Lucy’s story
Ok I will start from the begining but warn you this is a long one. We drove to Louisville, Ky on Fri. Sept 1st to get the little girl. Before we went we were told she had not been spayed yet due to a skin condition so we would have to have that done and get reimbursed for it. It is a 9 hour drive from our house. We spent the night in a hotel and picked her up at 11 on Sat. morning. When we got there and was going throught the paper work with them they said we would be reimbursed for the spay up to $80 dollars. I thought $80 where is there a doctor who will do it for $80 but oh well it will be ok. She also had a little black tab on her tummy that they said was a black nipple. What??? It didn’t even look like a nipple. So anyway we got out of there after we paid $260 for her and they didn’t have any backround on her other than her birthday 9-14-00. We thought that was really weird. How can they know her birthday but nobody turned in any history with her. What every, we are out of here with this little princess.
We get home and all is well. I take her to the vet on Tues morning (Mon. was labor day). Our vet tells me she has two broken teeth and at least two others need removed also, the “black nipple” was actually a little tumor that needs removed and biopsied, and her spay. Total estimate: $646.00. WHAT??????? She came from a rescue, why were her teeth not done and if they have check ups like the rescue claims how could there vet not know it was a small tumor and not a black nipple? They also did a skin scraping and found nothing wrong with her skin.
Well the rescue did send a bottle of special shampoo with her for her skin condition, in the bag was a note card with a name and #. I called it and found out it was the breeder who turned her in. She had only had her for a year but said she had her spayed and gave the rescue ALL her records. She also told me that, Kathy, the president of Kentucky Dachshund Rescue, promised that her teeth would be taken care of before she was adopted out. Well no such luck, she only wants to pay for $150 dollars total. Where she came up with that number I will never know. Kathy has also been very rude to us and also said we lied about her teeth. So feeling pissed and scammed I canceled the check I wrote her. Well that didn’t go over to well with Jessi. She is scared that they can take Lucy back from us but I told her to let them try, I will bury them in court and run there Rescue though the ringer. This rescue organization is terrible. But Jessi wants me to send out a new check on Monday.
What do you all think we should do? It isn’t totally about the money, it is about the idea of getting scammed. Check out there website, www.kentuckydachshundrescue.com and click on “adoption fees”. It lists everything that adoption fees cover but none were done for us. We are definatly in love with her and she is staying with us but I just really feel scammed.
TJ
BTW: She is going in Monday for her teeth and getting the little tumor removed.
September 10, 2006 @ 10:41 am
Oh, I am so sorry this happened to you! I personally am very wary of breed rescues- of course there are excellent ones- but then there are others that give them a bad name. Their “adoption fees” give me cause for concern. For instance- “*These fees are the customary charge FOR PUREBRED DOXIES.. For unusual breeds of dachshunds prices may be slightly higher. FOR MIXED BREEDS THE PRICES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER. Prices are for the calendar year of 2006 and will be updated as vet expenses rise. Updated 8/2006″. What’s an “unusual” breed of doxie? Why are they charging more for them, and less for a mix?
There was a small breed rescue here in nw Arkansas that got shut down recently, her website looked very similar, and she promised to have all animals vet checked, spayed, dental, etc. The cops got a tip and went to her apartment and found over 150 dogs in cages, neglected and sick.She was actully breeding Malti-poo’s and other mixes from dogs that had been surrendered to her.
Anyway I hope you are able to get some help with vet bills from them, and I certainly WOULD NOT send them a check! Maybe if you get a detailed letter from your vet and send it to them it will light a fire under them!
September 10, 2006 @ 10:47 am
I would tell her I was taking her to court and that the check written to her was money reimbursed to you for vet fees of all the complication she had that was not disclosed at time of purchase!!!! Can’t imagine she would have a leg to stand on in court in light of the information given to you by the original owner - especially you could get that original owner to put that down on paper and sign it telling that the teeth were a problem to start and that they had been told to take care of that before adopting her out! Also the fact that they said it was a black nipple and it is a tumor! “Come On - they are a rescue center for crying out loud, they certainly have experts at their disposal to diagnose any problems! Good Luck!
September 10, 2006 @ 11:15 am
What a sticky situation. What I would do is issue a new check for $260 minus the cost of the
dental and the fee for the tumor removal. Attach the invoice as proof. Apparently she is already spayed. Even if the check you send is only for $2.43 after cost at least it shows you are using GOOD FAITH. the thing that chaps my butt is they
had all her records from the previous owner, as suggested above contact the owner again and have her put it in writing certainly she would be willing to do so as she should be delighted Lucy has such a wonderful and caring home.
September 10, 2006 @ 11:20 am
Holy Cow! Where do I begin? Lucy is so fortunate to have been TRUELY resuced by you two! As you say, its not about the money but the principle of the thing. I doubt they would ever come after you to get Lucy back but I can’t say as I blame Jessi for worrying about that - I sure would.
Given that you have contacted the breeder who surrendered Lucy to the “rescue” perhaps that breeder can also contact them and ask WHY it is that the detailed records that she turned in with Lucy were NOT given to her new owners. That ought to scare the crap out of the twits! Esepcially since the breeder told you that the “rescue” had promised to have the teeth dealt with BEFORE she was adopted out.
As for the “black nipple” claim WHAT BRAND OF MORON did this twit think the two of you are? Again, Lucy is one lucky pup to have been adopted by you two.
Now, back to the “rescue” group - if they are a registered 501c3 not-for-profit group, they will be under the jurrisdiction of the state attorney general. If I were you, I would write a letter as to your experiences and perhaps even include (with her permission) the name and contact information for the breeder. Hold her feet to the fire!
And how in Heaven can a dog rescue group NOT know she’s already been spayed? I wish I could say that this is all unbelievable but sadly it isn’t.
Keep up us posted on how Lucy is making out. I hope she and Sunny are getting along well. He must be happy to have a puppy sister again.
Love, Laura
September 10, 2006 @ 1:02 pm
OMG! I can’t believe what you guys have gone through in regards to a rescue experience! That “rescue” operation is not anything like any other rescues I know of. At Dixie Dachshund Rescue (www.dixiedachshundrescue.com) their dogs are mostly all $250 to adopt. (There were a couple older dogs for $200 and $225) All the dogs were neutered/spayed, all were heartworm tested and if found to be positive were treated and are now on heartworm and flea prevention, all have had teeth cleaned or treated as needed, health checked and treated as needed, etc! I just don’t get how these guys are even considered a rescue group! It sounds more like they are in to making a profit and not taking proper care of their charges! Sick, that’s what it is!
I hope you can get the original breeder to verify in writing the info she told you! I would then print out the part on the rescue’s website that says “FULL VETERINARY CHECK-UP, TEST FOR WORMS (includes heartworm), UP TO DATE ON ALL SHOTS, SPAYED/NEUTERED, DENTALS (when necessary), OTHER NECESSARY MEDICAL PROCEDURES and file complaints with the appropriate authorities as well as taking them to court over the whole thing!
The fees alone sound like something rotten in Denmark. What the heck is an “unusual breed” of dachshund? And why would a mix be so much less? The point in fees for a breed rescue is to pay for medical expenses, spay/neutering, heartworm and flea meds, etc. What does “purebred” “unusual breed” or “mixed breed” got to do with it? That would be for a puppy miller not a rescue!
I would do like it was said earlier, write up a receipt with the cost of the adoption at the top then deduct each thing you had to have done and write a check for that amount (or send a bill if its in the negative). It is one thing if they had actually done the procedures they say they do and in this case especially, agreed to do knowing from the start it was needed, but to scam someone like this? It’s despicable!
Thank you for rescueing this baby from her supposed rescuers!!! And Gods bless!
September 10, 2006 @ 1:46 pm
I can hardly say this without yelling at my monitor!! You keep that girl and you do NOT let her go back to that so-called rescue place!!!! Rescues come in all differnt forms. As in your case, you were TOLD of her needs and costs. This is the VERY reason I do NOT belong to any organizations!! I try to do the very best with what I have. I did rescue Gypsy from an organization 5 years ago who basically told me her seizures were maybe every 3 monthss….she had them 2 to 3 times a week!! Her teeth were cleaned and she was already spayed. In order to be a “rescue organization”, these people gather ALL the information about the dog. If they know the birthday….THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT HER THEN THEY LEAD ON!! Do NOT let this poor baby go back in to the hands of those people! She will just be passed off to another willing human and her problems will manifest. Let them come after YOU!! They do not have a leg to stand on!! They sold under false conditions! KEEP YOUR CHECK IN YOUR POCKET!! Let Jessi know that people can not do this to willing adoptive parents. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pay no more for her then you did.
September 10, 2006 @ 3:48 pm
I am soory to hear about all the trials and tribulations you have been through rescuing this cute little dachsie.
No I wouldn’t send them any money either,just as well you paid by cheque and not in cash.
To not know she has already been spayed,doesn’t she have a scar on her belly,is awful,call themselves rescuers,it is you who have done the rescuing.
I hope all goes well with her surgery and the “black nipple” turns out to be nothing serious.
Kep us posted
Rhona
September 10, 2006 @ 8:32 pm
so sorry to hear of what you have been through. i dont have anything to offer that has not been said before but i hope all goes well with her “black nipple” please let us know and i will say an extra prayer that it turns out to be nothing.
September 11, 2006 @ 11:07 am
I have read this post and the latest email from the rescue folks. I cannot fathom that a breeder worth their salt would turn a dog over to anyone..usually they place them in homes they themselves have carefully selected. What a CRAPPY way to pay back an animal that you have USED UP. I have a big, big issue with people like that. The breeder that I purchased my Sofie from actually made me sign a contract that if anything should happen that I could not keep Sofie I would return Sofie…she did not want Sofie to ever be placed in a pound (like that is going to happen!) She cannot keep every dog that she has but she finds loving homes for them…HERSELF! I am just appalled…I wonder how much money she made off of this little girl..and wouldn’t spend money to fix her teeth? I would like to go knock two of her teeth loose and let her see how bad it hurts…let her have 40 babies in 5 years and see what it feels like…
I sure am sorry that you all got put through all of this, but sounds like this little dog needed someone like you…sounds like no one has ever loved her..just used her up.
September 11, 2006 @ 1:39 pm
I would not give them one red cent. Her conditions are going to cost you alot of money. If you minus what your vet says she needs right now you are still paying $400+ dollars out. What kind of rescue is that place? They should have been paying YOU to take her. And all of that time and gas you spent going to get her, wow. I’d tell those people to take a flying leap and if they wanted to take me to court over the money I’d say, “Let’s go, I’ll beat you there”.
September 11, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
I’m so sorry you guys had a bad experience. It sounds like they don’t have their “stuff” together at all…
*sigh*
September 12, 2006 @ 10:01 am
This is not the place for this.