I think the OP would not only be taken advantage of but would become a
partner backyard breeder herself. She would be
extremely complicit with the whole mess! I am still not sure if the whelping would be better with Kendra than the owner/breeder. Now that it has suddenly come out that she has experience with 3 pug litters years ago, that is more than I realized when my opinions were first formed. Still, yorkies ARE different. It seems just a little over-the-top that she believes she can do a better job during delivery for this pregnant bitch and her pups than a BYB that has been at it for some time. She obviously has better ethics and heart, but that is not enough to whelp a litter of yorkies. Experience cannot be discounted in this circumstance.
So, what is being gained? She MAY be able to keep the puppies 12 weeks instead of 6. But there is no guarantee of that. The owner may just ask for them back at 6 weeks and sell them. If she is needing money, and a "cash crop" (in her eyes) is available, she may see the green and undo all that Kendra has tried to accomplish!
I doubt that she will spay the dam -- this is obviously an ongoing business concern for her and I am not sure you can instill a caring heart. She has looked at these dogs as money makers too long to suddenly decide to spay and neuter them all and keep them as pets. Miracles do happen, never know -- maybe she will get out of the business but I sure would not place a bet on it.
There are also the MANY legal questions that have been raised. Is there any contract in writing between the two? It seems to me Kendra is offering a "service" implying that she is capable of providing care and assistance in the delivery of these puppies. That would put her in a position of
liability if something goes wrong. I would also be concerned about vet fees. If a C-section is required, that can get quite expensive.
While it is admirable that she wants to help, sometimes we tend to think our good intentions automatically puts us above all others and that just is not so. The mother and pups might just be better off being in the care of an experienced breeder (even though her ethics are in question). It was mentioned that she does not think the breeder would get vet care if something went wrong. What is she basing this on? Even the worst BYB understands that if they all die, there is no money made. I can't imagine them getting no care if it is needed. So many things can happen that require split second action on the part of the person attending a whelping. There is no time for getting on line (computer OR PHONE), no time to call the vet -- the person needs to KNOW what action they are going to take. Then there are the crucial days AFTER the births. Does she know what to watch for? What is a normal discharge and what signals a problem? What smell might signal a problem? What temp should momma read after? What is a warning temp? How much bleeding is natural and when does it become crucial to get care? Three weeks is NOT long enough to prepare! I studied for 2 years and it was still not enough in some ways, as no amount of study replaces experience.
I just think this is a situation rife with problems and there is no winning combination. The only benefit that is HOPED to be derived is to have the pups stay with their momma a little longer than they would have with the breeder. If you can talk her into GIVING you her pregnant girl for the delivery WHY ON EARTH can you not talk her into just keeping the puppies a little longer? My guess is she is chuckling in the background, thinking now that she has an
assistant, she has more time to get even more breeding done!
This would be different if the pregnant girl was in danger, or if you were going to get to keep the girl afterwards to spay and love. But to just provide all this work time and not make any real changes -- I cannot see it is worth the very real dangers of culpability if something does go wrong. If you lose this momma dog, what will she do? People who don't care any more about animals than to treat them like money makers, are also the type to turn litigious when they get the opportunity. Are you prepared to pay her for the females and maybe even the litter if things do go terribly wrong?
As Ladyjane tried to get you to understand -- your good intentions could be put to so much better use if you were to visit a rescue or shelter and TRULY save a pup! Not just keep them with their mom a little longer but truly SAVE THEIR LIFE! You seem to have the heart for rescue and there are plenty that could use your help! Obviously, you cannot save all the pups in the world, or even in Texas, but if you really want to get involved, I would do it in a way that will make a continued difference. Even talking her into giving you the pregnant female after the pups are rehomed would be saving her and making a true difference. As another pointed out, sure she may just breed another, but you would have saved this girl from further misery AND ensured she got spayed to prevent more blue babies.
I know it is difficult to see something wrong and not step in to fix it. But we are not Gods, we can only do so much. So, I would suggest it would be SO MUCH BETTER to pick one pup in need and rescue it. Then if you can later, do it again. Saving pups one at a time -- really changing their lives for the better and sometimes stepping in to SAVE their LIFE completely (in the case of kill shelters) would be so much better than taking on all of this responsibility with so little impact made. I would cut ALL ties with this breeder. Leave her with written information to back up all that you have taught her and get as far away from her as possible. If there were really any unsafe or unhealthy conditions, report her to the authorities and then leave it at that. But that is JMHO.
Prayers said for momma and pups -- no matter where they wind up for how long.