Buyer be aware of (Cindy Newhook- Pixie Dust Yorkies- Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
 

Hi

I am posting this on behalf of my senior mother who is not into using computers. Although we would like to remain anonymous we thought it would be best to share our experience. My mother doesn't want another family with a broken heart like herself.

We are not one to post negativity about others but my motheris deeply saddened about her loss. Her 2 year old yorkie has just passed away from LIVER SHUNT (as diagnosed by our vet). Although this was not my mothers first dog, this was her first yorkie. We were under the assumption that these little dogs are supposed to live a good 12-15 years?

My mother purchased her pup from CINDY NEWHOOK (PIXIEDUST YORKIES). Cindy is located in our city Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

We originally found Cindy through her website http://myyorkiebabies.com and she goes by her CKC kennel name PIXIE DUST YORKIES.

Because my mother’s little one was already 2 years old we are no longer covered under her 1 year genetic health warranty (as stated on her website).

I am also in shock to see that her puppy prices have gone up $2500-$5000 each. My mother did NOT pay that price two years ago. Has puppy prices gone up everywhere? This should be a big red flag to grab your wallet and run!

We are not expecting anything in return. But wanted to warn others- BUYER BE AWARE! My mother would never purchase a pup from this individual again.

A breeder can be wonderful and all that but one must question her breeding practices as no puppy should be dead at 2 years of age.

My mother would like another yorkie in the future but right now she is very distraught by her loss.

You should still get ahold of the breeder she needs to know so she doesnt breed that breeding pair again and have someone else goe through this

You should still get ahold of the breeder she needs to know so she doesnt breed that breeding pair again and have someone else goe through this

I am so sorry for your Mothers loss, how devastating for her. I do so hope that the breeder is aware of a diagnosed liver shunt, even if it is outside of her health guarantee.


The University of Tennessee - and Dr K Tobias is an acknowledged expert on Liver shunts and much information can be found there. You can find out about the inheritance pattern of Liver Shunts, and what research is on-going to find the genetic markers for this thought to be a recessive and (maybe) polygenetic condition.


It is quite possible that 2 clear dogs can produce a puppy with Liver shunt. And if this is the case with your Mom's puppy the breeder really needs to know this, as this pair should never be bred together again.


You can send a copy of the necropsy aka autopsy report to the breeder that clearly shows the COD as an un-treated Extra Hepatic liver shunt. If a necropsy was not done, the scintography report, or the ultrasound, the BATS testing and other blood testing that at the minimum points to Liver Shunt.


Once again my condolences to your Mom on her loss.

:eek:

HISTORY OF PARTI`S

This is not education!
Its misleading information.

These are the consequences of not knowing the history of our breed.
Its too sad to see that these people call themselves "breeders".
Its too sad to read that "Parti Yorkies ARE RARE, they are hard to find and as supply and demand goes, they do cost more than the traditional colored Yorkie."

This is not breeding.
Its just a supply to an unhealthy demand.

I took everyone's advice and contacted Cindy which did NOT go well at all. She was very hostile an demanded I keep this hush. Makes one wonder what this woman truly is about?
More angry now

You have no reason to keep hushed about it. If she were a good breeder she would bee glad she had the info so she could evaluate her breeding pairs

I don't blame you for being angry. You did the right thing by contacting this breeder. Unless you signed a confidentiality agreement with your sales contract, you are under no obligation to keep this hush. You could post the registered names of the parents that produced a Liver shunt puppy. They should be clearly identified on your Canadian Kennel Club Registration paperwork.


I am so sorry that you experienced hostility instead of sympathy, that the breeder did not ask clarification questions to ascertain certainty of diagnosis, that she did not support you and your Mom on your loss.


If you feel after review of the Code of Practice for CKC member breeders that she has breached her responsibilities you can report her to the CKC.
Code of Practice for CKC Member Breeders | CKC

Oh how upsetting :( I am very sorry for you and for your mother. Condolences on your sweet lil babe :rbyorkie:

I like you I really like you! Great post!

I'm so sorry for you and mom, how very sad. The reality is the majority of breeders of Yorkies, Parti's, Biewers are NOT ethical breeders, they are looking for the $$$ There are some great breeders out there, in the future educate yourself, and choose wisely. Learn the redflags and stay away...there is a ton of info here for you to read through and it will help you in the future. Again welcome to YT, I'm sorry its like this but thank you for sharing the information and helping a future Yorkie momma. Keep us posted and stay awhile!

I am so very sorry your mom lost her two year old precious baby. The breeder's response to your call speaks volumes about how much she cares. This is so sad.

WOW...Unbelieveable on the response of the breeder. I am so sorry to hear about your mom's baby. It's such a shame he/she had to leave this earth so young. It's good that you posted your experience so others can be aware. Again...so so sorry.

Not so sure
 

I'm not so sure Mike's post is great. I know he knows a lot, but the Parti thing has made my brain bleed before. The AKC registers them as Yorkshire Terriers, which has led me to believe that's what they are. If they're not purebred Yorkies, shouldn't DNA force the AKC to remove them from the registry? Every discussion seems to lead to stories about Parti pups being killed or hidden to get them out of the Yorkshire Terrier gene pool. Since some people actually like the color combination a lot, killing them off just won't happen. Now what do we do?
I have friends who breed Partis, very nice people breeding good dogs responsbly. I don't get what they're doing wrong.
Mike, please open a discussion about this. :)

I agree.. I also do not understand why Mike's post would be considered "Great". I read the link and I did not see anything in it that was incorrect. Sue knows quite a bit about the Parti yorkie, and she did a fairly good job explaining it.

This thread however is not about the Parti yorkie debate so I apologies and don't want to stray off of the original topic.

Diana:animal-pa

Quite right, and I didn't want to steer the conversation away from the intended topic.
As such, I have to defend the breeder, who I do not know and never heard of before this thread.
I'm sorry the OP lost her Yorkie to liver shunt, but it's a known risk in the breed. We do our best to avoid it based on what we know about our lines. This is something nature can do and we don't know why. The dog was well past the breeder's health guarantee period.
I looked at Pixie Dust's web site and see nothing there that would make me think this is not a good breeder. If she's able to command such high prices for her puppies, good for her. I know someone quite reputable in my region who gets prices like that. I don't see this as a sign of a bad breeder, quite the opposite.
As for the breeder's rudeness at hearing from the OP, that could well have been a reaction to being approched in a hostile manner, in the same tone as the original post here.

I'm not knowledgable on liver shunt issues.

I thought liver shunt was treatable by surgery. Can a dog just live so many years then suddenly drop dead from it? Are there signs and symptoms that the dog would have leading you to believe there's a serious health issue before it dies?

Those are very good questions. I've never heard of cases that were suddenly fatal. Most of the ones we hear about are treatable with surgery and are very symptomatic.

Merry Christmas to all :)

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/bre...ml#post4516759

Yes, although LadyJane posted somewhere about one of her dogs that at something like 5yrs old got diagnosed with a liver problem. I can't recall if it was MVD or Liver Shunt though.

About a year ago we had an approximately 5 year old foster yorkie we had received in a group of 7-8 puppy mill dogs. The mill had been shut down and the group we received the dogs from had all the health exams and lab work. This little one lived with us for about 6 months before being adopted. The family contacted us a few months after to let us know she had died of a liver shunt. All the appropriate labs had been done. She had good vet care and no apparent issues other than the typical puppy mill behavior which were improving. What is sad is that we'll never know how many yorkies are out there with the potential to pass this disease on. Pet shops don't require spay/neuter contacts. This breeder definitely should have been made aware. How or why she responded the way she did is confusing. By the way , we now repeat the lab work through our own vet even though we've worked with this group for years and they had always been reliable.

Pixie Dust Yorkies - exceptional breeder
 

While I am very sorry for your mother's loss and could not imagine the loss of my own sweet little Yorkie, I feel your anger may be misdirected. My dog Bella is from Pixie Dust Yorkies and she is now 3 years old. I bring her back to Cindy any time I am out of town. My experience with Cindy has been exceptional and I will get another Yorkie from her when I am ready to. I also recommend her with any chance I get.

Bella is a sweet, good natured, and healthy dog. She is friendly and approachable. She faces situations with confidence because of the conditioning Cindy provided in the early years of her life. She socializes her puppies which I experience first hand when I drop Bella off for boarding and when I was allowed to visit Bella during the first weeks of her life. Cindy's home and puppy nursery are very clean and comfortable. This is not a case of an inexperienced breeder trying to turn a quick profit. Breeding Yorkies is not a hobby to Cindy, it's her career. Cindy uses one of the top veterinarians in the city despite the vet's office being in the very opposite end of where Cindy is located. Cindy charges what she does because of the time and care she puts into each puppy and the demand for her pups.

There will always be risks to purchasing a purebred dog. My first instinct upon the death of my dog would be to let Cindy know because she would not knowingly breed two dogs that propogate a genetic defect. I don't know how you approached Cindy about your situation, but if it is anything like your original post, I would not be surprised by Cindy's response. Anytime you threaten someone's livelihood or passion, I'm sure he or she would become defensive. This is especially true from someone who cares so much about her dogs and puppies.

OP so sorry for your mother's loss. Losing a baby we love is always so hard. I hope she may soon be ready to open her heart to a new pup in her life to help fill he hole that has been left.

Of course the OP was upset, distraught, brokenhearted, and probably angry. Who wouldn't be when they lost their little Yorkie love at two years old. Judging by the original post here, the OP was very respectful and even said they weren't the type of people to post complaints about other people. I think the breeder was wrong to respond with hostility and anger. She should have been upset about the loss too and responded in a caring manner. The way she responded speaks volumes. I would not get a puppy from her.

I too did not find the original post hostle. Based on recommendations contained with-in this thread the OP said she had contacted the breeder to let her know of the situation. The OP said Cindy was hostile towards her.


This quite frankly is a matter of *he said she said*, in all arenas; namely tone, actually what was said, and quite frankly even the ultimate FACT of what was cause of death. We know nothing of what testing was done on this 2year old, do not know if a necropsy was done to confirm cause of death, etc.




I will continue to recommend breeding pairs get BATS tested and I will also recommend puppies get BATS done at 6months old or earlier if they are symptomatic earlier. As we know 2 clear parents can produce a LS puppy, and unless you have tested the parents you do not know if they are clear prior to breeding them.

Hello,

I am a repeated "customer" of Cindy's and am appalled by your post. While I am very sorry at the loss of your puppy, actively defaming a business and wonderful person is not the way to grieve.

A little background on defamation for you:
A defamatory statement made in writing is libel, and when made verbally, is slander. The Defamation Act (Alberta) does not differentiate between libel or slander. This means if defamation is proven, then damages are presumed, regardless if they are libel or slander (see section 2(s) of the Act). This means a person does not need to show they suffered a monetary loss from the defamatory statements - loss is assumed and once defamation is proven, damages are owed.

To establish defamation, the onus is on the Plaintiff to prove, on a balance of probabilities, the elements of defamation. To establish a defamation claim, the Plaintiff must prove:

1) That the impugned words were defamatory, in the sense that they would tend to lower the plaintiff's reputation in the eyes of a reasonable person;

2) That the words spoken or written referred to the plaintiff, and

3) That the words were published, meaning that they were communicated to at least one person other than the plaintiff.

The test is an objective one. The test, in other words, is not whether the words impute
negative qualities to the plaintiff, but whether in the factual circumstances of the case, the public would think less of the plaintiff as a result of the comment.

Defamation can be established despite the fact that the words used to defame the individual did not express a conclusion.

Merely framing a defamatory statement in the form of a question will not provide protection from liability. Whether words have a defamatory meaning is determined from the "ordinary meaning" of the published words themselves. Ordinary meaning includes any implied, inferential or indirect meaning that a reasonable person would draw from the words.

If the plaintiff can establish that defamatory words have been published or broadcast which tend to lower the plaintiff’’ s reputation, or which expose the plaintiff to hatred, contempt or ridicule, a prima facie cause of action in defamation arises and the publication will attract liability, unless a defence can be established.


If the statement is shown to be true then it acts as a complete defense to the action. The defendant must prove the truth of all material statements made.

It is the imputation contained in the words that must be justified, not the literal truth of the words. Examples of how to show the truth of all your allegations published on the internet: showing you purchased a puppy from Cindy (including proof of payment); showing your puppy was regularly checked by a vet and screened for a liver shunt; showing that your puppy, during its regular check ups showed no signs of a liver shunt (and that you received the proper blood work to screen for such disease - your negligence is not someone else's problem); showing your puppy died from a liver shunt; showing Cindy was at fault and could have prevented it; showing you contacted Cindy (i.e. phone records which will show you called her and the length of the converation recorded - any phone provider has this info and is sent to you month on your bill); etc. etc. etc.
Given the absences of any proof on your part, aside from your posts, I have a difficult time believing in the accuracy and truthfulness of your post. I would encourage any readers to criticially think about posts made like this which contain strong and serious allegations in them, which fail to provide firm evidence supporting their remarks.


Please consider removing the post. There are many consequences that can flow from incorrect information intended to defame another individual. Your anonymity will only take you so far in this day and age.

For what it is worth to people stumbling upon this post - I do not, for a second, believe a single word. I know Cindy and have multiple fur babies from her, which are amazingly healthy, strong, well-mannered, and hilarious! I received full health disclosure of all dogs involved and from the vet. I am unaware of anyone who has had an issue with Cindy or her dogs. Cindy always answers my calls, emails, no matter why I am calling. Cindy, in my opinion, and based on my experiences, on all accounts, is wonderful breeder.

Shame on you.

Disclaimer - this post is not intended as legal advice nor does the writer represent any of the involved parties nor have any parties engaged the writer to respond on their behalf.

I'm glad you added that part since your advice re: defamation is incorrect. OP is entitled to their opinion re: their experience. That is not to say that their experience isn't subjective and can't be argued... However, they are still entitled to it..


I'm glad you are happy with your pups and your experience, though. Thanks for sharing!

I'd be happy to retract my statement if you are able to provide me with case law affirming that all opinions, no matter how much they are rooted in incorrect information, are not defamation.

I do think, however, you will find that difficult, since defamation is rooted in the logic that people's opinions which defame other people are compensable as they perpetuate a perception that harms another. If the opinion is rooted in TRUE FACTS, then yes, people are free to express opinions. When the opinion contains false, misleading and incorrect statements, from which you are basing your opinion, you cross the line into the realm of defamation.

An example - a statement that Cindy was contacted. That is not an opinion. It is a fact. incorrect at that. A statement that Cindy's care caused the death of the pupply. That is a statement of alleged fact, not opinion. Saying that Cindy's prices are too high, is an opinion, based on true facts of what her puppies cost. There is a very real difference with one having legal consequences.

I am not saying the entire post is defamatory. However, statements the poster have claimed to be fact and true are not opinion.

I do not think admin would allow any law breaking on here so think we are all good :)

Beware of Cindy Newhook , be very leery ...
 

I purchased an adult yorkie from Cindy 4.4 yrs ago, she was so adorable , died of a massive heart attack last November 2014, in the 18th and it broke my heart... I contacted Cindy to tell her so she would be aware of the heart conditions for the puppies she has sold from my darling Bella ... she was rude and condescending , told me she has never bred Bella which was an outright lie as I met her in September and was told I couldn't have her until January 2012 as she wanted to breed her once more ..... there was NO sympathy on her part . Buyer beware with this woman, do not purchase any puppies or dogs from her as you will be really sorry you did !!