tell them that they have a cavapoo puppy when I was not certain they did. I never said this is my first mistake in 20 years. I am a breeder that has been breeding for 20 years and I am human. Yes I will dispute DNA results from embark when they themselves have admitted the can have false results. I have said time and time again that the only DNA I will recognize is AKC DNA. If i have AKC registration and a multigenerational pedigree confirmed by akc dna then how can that be disputed and if it can the AKC is a joke of a registry and we have all be scammed by the American Kennel Club.
First of all, Melissa never reached out to tell us about the Cavapoo/Havapoo issue, she posted a video. Had I not been looking at her site again, I never would have known it was a potential issue. As soon as I saw the video I reached out to Melissa and she assured us that she had 20 years of breeding experience and was as sure as she could be that our pup was a Havapoo. As anyone that has paid for a flight nanny and had a puppy in their home for months can attest to, sending the puppy we had fallen in love with back was not an option. I think Melissa knows this and counts on it.
I felt Melissa should contact the other families because it wasn't just about the puppies not being Havapoo. It was also about the fact that our puppy has IBD, one kidney, and the DNA marker for Intervertebral Disc Disease (Type I). Furthermore, I found my pup's sister via the DNA website, and they stated: "I did send her an email that for my trouble she should return at least 1/2 of what I paid. But she just never responded..."
I was also threatened and accused of being the cause of my puppies illness by Melissa in our recent email communications: "I am asking you to back off now. You do what you feel you need to and I will do the same." When I asked Melissa if that was a threat she replied with: "Not a threat, just a promise." Not sure if she plans to send someone to my home or what? She also stated: "I really wish you would give her back to me. She never suffered from any of the things you say while she was here." I got her when she was 8 weeks old, I'm sure she hadn't been weaned that long prior. Her email was full of sarcasm and then she doubled down on blaming me: " She may just be responding to you? Her stomach issues could be a result of stress." Nice... She did provide me with her attorney's name and contact information though. I know we all have an attorney, right?
I will fully admit that I was, and still am upset, and I know my emails to her reflected that. Could I have been more gracious? Yes. However, I trusted Melissa and felt that I had asked all the right questions like, "Are both parents 1st generation?" to which Melissa stated yes. I asked and received photos of my pup's parents and when I questioned her about them, she stated she had sent me the wrong ones, so I received two new photos. Needless to say, I still don't know what my pup's parents look like because the 1st set of pictures were of a female Havanese and a male Poodle, and the 2nd set of pictures were of a female red poodle with a while stripe on her chin and a male Havanese. Again, not my pup's parents. Except for maybe the female red poodle with the white stripe on her, which may explain the Bichon the DNA test came up with.
It's not just about having a puppy that sheds everywhere and dealing with keeping the hair cleaned up because I have asthma. Our puppy was very ill and almost died. There were over $3, 000.00 in vet bills. I don't know how many people could even have afforded to keep this puppy alive, and I am so incredibly thankful we had the means to do so, and had also taken the extra precaution of purchasing pet insurance. To have Melissa imply I caused my puppy to be ill is disgusting. I'm the one that spent sleepless nights with her, holding her, cleaning up after her, giving her Karo Syrup from a syringe to keep her alive, countless hours researching the internet for clues as to what may be wrong with her, etc. I was the one that figured out she had a poultry allergy.
I would just encourage anyone else reading this to really do your homework. The signs were there, had I only spent more time researching. This is the same thing the other family I am in contact with said; "I started researching reviews on this breeder and there were so many "puppy mill" red flags that kept appearing."
I am going to copy and past my correspondence with Jamie..
Jamie as sure as I can be harper is a havapoo. Puppies will blow their puppy coat even pups that are considered to be minimal shedding. Breeds that are mixed with double coated dogs like havanese will shed more and have what is called blow outs especially when the puppy hair is being replaced by the adult hair.. There is no such thing as a true non shedding dog or a true hypoallergenic dog. There is such a thing as a dog that sheds minimally with less dander such as a poodle and a havanese which lessens the chance of allergies. Just like people dogs will lose hair and no guarantee that a dog, even one considered to be hypoallergenic, will not flare up allergies and asthma..She is going through a transition from puppy coat to adult coat and this can be perfectly normal.. I do not need any documentation for any follow up vet visits unless something is discovered that is a genetic congenital issue.
Are you suffering from Asthma as a result of Harper? If so I will be happy to help with rehoming her or even offer to take her back...I do not want you to suffer or be unhappy with the puppy.
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for getting back to me. We have been outside most of the day so I just saw your reply.
I am not experiencing any asthma issues as this time, I just wanted to reach out as we were concerned by the extreme amount of shedding. Harper is part of our little family, I can't even fathom having to rehome her so, I will hope that I continue to not experience any asthma issues and that the extreme shedding we are seeing is simply a phase. I know puppies will shed some, even non-shedding breeds however, she is not at the age I would typically expect to see that.
Also, I didn't see a response regarding her mom and dad; are they first generation? If not, my understanding is that may well contribute to a shedding issue. Is that correct?
Jamie, my health guarantee is not a contract. It is just an acknowledgement of what I will do should an issue come up with a puppy..Your signature however it is via print or sign is that you acknowledge that you have read it and agree with it that is all. Yes the parents are first generation havanese and poodle.. Sorry I overlooked that question. The shedding and blowing the coat can start at any age. Normally around 6 months but can be later. Did you get the info I sent you that explains why your puppy is shedding? At this time I still believed harper to be a havapoo..
Hi Melissa,
I am reaching out to you today in the hopes that you may be able to provide any information that may guide us in helping Harper.
We've had to rush her to the vet three times since 10/15/2020 with vomiting and diarrhea. They've done almost every test you can imagine; another full round of blood work, X-Ray of her abdomen, fecal sample to check for parasites/infection, etc. Every test they have done has come back fine; however, they initially put her on a round of antibiotics and probiotics while we awaited the fecal results. She has been done with both medications for over a week now but the vomiting and diarrhea persist. They have prescribed her prescription GI food, which she does not like so it's very hard to get her to eat. I've resorted to rubbing honey and karo syrup mixed together on her gums on several occasions because it had been so long since she ate or drank anything.
Harper was mostly waking up in the middle of the night/early morning throwing up and then she would have diarrhea. The vomiting has gotten somewhat better, but she did throw up again today and she still does not have regular bowel movements. While she doesn't always have diarrhea, her stools are never firm anymore. The vomit usually just looks like bile and then the loose stools will start. I'm actually concerned with the amount of stools, as it doesn't seem like she eats a lot. It's hard to get a puppy to eat that doesn't want to and now I'm afraid to change her food because I'm not sure what started all of this.
We do have an ultrasound scheduled also, so am quite thankful we decided to get pet insurance as the vet bills are over $1K at this point.
I'm just wondering if you've ran into this before? If either of her parents have any food allergies or stomach issues? I'm kind of feeling helpless to help her at this point.
Thank you,
~Jamie Seaman
Call me so I can ask questions [protected]. This is me asking her to call me so we can discuss what is going on with Harper. Here is my offer to try to work with Jamie and her admittance that Harpers allergy to chicken was not my fault. We fully understand that is not at all your fault, it's just very frustrating. Then to also learn she is not the breed you spent SO much time researching was very disheartening. I'm sure you can understand how we could be extremely disappointed? That in no way diminishes our love for Harper, at all. My response is I will acknowledge you feel you did not get the breed you were looking for by giving you a refund on this puppy but I will expect her returned to me. Surely you cannot expect me to refund you in full and allow you to keep the puppy. I understand you have been out alot in vet bills a but that has nothing to do with me nor with Harper's breed. I also acknowledge that you love her and do not want to give her up. A full refund is how I am acknowledging your doubt and the possibility of a mistake. How would it be fair to me that you keep her but not pay me for Harper regardless of what breed she is. I am hoping we can work something out so what I am willing to offer is a partial refund. I will refund you $1000.00 and you keep Harper. I feel that is very fair.
Can you please confirm that you got the refund..
Melissa
Yes, I received it.
I thought this was all settled between her and I as the last email she confirmed getting her partial refund that she agreed to was on 11-15-2020. A few days later I got an email from Jamie telling me Harper was still ill and her and the vets were doing everything they could trying to blame me and the cause be due to irresponsible breeding. The first claim was that she had Addison's disease. Which she did not then they were going to run thyroid test and biopsies and who knows what else. I asked to be kept informed about Harper but never heard anything from Jamie. On [protected] two months later I get this email from Jamie..
Melissa,
I am following up to let you know that Harper is doing somewhat better, not that you have inquired. She will forever have issues and is probably what most would refer to as a "special needs dog". The person I had lined up to care for her when I went back into the office to work, backed out because poultry is literally in EVERYTHING most people give to their dogs. They stated that they didn't want the responsibility of ensuring she wouldn't come into contact with any poultry products. We absolutely love Harper however, she has changed our lives for as long as we are able to keep her alive. We can't leave her with anyone, so we literally can't go anywhere that we can't take her. While she has brought us much joy, there were over two months of misery where we were trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She still occasionally vomits or has diarrhea, my understanding is that this will be lifelong for her. There have been countless sleepless nights, numerous vet visits, much expense, much heartache, lots of carpet cleaning, etc. Do you think about any of that when you lie to people? Probably not...
I guess I shouldn't have expected you to follow up or check on her as I've come to learn that you "breed" so many puppies and have several different websites, so it's probably very hard to keep track.
I'm also writing to let you know that I have been in touch with Harper's sisters' owner. They also wanted a Havapoo due to allergy issues, paid you for a Havapoo, paid for a flight nanny, etc. only to discover that their puppy has the exact same DNA makeup as Harper. In other words, Cavalier, Poodle and Bichon. When I submitted Harper's DNA for testing I created an account with a profile in the event anyone else had the same problem with you/your company. I received an email notification from the company, not the owner, that there was a "sibling match". When I reviewed the profile for that puppy, I discovered she was born on the same day, and was purchased from someone in Arkansas. Fascinating...
I finally heard back from the owner over the weekend and was able to confirm they also purchased a puppy from you. This puppy was from the exact same litter and is indeed Harper's sister. We have exchanged emails and will keep in touch. They also feel "duped' by you.
You are most certainly not a "responsible" breeder, as you claimed. A responsible breeder would KNOW what breed of puppies she was selling, and would not sell so many that you can't keep track! I understand now, after much research regarding you and your business online, that you run a puppy mill.
I want you to know that I will be availing myself of every option available to me to make sure you are held responsible for your irresponsible breeding and misrepresentation. I specifically asked you if Harper's parents were 1st generation and you said yes. I have that in writing from you. There was a reason I asked that question. I guess maybe I should've figured out earlier what you were about when you sent me two different sets of pictures that you were purporting to be Harper's parents. You probably have NO idea who her parents are. If you do, maybe you should figure out which one is passing on the bad genes. Maybe it is the mother that is NOT a 1st generation Poodle?
I know you count on the fact that we will fall in love with our puppies and not return them, which is exactly what happened to us, and to the people that purchased Harper's sister from you. You sit back, rake in money, and leave a trail of misery for those you dupe and take advantage of. I find this behavior disgusting! I don't understand how you can treat other people like this? Especially during a global pandemic! It's truly abhorrent!
Last, but certainly NOT least, I want the other $1K returned immediately. It's the very LEAST you can do for the BS you have put us through.
~Jamie Seamans
Here is my response
Jamie I asked in a previous email that you please keep me posted. I have thought of Harper and how she was doing but also knew you were upset and did not want to poke the bear per say. I felt that if anything had changed for the worse you would certainly let me know. Jamie I have explained to you what happened and how the mistake was made regarding Harpers breeding. It was an accident and I honestly thought Harper was a havapoo. I did not knowingly lie to you. I had no reason at all to misrepresent her. I offered to take Harper back and give you a full refund and you refused. I am not the monster you are painting me to be and you know it. I was more than willing to help with Harper any way I could after you got her. I spent time with you on the phone and I have communicated with you via email even though you were attacking me. I offered you the resolution my guarantee states I would and half of your money back when you refused. I have explained to you how the mistake was made. An uncaring irresponsible breeder would not have communicated with you in the least and would certainly not try to offer an explanation or a resolution if there even is one in one in a situation as this. You are upset and someone has to be blamed for her illness. You are lashing out and insulting me in hopes that it makes you feel better and if it does, what does that say about your character. You want to speak of my character which you have gotten all wrong but look at yourself right now. I made a mistake. I did not purposely seek out to harm you or anyone else and I have held myself accountable to the best of my ability while at the same time holding you accountable as well. You on the other hand are purposely trying to hurt me. You want to punish me for a mistake that was in no way done on purpose. Jamie you were ok with my genetic guarantee before you purchased Harper so I expect you to be ok with it now. I gave you half of your money back even though I did not have to. I have offered explanations and apologies for the mistake in her breeding. My health and genetic guarantee specifically states if a genetic issue arises how it will be handled. That was something that you were completely aware of before you purchased Harper and apparently ok with. I offered you exactly what you were ok with when you purchased the dog. I offered you a refund upon return of the puppy. How can you honestly say I am not holding myself accountable when in fact it is you that is not holding yourself accountable. Jamie I am not the person you think I am. I do not count on anything nor do I prey on people. I bring so much joy and happiness into families. Unfortunately rarely something can go wrong and since we are dealing with a biological creature not a refrigerator with replaceable parts it can be heartbreaking but it is not something I am aloof to. I understand that this is heartbreaking and I am sorry but nothing I can do or say will fix that because Harper is a dog not a refrigerator. I am also not going to allow your nasty insults to get me down and keep me from bringing so much happiness into the lives of families. I get several emails a week from happy families that are so thankful I do what I do. I got one today. I understand that you do not see it that way. I wish it were different. I wish I had known that Harper was in fact a cavapoo. I was certain at the time that she was not. I am not a liar. I did not need to test because I felt certain. Had I known that Harper would suffer from any kind of illness I would have never offered her to you. Do you honestly think I enjoy any of this. You may feel better after insulting me but I sure do not. I did not lie to you about her as I was not aware. I have tried to work with you and have continued to communicate with you even thru the attacks and insults which is so much more than most would do. I am asking you to back off now. You do what you feel you need to and I will do the same. I also want to send you a statement from embark when asked if their DNA testing to prove genealogy could be wrong. This is an email sent directly from them...It is saying that they only compare a dog's DNA to their reference panel but if a dogs DNA is not in their limited reference panel they will then look for a relative to assign DNA too. What they are saying is that as their reference panel grows then they will have more DNA to use and will have better results. Jamie they can be wrong and their tests can pick up relative DNA. Embark admits it. You can call and speak with them about it. Below is the statement from Embark. This is in reference to a havanese that is AKC registered AKC DNA confirmed dog from champion show lines. They are about to get a huge class action suit brought against them from breeders across the country sick and tired of their misrepresentations. By the way there are many options for dogs that are poultry free. Your caregiver was just looking for a way out. I will be glad to keep Harper for you if you need to take a vacay. We don't just keep poultry lying around...so keeping her away from it will not be difficult in the least.
Our results are based on DNA and comparison to a reference panel of registered dogs. Purebred status is determined by registries. We are not stating that Pillowtalk Kontessa is definitively not a Havanese, but that there is more genetic similarity with Maltese than we would expect based on our current reference panel of Havanese. Dogs with higher-than-expected diversity sometimes come back with some uncertain ancestry. In some cases, this is due to admixture with one of the trace breeds (or a relative of those breeds), but in other cases this represents genetic diversity not found in a typical dog of that breed.
When we look at breed ancestry, we compare every dog to our current reference panel. In Pillowtalk Kontessa’s case, we see that she has more ancestry consistent with our Havanese. We do not update genetic breed ancestry results based on pedigree alone. As we work to expand our reference panel, we can reanalyze the breed ancestry to see if an individual dog is now more consistent with samples from the one breed. If the genetic results are consistent based on our expanded reference panel, we will update the results.
I hope this helps clarify the results further, but please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Here is Jamies reply
Melissa,
I won't waste my time reading all of your email. I will "back off" when I feel like you have learned that you can't do this to people. And, if that was supposed to be a threat, I don't get intimidated easily.
Nothing you say to me will help "clarify" anything. I'm not the only person you did this to and it makes me angry. A responsible breeder would, at minimum, know who sired a puppy. It's ridiculous not to! I found your multiple names and websites, etc. I've looked at your page and seen how many puppies you push out of your "farm". You are the very definition of a puppy mill. I just wish I hadn't believed you and done more research prior, but I left a lot of it to Briant and he's not quite the pitbull that I am.
Offering to take a puppy back is such BS! You know people fall in love with their puppies and would never return them, so to offer to re-home it is just ludicrous.
I will continue to do what I feel is necessary to keep you from doing this to anyone else.
Refund our money.
Here is my response and yes it was sarcastic and I should have not gotten on that level but good night I had enough...
Funny how that offer is Ludicrous now but wasn't in the beginning. I really wish you would give her back to me. She never suffered from any of the things you say while she was here. Had I known there was a pitbull in the house, I would definitely had second thoughts. Pitbulls are not good with puppies. Sounds like neither one of us had done our research. She may just be responding to you? Her stomach issues could be a result of stress. I would imagine living with a pitbull would be extremely stressful for a puppy. Just a thought. I was not threatening you in the least. You do what you need to do and I will do the same. Not a threat, just a promise. Return the dog...
Jamie you lost my respect when you started with the name calling so I am still one up on you. I am a nice southern lady. So far that is all you have seen. If you throw crap over my fence I will throw it back once it gets to stinking. Your crap is starting to stink and that has nothing to do with being nice. Yes let's do please. If you feel the need to make contact with me again it needs to go through my attorneys office. Gordon Caruth and Virden phone number is [protected]. This way I can continue to be a nice southern lady.
So now you have the whole conversation and no more reading between the lines. Some people will read this and agree with Jamie. Others will see it differently. However you see it just know this. Jamie reviewed and signed the genetic guarantee and the terms and conditions page I offer with every puppy prior to purchasing her puppy. She knew that in order to receive a full refund the puppy must be returned to me. She knew that was the stipulation before she ever purchased the puppy. I stood by my guarantee and offered her compensation not just one way but two. If you are in agreeance with my guarantee before the purchase then I will expect you to be in agreeance after you purchased the puppy. For the record red poodles can have white on them and white poodles can have red. My poodles are not mixed with bichon. It would not benefit me in the lease to mix a poodle with a bichon. No need in it at all. Yes I did accidently send Jamie the wrong photos. I had her mixed up with another client. Her puppy is sensitive to chicken. That is not my fault. Has nothing to do with her breeding. My grandson has an allergy to peanuts I do not think his mom and dad are to blame. I shouldn't of implied Harper was ill because of Jamie that was small and childish of me but Jamie sure did not have any problem saying I was the reason Harper was ill. I hope this clears up some misconceptions on both parts.
If Melissa thinks posting all of our conversations is going to paint her in a better of a light, that's fine with me. I already admitted I was upset, and still am. I feel like I was duped, as I'm sure others do as well. As I said, responsible breeders know who sired a litter and they can provide the correct photos of the mother and father to someone paying $2K for a puppy. If you can't, maybe you should evaluate the sheer volume of puppies you are selling.
Melissa knows that nobody is going to return a puppy they love and have bonded with. I guess there might be people with less of a heart than us that may consider it, but we are not those kind of people. We are the kind of people that stayed up all night caring for a very sick puppy and cried many tears when we thought we were going to lose her. We are the kind of people that doled out thousands of dollars to figure out what was wrong with our puppy. As I stated previously, I'm thankful we were able to afford to continue taking her to the vet, as I'm sure there are many people that may have had to make a much more difficult decision. How do you return a dog that is so sick they aren't eating or drinking anyway? It was ridiculous of her to suggest it. The puppy was gravely ill, being fed with a syringe, but we are supposed to put her on a flight? Okay...
The agreement I signed stated I was purchasing a Havapoo, that's not what I received. So, is there really a signed agreement if you didn't deliver what was purchased? Isn't that the very definition of fraud? Additionally, we had already paid $575 to have her flown here, over a thousand dollars in OUR portion of vet bills, etc. I'm pretty sure she wasn't going to refund all of that, correct Melissa?
Again, this puppy has special dietary and health needs that will be lifelong. She continues to experience flareup's from the IBD and she will always ONLY have one kidney, which limits the medications she can be treated with. She isn't "sensitive" to chicken, she can't eat any poultry. We have her on a limited ingredient (one non-poultry protein), diet. The reason I brought all of this to Melissa's attention is so she could reach out to the others that had purchased a puppy from this litter and make them aware, as I was concerned they may have been experiencing the same issues.
I'll let anyone reading this decide for themselves. Melissa is never going to admit fault and/or that she is running a puppy mill. I would just encourage everyone to look at how many puppies she has sold in the last six months, I wish I had. Or, maybe Melissa would care to share how many she has sold? From all of her websites? I'm sure that affords her plenty of money for the attorney she named.
I'm not going to continue giving you my time or energy Melissa, Missy, whatever your name is. I just hope others see this, do some research, and make an informed decision about purchasing a puppy from you.
Wanted to share two pictures of 'Marcey". This is her at 11 weeks. She is doing great, and we love her! She's beautiful, healthy, playful, energetic, loving and smart. Thank you for your business that brings joy to families like ours.
Missy McMinn
Brandon, MS