South Side Dogs review: No dog and no refund!!!!!!! 37

I had the EXACT SAME experience with Southside Dogs and Frank Popolizio. Same pattern of behavior, same words and no returned deposit. DO NOT USE SOUTHSIDE DOGS AND FRANK POPOLIZIO AS YOUR BREEDER FOR ANY PUPPY. His dishonest behavior makes it hard to trust that he really has the beautiful puppies that he promises, and makes it even harder to trust that he raises his dogs in a safe, healthy environment. He is not to be trusted. Do not deal with him.

I went through the same thing, only I bugged him to death and got my refund back. He lies, and I would not trust a word he says. There are alot of honest breeders out there, but he is not one of them.

We bought a dog from Southside Dogs almost 2 years ago ($1000). The dog was sick when we got him home (5 hours away). When I sent Frank an email he told me, "That is why we tell you to bring the dog to the vet". We have had many problems with our dog. He is extremely hyper and has many anxiety issues. I strongly believe this is all due to poor breeding. Do not buy a dog from Frank. He has a story for EVERYTHING and he lies to your face. He does NOT stand behind the dogs he sells. Once he gets your money, the dog and all it's problems are all yours!

Sickdog, how much time did they spend making sure you were a fit for the breed and that the breed was a fit for you and that you KNEW about them and what they require and basics on the breed? That's a common complaint from a lot of people who weren't fully aware of their breed with the breed's he has listed. Even more common with the Vizsla's and GSP though. What was wrong with your pup? For those of you who have deposit's out and no pup's though ...
http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/dogs/uid/888225.aspx

My husband and I also had the same experience with Southside Dogs. We were promised a Vizsla puppy from a litter that was to be born at the end of August and Frank took our deposit for $250. When the time rolled around that the puppies were to be born and I had not heard from Frank, I called him and he informed me that unfortuantely we were not going to be part of this litter. He told us that there were not as many puppies as he anticipated and we would have to wait three weeks as he had another dog expecting a litter. This was a huge red flag because previously he had gone on and on about how he was very select with his breedings and did very few a year. He had all the right answers for us before he took our deposit. Just a couple days later I called him again to try and gain more information about the litter, and he told me we would now have to wait a few months to get a puppy. His story changed so many times. At this point, we decided we wanted nothing to do with this man because he could not be trusted and requested our deposit back. He agreed, but it became very clear he had no intention of sending our money back. He was very rude when we would call to ask where our deposit was and he even hung up on my husband. It took five weeks of harrasing him and having our lawyer call to get our deposit back. If it was not for the daily phone calls to Frank, we would never have gotten our money back. Please do not use South Side dogs. Frank can not be trusted.

My friend is havin g problems now with Frank! He is a liar and a fraud. Her dog passed away and she was very interested in a Vizla puppy that was suppose to be "ready in January and now the story has changed several times. Then it was "they are getting an ultrasound", to 2-3 more weeks ande then he said only 4 were born. He changes his story by the day and the same thing happened to her he was so nice until he got their $250.00 deposit. He needs to go to jail.

Is this for real - His dogs looks beautiful, he really does seem nice - serious but nice. The testimonials all seem to be written in a very weird/sketchy manner though. He told me puppies were to be born in 30 days and that I could be 5th on the deposit list. Should I waste my time with a visit to see what hes all about?

Hey. So glad I saw this as I have been looking for a Weimaraer Breeder for the past month in NY. South Side Dogs came up and now Frank just emailed me about a new liter. So ok I know to scratch South Sdie Dogs off my list, but does anyone here know of a reputable breeder for Weims in NY? Not looking for a showdog, just house pet. Please email asap at staceyj415@aol.com as I am looking to purchase one within a few weeks. I lost my Lab of 12 years last month and I am now ready for a new dog. Thanks for any info.

Are you kidding me? Of course, I don't think people as clueless as you complainers should even own a dog. All of you. I bought a dog from Frank and was treated like royalty. I actually took a trip to see what his place looked like (before I gave him a deposit, did you ever think of that?) because I've been to some real trash heaps looking for a dog and when I went to South Side Dogs, it was like an oasis. Don't take my word you ###s, go there yourselves. I checked out his website and inquired if I could contact some of his previous customers; he agreed, but had to make sure they didn't mind receiving a call or e-mail. I guess it all could have been a set up, but I've had my dog for a few years now and it's been nothing but pure joy. If anyone read a couple of negative comments from individuals who had a bad experience, and based their decision solely on that, I would say they are, forgive me, ###ed, I'm sorry, I'll just go with intellectually challenged. Just like it would be stupid to base what you do on a few positive reviews. I have no idea what transpired with you and Frank, and maybe it wasn't pleasant, but I'll bet money there are far more satisfied pet owners that have acquired dogs from South Side, than dissatisfied. Have a nice day!

calisurfer14 - I always attempt to be objective first and foremost, but my emotions got the best of me when I encountered this string, albeit small, of negative comments about South Side Dogs. It really does not do justice to the quality of the work South Side Dogs is doing based on my experience. If the complainers thought about objectivity, they would not have tried to spin their encounters into a blanket condemnation of South Side Dogs and attack Frank so viciously. Can anyone dispute my advice and be intellectually honest simultaneously? Go to South Side with an open mind and judge for yourself and remember that the whole process of breeding dogs can be unpredictable. If you are used to getting what you want instantaneously, then go and get your puppy from Petsmart and demand it right away instead of being patient for something exceptional that will be a long term endeavor. What normal person starts ranting when they don't get their way? Little brats or in this case, spoiled adults who have to do as much damage as possible to the person who didn't give them their lollipop when they wanted it, instead of realizing it was their own experience and in all likelihood not representative of the norm. Could I be anymore succinct? Anyway, I've spent enough time trying to enlighten, now I'm going to play with my dog and be a normal, functioning, well adjusted human being with a life.

I stumbled across the forum and had to describe my experience with Frank of south side dogs. Because I think there is a lot of mis-information flying around here.
My wife and I purchased a new home last year and decided that a puppy would complete our family. we had spent months looking for a breeder and actually traveling to see them before we made a commitment to buy. Let me say, there are many people out there breeding dogs for there bottom line. I truly do not believe frank is one of those people. We flew into N.Y. and visited South Side Stables, our first impression of the facility was that the place was amazing, We had been to almost 7 different breeders and not one of them even came close to South Side in terms of cleanliness, appearance and professionalism. we were honestly blown away with the facility. It was perfect for what we expected in a breeder.
After having lunch with Frank and touring the facility. My wife and I decided that South Side was exactly what we were looking for. Now, I have to agree that Frank sounded a bit "serious" on the phone when we had initially contacted him. but, after spending the afternoon with Frank and talking with him we realized that he was truly concerned about his animals and took his breeding program seriously.
Before we made a deposit on a weimaraner puppy we were told that there was an expected litter in about 3 weeks and that we would be put on the waiting list. We could expect to have our new puppy in about3 months. obviously my wife and I had thought about the wait and decided that for us it was worth it. When the litter was born we were saddened to find out that the mother had only had 4 puppies and that we would be first in line for the next litter. We waited it out. In our opinion, we had seen some of the other breeders out there and could have had a puppy sooner if we had bought one from them. but, after seeing Franks dogs and touring the facility we realized that there was a wait for a reason. because other people had obviously agreed with us that this was "the place".
It has now been almost one year sense we received our weimaraner puppy and she has become a wonderful addition to our new family. She is the smartest dog I have ever seen and wants nothing more than to please my wife and I. She is growing up to be a beautiful dog and there is not a day that goes by that we do not get a compliment as to how beautiful she is or how "well behaved" she is.
I understand that there are some people whom might not have the patience to wait for something special. But, if you truly want something special. maybe the wait is worth it?

I just came across this posting and wanted to add my experience. We got our beautiful German Short Hair puppy from Frank in May 2007. Frank was very responsive to all of my questions and emails. Yes the litter was a little later then he first said but just with human babies you never really know exactly when they are coming. As soon as they were born he sent me an adorable picture of the litter. As the weeks went on he sent me another picture. I know these to be true pictures as I can easily pick out my dog's unique spots in the pictures. My dog is also in the center on top of everyone else is both but that is a whole other matter :0)
Frank spent almost an hour getting us acquainted with the little guy and explaining everything we would need to know. Yes Frank was a serious guy but he always answered my questions and I will admit I was annoying asking how the puppies were doing every week.

To those complaining about their dog being hyper and having anxiety issues, those are very common traits of the breeds he deals with. My dog has them as well but with the proper love and attention we were able to work through them.

If you are reading this trying to decide whether or not to get a dog from Frank, please just go visit his farm and decide for yourself.

I have had a personal experience with Frank as well when I purchased my vizla from him about a year ago. He is a very astute and professional con artist. There may in fact have been people with good experiences from Frank but for every good one there is at least 4 bad ones. I will agree that his facility is beautiful and clean and that the dogs are well taken care of but this man does not have any integrity and certainly is not to be trusted. If you decide to buy a puppy from him (and I agree with others here that you should definitely be visiting the place yourself and decide) just be very careful and on the look out for any suspicious behavior on his part. Frank can be very charming and a real SOB at the same time. Google his name and you can see other complaints for him. He is not a trustworthy human being.

My husband and I bought a show quality dog- a Rhodeshian Ridgeback from Frank in April, 2010. I noticed right away her tail had a bump. My vet told me her tail was broken and re-healed on its own. Not only one part of her tail but TWO DIFFERENT PLACES! I e-mailed Frank because I felt we were ripped off with a pet quality dog..and I still haven't got partial refund from him.

Although I'm disappointed to hear what many of you have experienced, I have to say that I had an entirely different experience with Frank. I'd been looking for a Vizsla for over a year before I came across Frank and his site. I called and he was more than happy to answer any questions I had. I sent my deposit and was told that I would be put on the list and expected to receive the puppy in about 3 months. As previously said from other posters, I was also sent pictures when the litter was born, as well as update for the 8 weeks that the pup stays with Frank. When I did go to pick up the dog, I was so impressed with the facility at South Side. Frank greeted my mother and me and took us around the site. All of the dogs looked happy, healthy and socialized. Even better, Frank was quick to warm up to us and was quite pleasant.
As far as dogs being hyper, that very well might be your own fault. Frank is breeding high energy dogs-- meaning more than an hour of vigorous exercise at a minimum. They are not breeds for everyone.
I've had my Vizsla for 7 months now and she is healthy and a joy to the family. Not only would I buy another pup from Frank but he is also someone that I recommend.

SOUTH SIDE DOGS IS NOT BAD! The dogs have excellent blood lines!
I bought a Weimaraner from Frank about 2 years ago, and yes the dog came with Giardia and it was a pain for about 3 months. BUT, the dog I got is absolutely beautiful and has the best personality of any dog I have met, and it not just me that thinks that, every time I bring the dog to the Vet she says how incredible his personality is. Kamp (my dog) is the funnies and most interesting dog I have ever met. He is very smart and pretty calm for a Weimaraner. I would go back to Frank for another dog, BUT I would make sure that the dog does not have Giardia and if he did I would work on the price with him. His dogs have an excellent blood like, you can argue that.

We bought a Vizsla from Frank in 2007. This is our 4th Vizsla and this one is huge. 27 inches high and 81 pounds and thin as a rail but very much like a Vizsla. He is a great dog but always wondered if he was a mix. Rencenty, for fun, we did a DNA test which showed he had no primary breed. His secondary breed was Vizsla and English Coonhound. I sent an email to Frank but he never replied.

Well I have spoken to Frank and its a little weird that everytime you talk to him he has a different BS story to tell you, and excuse a lie... I would also like to add that He now is currently trying to sell THai Ridegbacks at his kennel. After being involved in Trd groups we cam across his site and decided to investigate. His story changed 3 times when I spoke to him and also through emails. NOT TO MENTiON THE PICTURES ON HIS WEBSITE ARE STOLEN FROM FOREIGN BREEDERS! HE is a scammer and a liar who would advertise pictures of dogs from other breeders online? IDIOT! I hope the irs gets his ###

Just fyi to all of you. Frank is not only a dog breeder, but a cattle breeder, real estate agent (F. Pops Real Estate) and now he is advertising for needing wait staff help on craigslist. Google his phone number and you will see all he is involved with. People who are spread out like that are generally cons, though I haven't dealt with Frank for anything, but he did call my gf about the wait staff help. After seeing these posts, I would be very wary about Frank and what you think you are getting from him. And my gf will not be calling him back for that job.

My husband and I found Southside Dogs on the web. We immediately called Frank when the website said "limited availabilty".
Frank had told us a litter has just been born a few weeks ago, however, Only 1 male was born from the litter, which was exactly what we wanted. My husband immediately made arrangements to make a 5-hour trip from Long Island to Worcester to see his place...We were impressed to see how clean and how nicely the dogs were cared for. Frank told us our puppy would be available the beginning of August. We picked our new bundle of joy August 6, 2011 with no hassles, I think we hassled Frank weekly on the puppies progress! Every week, the puppies were getting bigger and we had NO ISSUES at all. I'm sorry some of you all had troubles, BUT puppies are babies . . . and like babies . . . THINGS HAPPEN! Our male Vizsla, is the LOVE of our LIFE. We couldn't be more happy with how smart, obedient and truly fabulous the Vizsla breed is! My husband has been training him daily and I'm not sure who's more tired at the end of the day, ROSCOE or my husband? The Vet said besides, a small ear infection, which is no reflection on the breeder, He's in perfect health! Anyone who is reading this please go visit Frank At Southside for youself before sending money. We got lucky because we wanted a male and he had one available...Simple as that! He's truly a beautiful puppy :) Our new child w/Fur !

I personally have worked with Frank from South Side Dogs. WHAT A JERK! To start off with, I was supposedly "hired" as a kennel worker. Okay, I figured I'd be working with dogs, maybe occasionally watering and feeding horses. NO. First of all, I was apparently hired on a "trial" basis so the work that I did for Frank I was not compensated for. Second of all, Frank expects his workers to do everything. I was expected to take care of a horse that was so lame she almost went down three times, chase cows through the woods, and fix electric fencing, on top of taking care of his dogs. Franks dogs are gorgeous, I will admit that. HOWEVER, his dogs are not socialized, not leash trained, not obedience trained, are in kennels ALL day, and literally get no human interaction unless they're being fed or watered. Frank also easily has over fifty dogs on location. At the time that I worked there, there were eleven litters of puppies. ELEVEN. For someone who has a "select" number of litters per year, it sure seems sketchy to me. I've worked in close proximity with reputable breeders before. I've seen what a labor of love it is for good breeders, and how they really don't make any money on the pups that they produce. FRANK IS NOT ONE OF THOSE BREEDERS. When I had to bring one of the Rhodesian Ridgebacks down from the far back kennels, FRANK DID NOT EVEN KNOW THE DOGS NAME. Furthermore, Frank does not want to devote any more time to these poor dogs than he has to. When I was at the kennels, there was a Vizsla female who had given birth to a litter of eight puppies four days prior. The day that I worked, there were three puppies left. Throughout the day, we noticed that she had pushed one of the newborn puppies away. He was healthy, but was very cold. One of the other girls that worked with me that day put the puppy in her hoodie so it could get warm. Frank discouraged her from doing so saying "I don't want to devote more time and money than necessary to the pup. Let nature take its course." We had to watch a puppy die all because this greedy ### didn't want to have to invest himself in the life of the dog. DO NOT BUY A DOG FROM SOUTHSIDE DOGS! FRANK IS AN AWFUL MAN WHO DESERVES TO HAVE ALL OF HIS ANIMALS TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM, BECAUSE HE DOES NOT TREAT THEM RIGHT!

We wound up rescuing a dog from Southside Dogs 4 years ago New Year's Day when we drove 5 hours in a terrible blizzard. The original owners had been required to return her to Frank P. by contract instead of being able to just give her to us as they had wished. Frank wound up charging us $800 for her at 2 1/2 years of age claiming that he had to give the original owners $600 and he wanted $200 for his "trouble." They never saw a dime. Furthermore, her expensive, plush bed which was sent with her was mysteriously "destroyed" during that one night she spent back at Southside Dogs -- yeah right.

When I threatened to make trouble over this rip-off, I got a letter from Frank's lawyer and, much to my chagrin, shrugged it off as not worth the trouble. Frank never saw her let alone evaluated her and he required us to sign a contract saying that we had 10 days to return her for a refund and that after that he washed his hands of her. No reputable breeder would do such a thing to a dog that came from his program.

While the facility was impressive (from what I could see), I realized with the numbers, that it was a glorified puppy mill. While saddened to hear this story, I cannot say that I am overly shocked. I have never heard anything positive about Frank and his way of doing business.

We've had 2 experiences with Frank. Both times he was an arrogant ###. The first time we dealt with it. Who doesn't deal with arrogant people? We came away with the most wonderful dog anyone could hope for. We went several times and were impressed with the facilities and staff. A few years later we took our V for a visit and also we were contemplating another dog. We walked around as we had when we were purchasing our first, and came upon an older male that was isolated in a stall. We were told that he had been breeding for a time and that's how they get. He was a good size dog but he was down to pure muscle. He looked tired. He was very gentle. We fell in love. Frank was not around so my husband called him the next day and asked him what he does with the older dogs when he's done breeding them. He went ballistic on my husband and Frank threatened him with arrest if he ever came on the property again. The guy did not handle that conversation well at all. After that, we stopped recommending him and told a few people our fears. While I'm happy to see he's finally been found out, my heart is breaking for all the animals he's been allowed to abuse. I hope he rots in hell!

For all you people out there defending Frank, you are the idiots and have been conned. Did anyone of you notice that his dogs were doomed to live in a kennel? Does that seem normal to you? Did it ever dawn on you that is is not humanly possible to socialize and train that many dog? For all you fools that think the world of this sociopath, perhaps you should check out the news and see that 130 dogs were confiscated by the ASPCA for being starved and frozen in sub-zero weather. Glad you guys supported a schmuck like this!

We have a terrible, heartbreaking situation in Upstate New York with Frank Popolizio’s Southside Kennels located in South Worcester, NY. The Otsego County SPCA has been called in, as well as NY State Troopers, to remove over 130 dogs that are staked out w/barrels for shelter and no bedding in the barrels in subzero weather. The dogs are emaciated, eating their own feces..., and in horrible physical condition and unable to fend for themselves. There are vizslas, GSP’s, Weimaraners, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks in peril that I know of. There may be other breeds at this puppy mill as well. Please help me get the word out to the neighboring rescue people. The Otsego County SPCA is overwhelmed with the number of dogs they are going to have to take in and they have asked for help. The director, and contact person for this SPCA is a lady by the name of Liz Mackey; her phone number is [protected] . This is a Cooperstown, NY number and the SPCA is located just south of Cooperstown. Thank you for any help you can lend in this sad situation! Weeelllpp there you go folks! This man needs to got to jail...Pups are needing forever homes!

Here is a news story and for all of you that are getting annoyed at the people posting negative things...you should really read this.
We have a terrible, heartbreaking situation in Upstate New York with Frank Popolizio’s Southside Kennels located in South Worcester, NY. The Otsego County SPCA has been called in, as well as NY State Troopers, to remove over 130 dogs that are staked out w/barrels for shelter and no bedding in the barrels in subzero weather. The dogs are emaciated, eating their own feces, and in horrible physical condition and unable to fend for themselves. There are vizslas, GSP’s, Weimaraners, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks in peril that I know of. There may be other breeds at this puppy mill as well. Please help me get the word out to the neighboring rescue people. The Otsego County SPCA is overwhelmed with the number of dogs they are going to have to take in and they have asked for help. The director, and contact person for this SPCA is a lady by the name of Liz Mackey; her phone number is [protected] . This is a Cooperstown, NY number and the SPCA is located just south of Cooperstown. Thank you for any help you can lend in this sad situation.

The following is from the WeimRescue site-
Good morning,

I just got off the phone with Liz Mackey, the head of the SPCA in
Cooperstown. Here are the facts:

NONE of the dogs were left outside chained to barrels. They were all
housed in kennels. This was a rumor that needs to be stopped.

There are 85 dogs of 4 different breeds in total. About 48 of them are
vizslas. They have 26 dogs in their possession already. All will need vet
care. The state troopers, SPCA and the vets will continue to go out to the
site and gather the dogs within the parameters of the law.

The dogs will be housed until all the necessary legal work is done, then
Liz will be in contact with me to start the placement process. We are
hoping that Frank will not get his dogs back.

Please do not call the shelter. She and her staff must attend to the dogs
already there.

We will be setting up a fund for monetary donations. Please keep an eye
out for that email.

This email will also be going to all the clubs in the northeast, as well as
V-talk and facebook pages. Please lets stop all the rumors and wait for
the facts!

Thank you,

Stephanie Fischer
Northeast Regional Rescue Coordinator VCA
President & Rescue Chair
Vizsla Club of Long Island

We purchased our weimaraner two years ago from Southside Dogs. We were devastated when our previous weimaraner died at age 11 ...six months prior to our visit to Southside. Being very familiar with the breed, we decided to research kennels before purchasing again. We came across Southside and were excited about the possibility because it was only an hour from our home, unlike our previous dog who we purchased in Pennsylvania. We visited the kennel and were very impressed with the cleanliness of the site and the care of the animals. After the tour we met with Frank, who spent alot of time with us answering all of our questions. We put down our $250 deposit and waited for Frank to give us the good news. That was in Sept. 2009. Frank called us in November and assured us that we would have our boy in January. He told us that we could come and visit and we did, several times, one visit was totally unannouced as we were in the area. Each time we visited, Terry took us to see our pup, and let us see all the others as well. Terry spent alot of time with us and with our grandchildren who visited the site with us. He was very knowledgeable(remember this was not our first weimaraner) of the breed and not once did any of the dogs shy away from him (the first sign of distrust or abuse) The dogs greeted him with love and affection as they did with Frank. The site was beautifully maintained even on our unexpected visit! We picked our boy up in January as promised. He had Giardia which Frank pointed out is not uncommon, telling us on the day of pick up that this was a possibility. He instructed us to go to the vet and he told us how to maintain a healthy digestive system for him as it is a known fact that weimaraners have sensitive digestive systems..again I reiterate that even though we already knew that having been previous ownere of a weim' Frank told us anyway! He even went so far as to tell us what type of dog food to use. (we are still using it) Today Ambit is a beautiful, healthy, highly intelligent, well adjusted dog! He always loved his crate and still does. He loves to travel with us and we do that alot! He is mischivevious ( known to the breed) and very, very, funny! He knows just how to get our attention! He is loyal and protective yet tender and gentle with babies and children in general. He is much calmer than we expected, and is known to sleep through thunderstorms. He has all of the positive traits of the breed. Our previous dog was so high stressed and anxious all of the time that we did not get to experience the full benefit of the breed.
The first thing I suggest is that yobe familiar with the breed, whether it is a weimaraner, visla, rhidgeback or German short hair. KNOW your breed, know what to expect! The second thing I suggest is to know your breeder..go visit him and the site...it will be well worth th trip no matter how far away you are.Our dog is our family...I certainly wouldn't adopt a baby site unseen, would you?! Kudos to Frank and Southside Dogs!

Laurie, why don't you do a google search...a Utica TV station filmed the confiscation of sick and emaciated dogs. I, too, have one of Frank's dogs. She is one of the most beautiful, sensitive, and intelligent animals I have ever known., but this doesn't absolve this man for being the disgusting, greedy piece of humanity he's shown himself to be. We have personally seen the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of this man. May he rot in hell. I truly hope he is brought to justice.

I bought a Vizsla from Frank last year and yes he is rude but I didn't see anything wrong with the site everything was clean, and I figured the dogs were in large cages with dog houses were probably not handled by humans much since they were breeding dogs. I love my Vizsla he is full of energy but eats everything he could does anyone have advise on how to stop this behavior.

http://thedailystar.com/localnews/x728820388/Area-kennel-owner-faces-new-felony-charges

June 6, 2012
Area kennel owner faces new felony charges
By Denise Richardson
Staff Writer

The owner of South Side Dogs and South Side Farms in Worcester was arrested during a court appearance Tuesday on additional charges related to his business activities, Otsego County deputies said in a media release.

Frank Michael Popolizio, 66, of Schenectady, was charged with first-degree scheme to defraud, third-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree grand larceny, all felonies, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, deputies said.

Popolizio was arrested when he appeared at the Worcester Town Court to answer previous animal abuse charges, deputies said. He was arraigned on the new charges by Worcester Judge William J. Fisher and released on his own recognizance, pending another court appearance at 4 p.m. July 3.

Popolizio was arrested after a six-week investigation by the Otsego County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division.

Deputies received a complaint in late April from a Virginia resident who said she sent Popolizio $2, 100 as a down payment for miniature livestock in September, but she didn't receive the cattle or her money back.

Based on further investigation, Popolizio is accused of stealing $26, 435 from numerous customers during the past five years as he "engaged in an ongoing fraudulent course of conduct by using false or fraudulent pretenses, representations and/or promises, " the release said.

The customers lived in Virginia, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania as well as New York, deputies said.

If convicted on the additional charges filed Tuesday, Popolizio faces up to 26 years in prison, deputies said.

Otsego County Assistant District Attorney Marvin D. Parshall Jr. is prosecuting the case. Anyone else who believes they have been subjected to fraud by Popolizio is asked to call deputies at 547-4363 to file a complaint.

On Feb. 2, Popolizio was charged with 49 counts of animal cruelty after state police, who investigated complaints that dogs there appeared to be neglected, raided South Side Dogs. The dogs were confiscated.

The Susquehanna SPCA is caring for dozens of the seized dogs, and Popolizio's attorney said recently that he is opposing action that his client pay for their care. In a separate case, Popolizio already faces potential state prison time if he is convicted of any of five felony charges brought against him by the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Those charges related to his alleged failure to pay sales taxes collected at his now-closed Schenectady restaurant, The Pentagon.

June 6, 2012
Area kennel owner faces new felony charges
By Denise Richardson
Staff Writer

The owner of South Side Dogs and South Side Farms in Worcester was arrested during a court appearance Tuesday on additional charges related to his business activities, Otsego County deputies said in a media release.

Frank Michael Popolizio, 66, of Schenectady, was charged with first-degree scheme to defraud, third-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree grand larceny, all felonies, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, deputies said.

Popolizio was arrested when he appeared at the Worcester Town Court to answer previous animal abuse charges, deputies said. He was arraigned on the new charges by Worcester Judge William J. Fisher and released on his own recognizance, pending another court appearance at 4 p.m. July 3.

Popolizio was arrested after a six-week investigation by the Otsego County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division.

Deputies received a complaint in late April from a Virginia resident who said she sent Popolizio $2, 100 as a down payment for miniature livestock in September, but she didn't receive the cattle or her money back.

Based on further investigation, Popolizio is accused of stealing $26, 435 from numerous customers during the past five years as he "engaged in an ongoing fraudulent course of conduct by using false or fraudulent pretenses, representations and/or promises, " the release said.

The customers lived in Virginia, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania as well as New York, deputies said.

If convicted on the additional charges filed Tuesday, Popolizio faces up to 26 years in prison, deputies said.

Otsego County Assistant District Attorney Marvin D. Parshall Jr. is prosecuting the case. Anyone else who believes they have been subjected to fraud by Popolizio is asked to call deputies at 547-4363 to file a complaint.

On Feb. 2, Popolizio was charged with 49 counts of animal cruelty after state police, who investigated complaints that dogs there appeared to be neglected, raided South Side Dogs. The dogs were confiscated.

The Susquehanna SPCA is caring for dozens of the seized dogs, and Popolizio's attorney said recently that he is opposing action that his client pay for their care. In a separate case, Popolizio already faces potential state prison time if he is convicted of any of five felony charges brought against him by the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Those charges related to his alleged failure to pay sales taxes collected at his now-closed Schenectady restaurant, The Pentagon.

If you feel you have unfairly treated, or even ripped off, by South Side Kennels... you may want to see this video and contact the authorities in NY... http://www.wktv.com/news/crime-reports/Kennel-owner-already-charged-with-animal-abuse-is-now-accused-of-scamming-customers-157362445.html

I will have to say Frank at South Side Dogs was awsome to deal with! We got a Weimaraner from him and she has been great! Frank took a lot of his time with us explaining things about the breed (which I all ready knew, beings that I had a Weimaraner). Sounds like others that had a "bad deal" with Frank didn't read his contract!
John Garner

i purchased a German short haired pointer from frank in January 2008.My vet raved about what a perfect example of the breed he is.He was then and still is healthy as a horse.He is mild mannered and a joy to my whole family. I have owned gsp's for more than 35 years and never had a better one. I found his facility to be top notch.

Just my experience,

Tim Brusie

We got our weim from Southside and we had mixed feelings. We were told she would be 4 months old from Frank, she was 7. Obviously he had no idea which dog he was giving us so we brought the wrong size collar. We were also told a lower price than when we arrived. The place looks nice from the outside, big a lot of room to roam. When we first met out future puppy she was so nervous, but that's to be expected. I sat down and she calmed down a bit. She was definitely very skinny, showing way too many bones and her ears were filthy. Definitely a barn dog. I asked to see some of the visla pups, but either I was ignored or they didn't want me to see more; take it however you want. I fell in love right away and there was no question she was coming with us. She was so nervous on the 3 hr ride home, to be expected, but not overly scared. We immediately enrolled her in training classes the next month. She was crated trained in one day, potty trained in about a few weeks - nothing too long. She was definitely one of the best in her class and got all the basics down by 2 months, sit down, up, come, leave it, let's go, crate, nite nite (that's mine). She is now a certified therapy dog and just over 2 yrs old. We are extremely happy w/Kayla and love that she can bring joy to others. She absolutely beautiful. I didn't have the best experience w/Frank. I didn't trust him, but he Kayla's an amazing dog. I'd like to think that she has a wonderful family and surrounded by a lot of love.

More Dogs from this so called "breeder" are being put into rescue currently since they decided to call the state to "dispose" of them