Less than Forthcoming with Information on Animal Rescue Would It "Bother" You?

My mother is a breeder and a show woman. She's helped rescue a lot of dogs that she's come across who lived in horrible breeding situations or disgusting, unfit households.

I would be completely offended and upset if someone was misclaiming the breed of a dog. It doesn't harm anyone, but it can certainly change a person's opinion on whether they get the dog or not. Breed can affect health, longevity, temperment, how to groom, etc. It's important information to know. I think any false information given, whether about the breed or about care or the pricing of a dog, is just wrong.

My husband's family bought a yorkie poodle mix before I knew them well enough to help them find a good fit. They paid far too much money for it, but if I told them know they'd just be angry about it. Since my mom bred these dogs and sold them, I know the general price range... But if someone has little to no knowledge of that kind of thing, they end up really being scammed.

Honestly I think it's making a mountain out of a mole-hill. It's like buying a sweater from a second-hand shop. The shop can say it's cashmere, but unless you buy it brand new from a warranted dealer, do you really know what it is?

When people rescue a dog, they know to take things with a grain of salt. The dog is who he is. Temper, behavior, medical issues, etc. You take a gamble when you rescue a dog.

Who really cares? If people want actual pure-breds, they go to a breeder. I actually agree with the lady, I think you should let it go.

Yes, I definitely think you are right. The harm is the ultimately, the dog could end up with the wrong owner and have a bad experience.

My husband was very choosy when picking our first family dog and decided, after lots of research, that a Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier was the right dog for us. He learned about some of the breed's challenges (all breeds have their quirks) and they were all things that we could manage. We went through a SCWT rescue organization and were matched with an allegedly pure-bred dog that we adopted.

We ended up having a lot of challenges with that dog down the road. He was much bigger than the breed standard (like 30% larger), had a very different personality, etc. We tried for years to make it work and he was literally injuring himself to break out of our home and yard when we weren't home so our choice was to sedate him daily or re-home him. He had befriended a custodian at the neighborhood school and they ended up being made for each other, so we let the custodian adopt him. The new owner was better equipped to handle a much larger, more energetic and anxious dog than we had bargained for when adopting him. I think that if the rescue had been more forthcoming about his issues and that he was likely not a purebred, he could have been adopted by a family more suited to handle him and would have been spared 4 years of unhappiness with us.

I think there is great harm... people often choose a pet based on typical breed charicteristics and they would not get what they are looking for in this animal. If you want a dog that was easy going and wound up with a high maintenance pooch, then you know that animal is going back to a shelter. Not fair to the family that adopted or the dog. Most reputable shelters say appears to be X or a mix of X,Y. But they never say pure bred unless there are papers.

I am glad you are reporting them.

I have bought/adopted several dogs from shelters. Each time it was for a dog for my kids. Each time I specifically asked for a small dog that had no pit bull or cocker spaniel in its parentage. Why? Because my family is very important to me and I have had problem with both of those breeds. If one of my shelter dogs harmed any of my kids and I found that the dog had a major part of the cocker spaniel or pit bull in its heritage I would do my best to make the shelter person that sold me the dog miserable through all legal means.

I have a right to be truely informed about what I was buying. Period.

I feel very strongly about it. (As if you couldn't tell, huh.)

Good luck to you and yours.

I know you believe you were being helpful....but the truth is: you were being a buttinski. Said with a big SMILE :)

It was none of your business...no matter what your background is. "Buyers beware" is how most of us approach life, especially when shopping online/2ndhand.

Was this seller being deceitful or stupid/naive? To me, the story is leaning more towards deceit. But, again, none of your business.

Now for my story: we have a rescue dog in our home. When I saw his photo online, I fell in LOVE with him. He was posted thru the Old English Sheepdog rescue unit, along with the rest of his littermates, on our local classifieds. As I was going thru the other photos, I began to notice unusual markings on the other pups. I specifically asked if the pups were rott mixes. I was told an emphatic "no". OES Mix was the term used.

After living with our pup for a few weeks, I noticed the spacing of his eyes. Made me think of pit bull. On our next vet visit, I specifically mentioned the markings on the other pups & our dog's eyes. The vet said "no" to both pit & rott. He thought the mix was with terrier.

Fast forward, 2 months: I contacted the rescue division, because we were having behavioral issues with the pup. He was skittish, hard to train, & was prone to severe carsickness. He couldn't even make it 5 minutes in the truck! At the time of adoption, we had been told that he had traveled all over our state without a single problem. The behavior we were seeing did not mesh with the stories we'd been told. Our contact person recommended several trainers in our area. End of subject as far as she was concerned....even though I called her on the fact that her statements were not bearing true.

Fast forward 2 years: I was contacted by the owner of one of the littermates. She'd had DNA run on her dog, & she forwarded the info to me. 1/4 Old English, 1/4 pit bull, 1/4 rottweiler, & 1/4 mix. All of the breed indicators I'd noticed were true. It truly bothered me that both the rescue unit & our vet had discounted my remarks.

Honestly, if I'd known this dog's pedigree prior to adoption, I would not have taken him. Additionally, if I'd known his temperament & personality, I would not have taken him. & that brings us to today: I cannot imagine life without ChockO. He's a character, he's excellent with kids, & freakish with men. He has to be knocked out to visit the vet. He has to have Benadryl to travel more than across town....& even then he pukes. He's a freakin' basketcase....& we love him.

Do I hate the rescue lady? No, but she was less than honest in her handling of this litter. The rott markings were quite clear on those other pups. The only disclaimer she offered was "OES mix". She even tried to tell us that "she thought each of the pups had different fathers". What B.S.!

As for your SWH: please don't tie our hands when we are responding! You gave us your story.....now we're giving you ours. That's what happens when you post on public forums. :)

just a funny, kinda paraphrased...

"ya know that $2000 *designer dog* you bought - we used to just call them mutts....!"

OK, I get where you are coming from. My BFF is like you, total dog woman, and she takes all of this stuff VERY seriously.
MY opinion? Buyer (or adoptee) beware. Anyone who really wants a purebred dog will do their homework and know their breed. And anyone else will be happy to adopt a pet and call it whatever they want.
All that matters is that the dogs get adopted. Period. Don't like this group and their policies? Move on. MUCH bigger problems in the world to worry about!

Obviously she knows there's something wrong with what she's doing since she got so nasty about it and used foul language with you when you questioned her about it. I have a problem with false advertising or lying of any sort, so to answer your question, yes, I feel this is wrong.

Perhaps you could pose as a person who is interested in the dog and see what she says, now that you have alerted her. AND, is it possible, just possible, that she is really not into rescue and will try to hit the person up for money?

From what I understand, no papers, not a pure-bred. Maybe I'm wrong. I would never pay for a pure-bred without the papers. Then it's just somebody's word, which in the case of no papers, amounts to nothing.

If she is part of an organization, perhaps you should get the organization involved so that she is no longer associated with them.

Dawn

Buyer beware - even in the rescue dog world now.

Yes I have a problem with it.
1) It is a lie, if they really don't know and a liar who will lie about one thing, will have no reason not to lie about another. Who knows what the "next" lie will be.
2) Breeds carry certain characteristics, and anyone wanting to adopt, will look up whatever they are told the breed is and EXPECT certain traits. When they are disappointed, they have just succeeded in upping the odds that the dog ends up at the humane society, or worse.
3) Calling a mutt (not with any negative connotations--just "unknown" breeding history/pedigree) a pure-bred can damage the reputation of whatever breed they are claiming that it is.

Shall I go on?

heck yea it bothers me..ive rescued an rehomed 26 dogs in the last yr.this lady sounds like shes trying to pull a super fast one and good for you for catching her on it.all the dogs ive rescued an rehomed-i got vet checked-shots,deworming etc.out of my pocket-got a vet that comes in-prices are awesome-but shes all about the animals-i never charged a rehoming or adoption fee-my only condition is im able to check on them and they maintain health and shots.they are all doing great-id call her in to wherever deems possible.the breed really shouldnt matter-but all the lies? hmmm somethings not right.good for you-hope you follow thru

Yes, it bothers me, but not so much breed information, but just general misinformation in general. I got a dog from a large Humane Society location 20 years ago. I was told: 1) He was a purebred Lhasa Apso (although didn't matter to me, I was actually hoping to find a mixed breed), 2) he was 4 years old, and 3) he wasn't good with small children and "might nip." I didn't have kids or plans for kids so I didn't think that was a big deal. Totally by freak coincidence I ended up finding out who his owners had been, that he was surrendered because of a nasty divorce and I actually got copies of his AKC records and breeder info. Out of the three things I was told about him the only thing that was accurate was the breed information. He was actually 7 years old, had been abused and was downright vicious with children. He would bite them unprovoked if a child was within his reach. After much soul-searching and consultation with his breeder and my vet I had to have him euthanized. It was very sad and kind of turned me off from the whole "rescue" experience, unfortunately.

I have since had two rescue experiences that make me leery that sometimes in their haste to find a home (a worthy cause most definitely) they don't always focus on finding the best match. One is a situation in which I stumbled upon a dog that I thought was cute, was pressured into adopting him quickly (I know, I could've said no) and had to return him because he just didn't fit our situation once I got him home. He found another owner much better suited to him fortunately. Just last summer I was helping my parents find a dog and a local rescue organization got really angry with us when my parents took their time to look at a particular dog multiple times and think about whether she was right for them. When they ultimately decided no after visiting her several times the rescue contact was very rude and angry with them for "wasting their time." That dog ultimately also ended up in a better situation for her and the foster mom actually told my mom that she was happy it turned out as it did. However, it certainly tainted my opinion of that rescue organization, although it may have just been one "bad apple." Her attitude has prevented me from supporting or recommending that organization, which is ultimately harmful to the pets. I love animals and wish they could all have loving homes and I have several friends and acquaintances who have wonderful pets that they "rescued," but my personal experiences led me to purchase my most recent dog from a reputable breeder I found after much research and a personal recommendation. (He's not perfect, but I knew what I was getting and when we do have any issues the breeder is very helpful and supportive.) O.k., enough! You can tell I have strong feelings on this topic also. (-:

I have no doubts she was lying.
A fancy dog breed drives up a price and that's what she's looking for.
Anyone who REALLY wants a pure bred is going to do a lot of research, and the dog will have to have papers and they will not be fooled by this woman.
But some gullible people will think they are getting a deal.
It's certainly a buyer beware situation.

I have to say that shady "rescue" operation that charge outrageous adoption fees are the reason we will likely buy a pup from a breeder instead of adopting a dog - unless we find one in a city/county shelter.
In our area "rescue" has become a big business and most of the ones that advertise on craigslist or pet-finder are really dog-flippers who go out into the boonies to adopt/buy the dogs for next to nothing (or nothing) and then sell them at $500 a pop "adoption fee" - worse even are the puppy mill/backyard breeders who now call themselves "rescues".
Nope, I have come to the conclusion that unless it is an official shelter, I would rather buy from a breeder, get a health certificate and less potential heartache.

M., I appreciate your passion...I get it. I had my CA vet tech's license a million years ago before I made the transition to human medicine. I have a guinea pig as well :)

I think Dawn is right on the money, it seems like she is more into it for the money than representing a pure bred dog. People think if they can get a bargain on a pure bred they win! She is representing the dog as a particular breed, not a particular breed mix. Of course you can get a pure bred dog from a rescue group...there are a ton of resons why they end up there. Just say it is a mix, but for potentially a lot less money. Potential owners may not know it is a mixed breed but will be paying for one.

I don't care, I love mutts and just spent a fortune on a stray that now has one eyeball and a lot less parasites.

I agree with you that it is "faulty advertising" to claim it is a pure bred XYZ dog if is not, just like claiming a certain handbag is by a designer if it's not.

Yes there is a problem with identifying a dog (or any rescue animal up for adoption) as purebred if they are not! Many people are looking for specific traits in their future pets and lying is not the way to place a pet in a safe home. By lying, that person is actually hurting the "pet adoption agencies" because no one wants to deal with the potential for not getting what they were expecting/looking for. Also, a pets traits may make it ideal for one family and not for another. (I wonder if that person realizes that many people are NOT looking for purebreds either?) I could go on and on but I won't...so yes, I think you are right.

It is important to know if it is a pure or a mutt. I will only own mixed breeds personally, I find their temperments and health issues to be more favorable to me. I have had fewer health issues with mixed than pure breeds and I like the personalities of my mixes better as well, so it is an issue to me. However, it is not your place to tell her how to run her business, but you can report her if you feel she is not doing her job.

I think that people shouldn't mislead others, especially if they are trying to get an animal a permanent home. There is no shame in calling it like it is if it's just a matter of not knowing the breed. You can say "the dog looks like he's probably a poodle" without claiming the dog is purebred. People looking for a rescue dog are likely to take mixes and the honest truth is you don't really know what's in that dog you found on the road....and if he was a surrender but they claim he's a stray....well, sounds like a whole kettle of worms there. You can guess at characteristics of the dog based on breed, but each dog is different. Our poodle from my childhood was super smart. My mom's current dog is dumb as dirt.

It basically sounds like she tried to pass off a dog, got caught, and got defensive. Further, the dog should be fixed anyway before adoption so purebred or not, it doesn't end up in a puppy mill as parent stock. I do think she's going a step to far in claiming "purebred" but at this point I would just let it lay. Hopefully the people checking out the dog will have half a mind to question the "purebred" label like you did.

I do have a problem with it and I do think she's wrong. But I don't think you can force her to change her tune.

ETA that I'm sorry to hear these stories about bad experiences. I've been pleased with finding new pets where I am. When I described our current home to the SPCA they hooked us up with someone fostering cats and she picked two to show us. The cat is quirky (aren't all cats?) but a good match - energetic, friendly and puts up with our small child. There are good ones out there who don't try to push bad matches.

they are behaving incredibly badly. thank all the gods for people like you who believe in rescue AND honesty.
khairete
S.

I think this is just another advertisement for doing your research. Surely a person familiar with the breed, would notice it's not a pure breed and hopefully those who aren't familiar would do a google search and educate themselves. I love craigslist, but I know from experience, you never know what you are really going to get. I imagine it's especially true with animals. If I feel in love with a dog, I wouldn't be too concerned about pedigree. But realizing someone is flat out lying about the dog would bother me, because I would be worried about what else they are hiding. Buyer beware!

I'd be more worried the condition of the dog and if it was being treated correctly. I would never even consider buying a dog that was suppose to be pure breed without papers. That being said I probably would not have confronted her and alerted her. I'd have been more meet and great and look at the doggy and see if it was cared for. If it looked healthy and ok I'd probably keep an eye our for lost dogs if the dog wasnt cared for I'd be calliing the police or animal control

i'm not quite clear, is this an organized "rescue" organization, or just some woman trying to get rid of a dog?

if it's an actual "rescue" claiming these things, then yes there's a big problem there...i would at very least try to contact cl and see what they can do about pulling the ad maybe? or if it is a true organization, contact it and go above her head. easy.

if it is just some random cl poster, then i'm sorry, but people are ignorant and selfish, and you just can't police everyone. i know what it's like to get fired up about something close to your heart. but it's a losing battle. similar to running down every person on the highway that doesn't use their blinker. an exercise in futility.

maybe you could use your husbands cell phone (or a work phone) and contact her about adopting the dog just to "save" it from this woman. that'd be my only other suggestion. good luck.

I do understand what you're saying... With that being said, I volunteer at rescues and I see it happen ALL THE TIME... The reason they do it (right or wrong) is to entice potential adopters to be more interested.. A lot of people like "saying" they own a pure breed... They get them in there to fall in love with the dog, not the breed..If someone is interested in a certain type of dog, they're going to know if that dog is a pure bred... I see it happen a lot with pitbulls (unfortunately, because they get such bad raps). They call them American Bulldogs.. I don't 100% agree with fibbing , and if their doing it for $ reasons, I DEFINITELY don't agree with that!!!!! If their doing it, to find the dogs a home (possibly faster), I can kind of understand.... Again, because if you know a breed, you're going to know whether or not, it's a pure bred dog...
:)

I feel that if you are not using the dog to breed, as I am pretty sure most rescues don't allow, big deal. Maybe they should have said that it looks like or someone said it was in the ad, but honestly I think you over stepped your bounds by calling them up and complaining. You do what you need to do, but put in her position I may have become defensive, especially if you made me feel threatened.