Tiny Little Puppy in a RESCUE!

[Tae1107]

I would think they could be selling them for $200... I am not sure what a puppy mill charges a pet store.... maybe someone else knows that....

I am not saying it is a puppy mill, just that I find it odd for a rescue to have so many puppies...I belong to a rescue and the only puppies we ever get are ones that are sick or maybe a rare owner surrender...but then they say that the owner was sick...so who knows...

and I do not know of a rescue that would ship such a small pup... or at least any of the rescues I know would never ship at all...

I agree they should all find their forever homes.... they are adorable and deserve to be loved....

[theyulia]

Dear guys, I was dumb enough to adopt from "Rescue Volunteer Adoptions", or "RVA", without good check on them prior the fact. On the other hand I am glad I haven't checked them before I paid for her, otherwise she would be dead for a week already.

When I came across this "rescue" (who is registered as a dog breeding business at BBB), they also had about dozen of puppies, all pure breed - jack russels, chihuahuas, and two beagles. The story this time was "saved from backyard breeder". Well, who wouldn't believe them if the puppies look so touching.

I filled out an application at night, and in the morning they contacted me ONLY to explain payment options and to ask whether I am available to pick her up TOMORROW... No questions asked, no home check, no vet reference check on me - I received puppy 24 hours after I submitted the payment, and 36 hrs after I filled out the application.

Adoption process made me think really hard, but it was already too late. Puppy arrived so cute, and so adorable, and so tiny that I forgot about everything else. She was covered with flees, I could count her ribs just by eye exam, and she had huge belly - strong sign of being stuffed with parasites and worms, her ears were rusty inside - and I was still too happy with her to think as a normal person. I was so eager to get her to normal, to give her normal life. I haven't even checked her vaccination record and health certificate that day - I was too busy with the puppy.

She seemed ok, just sleeping too much to my opinion, but I related that to the fact that she went through the stressful flight. Next day she started feeling really bad and was diagnosed with Parvo same evening. Two positive parvo tests, and bill of $3000 in front of me, w/no guarantee that she is going to survive. Add $545 for adoption, and $560 for vet expenses that I had to pay for her in the first 48 hours after her arrival, and you get priceless puppy. But I am still happy to have her - if I haven't adopted her, they would just dispose her the day she started showing Parvo infection. Would they pay $3000 trying to save her, if it's so easy to get dozens of new pups?

But how could it happen? Puppy was supposed to arrive vaccinated? I showed her vaccination record to four veterinarians, and they all explained to me that this is completely "handmade". No signature, name, contact information of vet. clinic / vet. specialist who could stand behind this record means that the puppy is UNVACCINATED - no veterinary specialist in our state would accept this record as VALID. So she needs to go through complete puppy vaccination process again. If she survives the Parvo treatment... Also they confirmed that the dog is full of worms - how could she, having this puppy for a month as she claims, hasn't even devormed her?!!

Yesterday there was a doctor shift in the hospital, and I got a phone call from her new doctor: she called only to ask where did I manage to get such sick puppy!!!

I contacted the "rescue lady" right away as soon as I knew that my pup was parvo positive, to let her know that that she needs to test the rest of puppies in her kennel asap, but she simply did not respond. Not a sound.

In a few days I contacted her again asking for refund because she broke her own contract by shipping me unvaccinated and sick puppy. Well, this is where she became really active. She was trying to accuse me in infecting puppy (parvo in 24 hours after arrival???? incubation period for this virus is 3-14 days!!). The rest of my puppies are healthy and happy, she said, how come your puppy is Parvo positive? BUT! She hasn't even asked me for veterinary report to proof that the pup was parvo positive!!!! Which made me 100% sure she was expecting this, and that she shipped sick puppy knowingly - this is why she rushed to ship her to me so quickly.

To proof that the rest of puppies arrived to their new owners healty and alive, I asked her to give me contacts for their adopters. Also I asked her for a contacts of her veterinary doc or clinic, and contacts for California foster homes that she claims to have - no respond is received by this day.

Puppy is still in the hospital. Bill is growing... I am paying for my credulity and naiveness, but the only one thing makes me feel better: if I wasn't so dumb, my puppy would be dead already. But today we're hoping for a happy long life together.

Here we go... If anybody is willing to help me stop this puppy mill, I would be glad to share all the documentation available - our correspondence, "vaccination record" that she sent me, veterinary reports from my hospital in regards to puppy's state of health, my bills. I would also really really appreiciate any information on her if you know anything.

Thank you so much for your time. Be careful when adopting, but my experience should not stop you from doing so! Just be really really careful.

[xxmxaxrxyxx]

i am so sorry you had to go thru that....puppy mills and scammer are getting desperate as people knowledge are growing about them...

[Kelz]

oh man! i'm so sorry to hear about your experience! people like that give rescues a bad name..

[theyulia]

Thank you so much for your support!! It's been a difficult week for us, but we are hoping for the best

I was able to find the rescues here in California that used to work with her some time ago - woman called me and explained why they are not working together anymore. RVA lady used to ship them sick puppies all the time, wouldn't even keep them for two weeks, no vaccinations, no vet exams - many many disappointed adopters, so this is why she is on her own now. I find it really funny that she wrote to me, "I worked with rescues for years and years but stopped dealing with them, mostly because of the jealousy and politics."

I wonder how the words "jealousy" and "politics" could ever apply to rescue people?! Do they have some kind of competition there, who saves more dogs?

I will try to inform internet community about my experience - hopefully it will be a good lesson for potential adopters.