A1K9 Dog Rescue A1K9 Doge Rescue as Seen on Petfinder Actually a Puppy Broker Internet

First let me begin by saying that this is my first time at a rebuttal but I am very irritated at the ridiculous accusations targeting my rescue.  I would first like to address "Sara" by saying that I have never done a rebuttal before so your implying that I made a rebuttal about a minor being upset about not being able to adopt is incorrect.  If you will actually look at who made the rebuttal, you will see that it was the author of the original comment, not me, and I have no idea who this person is. 

Second, if an application is completed in its entirety and the answers are satisfactory, then yes, this gets you to the second step HOWEVER, my approval letter clearly states that this does NOT guarantee you adoption.  It states as follows:

Unfortunately, I deny many after meeting them and their deposits are refunded.  I have no problem denying someone because the dog's welfare is my number one priority. 

Third, the deposit is $100 so I have no idea where you came up with $200 unless you are referring to TWO dogs and not just one.  The $100 deposit is clearly outlined in the approval letter and on the website so that's just a bunch of BS.  I don't know where you came up with that one. 

You also state that your vet was not contacted.  This is correct and ask your vet why.  Due to confidentiality laws, they aren't even allowed to verify that you are a client much less tell me anything about you.  I even tried to sign a waiver with my own vet allowing people to call them to verify my status as a rescue and she told me that legally they were not allowed to even say I was a client even if I did sign a waiver.  So I cannot call your vet and they will verify that.  And no, I have stopped calling people's references because its a waste of my time.  In 13 years I have yet to have someone actually stupid enough to put down a reference who is going to say something bad about them.  Would you be that stupid?  I think not.  Of course you are going to list a reference who will say you are a fit dog owner, even if it is untrue.

Therefore, in light of the above, I wait until I meet someone in person and THEN I ask questions and if I even remotely feel this isn't a good match, then I will deny you on the spot and refund your deposit.  I have absolutely no problem doing this and I send many people packing and I honestly do not care if it upsets them or not because all I care about is finding the dog the right home.  Also, a deposit is certainly not required at all.  I don't care if you place a deposit or not.  A deposit only holds the dog until I get to meet you and make my final decision, it does NOT guarantee you a dog.

And regarding shipping, I fly VERY FEW dogs.  In fact, I haven't flown a dog for years and even then it was very far and few between.  I judge each individual dog to see if I feel he/she would be a good candidate for flying and most of the time I deem they are not.  I actually could disable this page on my website altogether because I always say no when someone asks.  If I take it down now though you'll think it is in response to your comment and I will not give you the satiisfaction, so I'll just keep it active and continue to tell people no when they inquire.  The only way I typically fly a dog is if the adopter is flying here themselves to pick the dog up and is taking the dog into the cabin with them.  I do not like flying them alone in the cargo area and rarely did this.  If I did however, I used a temperature controlled cargo area and if the temps were warm, then I would make a cold pack to place under the towel and freeze a water bottle with a crate cup under it so that the water could melt gradually providing a constant water supply for the dog.  But again, its been a really long time since I've done that and its only been a few dogs that had the right dispositions to handle a plane ride.  This is certainly not the "norm". 

Also NO WHERE on my site or approval letter do I EVER use the word "sell".  That's just a straight out lie.  Also I have read where you accused me of calling a yorkie a "teacup".  Again, another straight out lie.  I have NEVER used that term to describe ANY dog and never will. 

Your biggest mistake is assuming that you would have been approved for adoption after I met you.  I always find it interesting when people make comments and accusations with absolutely no facts to base them on.  You have never met me, you have never been here, you have never seen my clinic or my facility, but yet you are an expert on everything that I do.  That's amazing!  You must be Kreskin!  I have seen where people have actually accused me of being a breeder too.  Again, another amazing comment by somone who has never met me or been here.  And I tell you what, if I could possibly have that many different types of dogs, then I must have one heck of a breeding operation going on.  lol  Its just laughable.  Unfortunately I live very close to Amish breeders and their lovely little auctions.  I NEVER have to go looking for dogs because I get called and emailed at least a couple times a week asking if I have any room.  I just recently got an email where another rescue needed help with 300 purebred pugs that were pulled from an Amish mill.  My vet also works for the Humane Society so I also get their overflow puppies.  Due to my facility being small and I lack the ability to separate more than a couple aggressive dogs at a time, everyone knows I need friendly dogs or puppies because it is imperative that everyone get along.  Most of those dogs only have a $50 adoption fee and often times I waive it once I meet the adopter.  If you don't like the fact that I have purebred puppymill dogs, then put your efforts into shutting down the mills!  I am not going to turn those pups away just because you or someone else might be "upset" that I have too many puppymill dogs.  Like I said before, unfortunately that just goes with the territory being so close to the Amish mills which many rescues are not.  You have absolutely no idea the condition these pups arrive in.  You just see the happy, healthy little guys once I get done with them.  I actually try not to put the depressing sad stuff on my website too much because I want it to be an uplifting site but you'd be stunned if you saw the before and after.  I actually DO have several adults here on site that I tried to find homes for and nobody wanted so I ended up just keeping the handicapped adults myself.  But if you had ever actually been here, you would know that. 

Unfortunately you can't please everybody and everyone seems to have an opinion and be an expert, regardless of whether or not it is based on fact.  If you've met me and been here then you have a right to an opinion, otherwise you're just kinda talking through your a$$ aren't ya?  You based your entire complaint on an acceptance letter.  That right there just makes me laugh.  Just because you got to second base DOES NOT mean you're getting one of my dogs.  It just means you jumped through the first hoop - big deal.  And calling me a puppy broker is another joke.  I just lost 8 dogs to parvo.  I spent a small fortune in treating 16 dogs with aggressive parvo treatment.  Call your vet and ask how much that would cost.  I not only depleted all of the rescue's funds, but I maxed out my own personal credit card too.  If I'm a so called "broker", then I'm a lousy one for picking sick dogs, aren't I?  But again, I didn't place any of that depressing stuff on my site because I want to keep it upbeat.  Maybe I should though so fools like you can see what's really going on here.  But people who actually know me know the truth and THEY are the ones who really count, not people like you.  And if you have any questions or concerns, why don't you try contacting me and asking me personally instead of doing this chicken s@#! kind of stuff.  Oh, I know why, because you can hide behind the anonymity of the computer and internet la-la land because you don't actually have any guts.  This is going to be the only time I respond because these baseless and ignorant comments just don't warrant a response.  Unfortunately you can't fix stupid.

Angie

A1 K9 Rescue

 

 

 

 

I wasn't sure about A1K9 Rescue at first, and had my concerns and questions about the place like other concerns I have read on the Internet, and I did not want to support puppy mills in any way...but my concerns were unjustified.  I drove 14 hours to adopt my Boston Terrier from A1K9
because I wanted to see the place in person.  My Boston was rescued from an Amish puppy mill, and he was sick when he got to A1K9. Angie, owner of A1K9, was an angel and nursed him back to health.  

I personally saw how all the dogs and puppies were cared for at A1K9 -- by Angie and her entire family.  She struggles to find ways to provide the best care for every dog that comes her way, and in order to do this in the most economical way, she has had to learn a lot about medical care -- and she goes above and beyond what anyone else would be able to do to nurse a sick puppy back to health -- without ending up with an enormous vet bill...which she often does anyway.

Angie at A1K9 even advised me better than my own vet did on how to get rid of my puppy's worms -- and her home remedy worked after 3 others failed...after 3 costly trips to the vet! (Sidenote: I ended up finding a new vet...but I originally chose them due to their amazing reputation, and they have a ton of positive reviews & comments all over the Internet, ironically -- yet they couldn't even get rid of a simple puppy problem like worms.) 

Angie may be vague about some details, like exactly how the dogs & puppies get to A1K9 Rescue, but I'm sure she has her reasons for not explaining all this on her website.  I believe its
because she is extremely busy caring for all the dogs she takes in -- and she's not a marketing communications expert -- she's a dog expert with a huge heart.  If you ask her questions
in person, you will find that all the complaints about this rescue are simply not true.

Angie does choose to run A1K9 Rescue in a non-traditional way, which works for her -- and it worked for me.  It was so important to me to rescue a dog, and I really wanted a Boston puppy because I never had a dog before.  And if it wasn't for A1K9, I never would've found my little Max.

The way other rescues are run did not work for me.  One Boston rescue I called was so rude when I asked about puppies -- saying its not possible to rescue a Boston puppy, and they made me feel like I was heartless for not wanting an older dog.  (I would adopt an older dog now, but as my first pet ever, my heart was set on a puppy).  

I didn't have the time or patience to deal with waiting to be "approved" by a more traditional rescue while they called up my references as if I were applying for a job.  To me, that whole process is a joke.  I also didn't have the time to deal with a home visit, as if I were adopting a child. Meanwhile, I did end up filling out all the paperwork at 1 Boston rescue, and they never even gave me the courtesy of a phone call. I never heard from them -- so now it's 3 years later, and I'd still be waiting to get a dog. 

Angie's way was perfect -- and yes, not traditional because she relies more on her instincts and intuition when she meets people -- instead of requiring you to fill out a 10-page form.  As a clueless first-time dog owner, I had a ton of questions about puppies in general, and specific questions about Bostons and their personality.  I must've been such a pain, and called Angie at least 5 times before leaving my deposit -- but she had the patience for several long conversations and answered all my questions, expertly. She truly loves Bostons.

And it was just meant to be, for me to find my pup at A1K9.  They don't always have Boston puppies -- and I know because I consistently check.  If the rumors about the place being a "puppy broker" were true, they would have Boston puppies more consistently, since they get adopted so quickly...I almost missed getting my little Max. 

Angie has many heart-breaking stories (and photos) showing the care she has provided to so many sick puppies, and will always do everything possible to help nurse even the sickest dogs and puppies back to health, never giving up on any.

Sadly, some people are using the Internet to spread gossip and untrue rumors about A1K9 Rescue. Angie's only fault is not having the time or savvy marketing skills to properly communicate what she does and the correct information about A1K9 Rescue and how she runs it.  I went there in person to find out the truth, and I did...plus, I worked as a journalist so I know how to dig deep for answers...but I also rely in instincts about people. 

I feel terrible to have found some bad comments written about A1K9 Rescue on several websites, because I was truly so impressed with Angie, and the place...and I'm so grateful she rescued my little Max from being sold to a pet store -- or worse, from being neglected and dying because he was so sick when he was at the mill.  I would've ended up going to a breeder to get a Boston puppy -- but many of the so-called breeders I found on the Internet seemed more like puppy factories.  And I didn't feel right about supporting a breeder when there are so many homeless puppies and dogs in the world.  I urge everyone to support A1K9 rescue.

Check out this story I found on the Internet about this Boston who was also adopted from A1K9 Rescue...and he was very sick when he was there....
http://ourdogvegas.com/about/surviving-the-puppy-mill/

I agree with what everyone has said so far about A1 K9 "Rescue".  I also talked to Angie and was less than thrilled with the responses that I got back from her.  She really didn't know the dog.  Was not sure if she was housebroken, how to describe her behavior other than "slinky".  Throughout the process of finding a good rescue, I have talked with many rescuers and have been extremely impressed by most of them...Until I spoke to Angie.  After finding about a dozen different Cavalier King Charles spaniels online, filling out tons of paperwork and getting my 3 kids all excited about "this is THE one", only to find out that the dog was already taken.  We found just what we were looking for, amazingly cute, kids and I fell in love with her INSTANTLY!  Again, we filled out the paperwork and within 12 hours we heard back saying that our application was approved.  With the exact wording that was already listed below in another article.  Just cut and paste dog name here kind of letter.  We were over the moon happy.  I immediately got online and through Paypal, made our deposit.  I then emailed Angie to inform her of the deposit and she quickly replied back saying that she did get the money.  I asked a couple of easy questions to which she could only give vague answers.  She said that the dog spent most of the day outside in a kennel and that at night, when she was brought into the house, she did not want to share cuddle time with other dogs.  First of all, if you are "Rescuing" a Cavalier King Charles, you should know that they ARE NOT outside dogs.  With all that aside, my family and I descided that we definately had to rescue her, not just from her past, but also her present.  I live in New England about 14 hours from her "Rescue" in Ohio.  I went into action and booked a seminar out in Ohio, talked my employer into paying for it, booked my hotel and made travel arrangements for me and our new family member.  The kids printed out photos of her and brought them to school, called grandparents and all of their friends to tell them the great news that we finally were going to get the dog that we all loved.  Then our world came crashing down when I got an email from paypal saying the deposit was refunded.  I contacted Angie via email and she said that her son had let another lady adopt our dog today.  The lady who got OUR dog, just contacted A1 K9 that morning, came in to look at another dog, and left that day with OUR dog.  So much for making a deposit to ensure the dog is yours.  So much for checking references or asking questions about how you plan on caring for the dog.  She stated in an email that the entire transaction happened while she was not home and by her son.  She also said how that has never happened before, how sorry she was but the lady lives 4 hours away in Cincinatti OH and that there was no way to get her back.  I know how to get her back, get in your car, drive to the house, tell her that there was a mistake, another family was first and here is your money back.  I am just floored that someone that runs a shelter like that is so heartless.  Stay away from A1 K9 Rescue, they are no good and I would not be suprised if they front for a puppy mill or are one themselves.  Convienent that the 2 Cavaliers that they had, just had been brought in and she was pregnant to the male Cav.  They had puppies, both then were spayed/nuetered and put up for adoption.  Interesting isn't it.  Thank you for your time and our broken hearts Angie!

I agree with what everyone has said so far about A1 K9 "Rescue".  I also talked to Angie and was less than thrilled with the responses that I got back from her.  She really didn't know the dog.  Was not sure if she was housebroken, how to describe her behavior other than "slinky".  Throughout the process of finding a good rescue, I have talked with many rescuers and have been extremely impressed by most of them...Until I spoke to Angie.  After finding about a dozen different Cavalier King Charles spaniels online, filling out tons of paperwork and getting my 3 kids all excited about "this is THE one", only to find out that the dog was already taken.  We found just what we were looking for, amazingly cute, kids and I fell in love with her INSTANTLY!  Again, we filled out the paperwork and within 12 hours we heard back saying that our application was approved.  With the exact wording that was already listed below in another article.  Just cut and paste dog name here kind of letter.  We were over the moon happy.  I immediately got online and through Paypal, made our deposit.  I then emailed Angie to inform her of the deposit and she quickly replied back saying that she did get the money.  I asked a couple of easy questions to which she could only give vague answers.  She said that the dog spent most of the day outside in a kennel and that at night, when she was brought into the house, she did not want to share cuddle time with other dogs.  First of all, if you are "Rescuing" a Cavalier King Charles, you should know that they ARE NOT outside dogs.  With all that aside, my family and I descided that we definately had to rescue her, not just from her past, but also her present.  I live in New England about 14 hours from her "Rescue" in Ohio.  I went into action and booked a seminar out in Ohio, talked my employer into paying for it, booked my hotel and made travel arrangements for me and our new family member.  The kids printed out photos of her and brought them to school, called grandparents and all of their friends to tell them the great news that we finally were going to get the dog that we all loved.  Then our world came crashing down when I got an email from paypal saying the deposit was refunded.  I contacted Angie via email and she said that her son had let another lady adopt our dog today.  The lady who got OUR dog, just contacted A1 K9 that morning, came in to look at another dog, and left that day with OUR dog.  So much for making a deposit to ensure the dog is yours.  So much for checking references or asking questions about how you plan on caring for the dog.  She stated in an email that the entire transaction happened while she was not home and by her son.  She also said how that has never happened before, how sorry she was but the lady lives 4 hours away in Cincinatti OH and that there was no way to get her back.  I know how to get her back, get in your car, drive to the house, tell her that there was a mistake, another family was first and here is your money back.  I am just floored that someone that runs a shelter like that is so heartless.  Stay away from A1 K9 Rescue, they are no good and I would not be suprised if they front for a puppy mill or are one themselves.  Convienent that the 2 Cavaliers that they had, just had been brought in and she was pregnant to the male Cav.  They had puppies, both then were spayed/nuetered and put up for adoption.  Interesting isn't it.  Thank you for your time and our broken hearts Angie!

Shame on you Stacey Lavigne for saying such wicked things about me simply because you did not get Sophie, then on top of it making statements that aren't even true.  First of all, how many "arrangements" could you possibly have made when you weren't even supposed to come and meet Sophie for ONE MONTH and you just made the deposit about 12 hours before this happened?  Please.  Then on top of it, you haven't even met Sophie yet so how attached could you possibly be?  You also act like you made the deposit and DAYS passed before all this happened.  You made the deposit at 5 p.m. Wednesday night and at 10 a.m. Thursday morning the other person adopted her.  ALL THIS DRAMA FOR LESS THAN 24 HOURS!!  We even discussed the possibility that Sophie may not do well with your 3 year old which would ultimately mean you weren't adopting her or would be returning her.  If you purchased anything personalized, that was just plain foolishness based on that.  I was very open and honest about her personality, put everything that I knew in her description, as well as answered all of your questions which is when we discussed the chance she might be jealous of the little kids.  I do not have little kids so could not possibly know how this was going to go.  We discussed her at length because it was important to me to get her into the right home.  As I told you, and as is with ALL RESCUES, the final decision of who adopts a dog lies with us.  Your stating that someone contacted me in the morning and came and got her that day is ludicrous and I can't even imagine what part of your body you pulled that from.  I told you that someone, who had already been approved for the other spaniel, had come to see him today and asked to see Sophie as well.  You stating this all occured in the same day is just nuts.  Since you had JUST MADE the deposit literally hours prior to this appointment, my son was unaware of this and allowed her to see Sophie.  The adopter felt a connection with Sophie instead of Matrix and my son allowed her to adopt Sophie instead.  There was no evil plan being plotted against you as you would like everyone to believe.  When I got home from work and found out what had happened, I immediately contacted you, explained the situation, offered you any other dog I had in rescue, and I refunded your deposit immediately.  I realize that you're upset about not adopting a dog that you had never even had the chance to meet yet, but you immediately started threatening me with lawsuits and complaints.  I see your true colors and you should be ashamed for conducting yourself like this.  If you had gotten Sophie, I'm sure you'd have a totally different opinion of me and my rescue but no, you're going to act like this instead.  You and the other ridiculous complaints on this site are all made by people WHO HAVE NEVER MET ME OR SEEN MY FACILITY.  You get huffy because you don't get your way and then spew hatefullness like a little child.  My 8th grader doesn't even act like this.  Maybe in kindergarten she did. 

Secondly, Sophie was pregnant when she arrived.  Again, no sinister twist.  The owner surrendered both dogs and did not tell me she was pregnant.  I did not know until I took her in for spaying and no, I was not going to let them perform an abortion on her.  She had her pups and both dogs were spayed and neutered.  To think that I, or any rescue, could have every dog in their house at all times is ridiculous.  You really need to check your facts on this.  Both Sophie and Matrix act like they have been hit and I told you this.  I discussed her in detail with you.  I can't imagine what you think I have left out.  Again, this complaint is ONLY because you didn't get to adopt Sophie. 

Third, due to confidentiality laws, your vet isn't even allowed to confirm that you are a client.  I've said this before and will say it again.  They are bound by the same laws as your medical physician.  Ask them.  References will swear your the "best dog owner on earth" even if you aren't.  The only thing we rescues have to go on is our gut feeling when we meet you.  You people also do not take into consideration the amount of emails and applications that all rescues receive.  You think you're the only one, which is understandable since you have no knowledge of anything that we really do.  You think its all about you.  So you can twist everything and act like there's some big scheme going on just because you're mad but that's really all it is - your angry, vindictive spewing based on NO FACTS.  Stacey, your kids are 3, 5 and 8, they'll be thrilled with ANY dog and Sophie will quickly be a thing of the past so please don't act like everyone now needs therapy. 

Angie

After I see all of your attitudes in these bogus complaints, it just confirms that I made the right decision in not placing a dog with any of you.  You all act like spoiled little children who didn't get their way.  Stacy in particular, I offered you several options to resolve this matter and you weren't interested in any of them. 

Angie, first of all Stacey did not write this, I did.  I never said that the kids needed therapy.  As far as making plans and travel arrangements go, I did make plans, I even emailed you my time line for what times I would be there.  The entire trip was and still is booked.  I can make things happen quickly, that is just what I do.  That is why I first asked you when the deposit was posted if we were all set.  As soon as I got your reply that we were all set, I started booking everything.  I understand that you have the right to say no to anyone because of your impression when you meet them.  Totally understandable, BUT you did not meet me or this other woman.  Your son did.  As someone who lives and breathes customer service, exceeding customers expectations everyday, you feel really short.  As a rescue owner, you should have had some way of letting everyone else that works there know if any deposit is made on a dog.  The fact that you had not notified the other people just blows my mind.  As you said in your email to us, the other woman came to look at matrix.  That alone implies that she was also approved by your rescue so i am not an idiot.  But why she was then able to look at another dog and bond with her, paperwork filled out and filed and yet there was no checks and balances to see if the dog was even available is what has upset me.  Of course kids are going to attach themselves to any animal if it is cute, again, not an idiot.  But when they are told that Sophie was being held for us and that I was going there in a couple of weeks to get her, which you said was not going to be an issue, and then we get an email stating that she is already gone within 24 hours of telling them that we are getting her, you must be able to understand why they and we are upset.  As you know, finding a king charles that is not either old and in need of a lot of medical attention or a puppy that is not trained in the least is a very rare find.  So when we finally found Sophie and she is everything that we were looking for, posted a deposit and got things rolling to welcome her into our home, again you must be able to see how someone would get upset because a lack of communication and proper business practices.  As far as saying you are running an interesting operation, it is true.  Of ALL of the rescue/foster people we have talked to over the past 8 months, everyone but you knew every tiny detail about the dogs, welcomed them into their homes as if they were theirs, continued training of the dogs so that they would be ready for adoption and when I asked you the same questions about Sophie, you were extremely vague with your answers and did not seem at all that you took the time to prepare her for adoption.  I don't know if you have 10 dogs in your rescue or 10,000 dogs, not my business, BUT, I would think that you could be a lot more involved in their lives than you appear to be.  I NEVER threatened lawsuits, I said that I will contact my lawyer.  I was wanting to know our rights in this matter.  It seems to me that if you put down a deposit, you should have the CHANCE to get refused in person.  Not because your son let another woman adopt her because he didn't know she was on deposit.  Good luck with your rescue. BYE BYE!!

Please stop spreading them. It is obvious you are only mad at A1K9 Rescue because the Cavalier you wanted was rescued before you were able to get there.
If you want to talk about the "rules that rescues should follow," I've never heard of one where they will hold a dog for you! 

What if you didn't show up? At least the poor little dog has a home now!
Maybe there are other rescues that will hold a dog, but from my experiences, many don't. Whatever dogs that happen to be there when you go, is what you have to choose from.  I went to the North Shore Animal League in NY (an amazing organization) 3 times before going to A1K9 Rescue, and leaving a deposit to hold a dog there is unheard of!
It was so sad not leaving with a dog from there each time, but I couldn't handle an older dog, or a puppy with too many issues, so I was lucky to get to Angie in time to adopt my Boston terrier before she found him a different home. (which was a 14 hr drive for me as well).

You are supposed to be wanting to rescue a dog, not ordering one!
So if you wanted someone to hold a dog for you until you call your job & arrange a trip, then go to a breeder, not a rescue!

And in my opinion, every person who continues to spread these terrible unjustified rumors about A1K9 Rescue are horrible...because none of these accusations are based on fact --- many of you have not even been to the place.
You are all just unhappy customers who didn't end up getting dogs-- and it was probably for the better.  You may all be the type of person that gets approved at other rescues -- and maybe you enjoy doing useless things like filling out endless amounts of paperwork & writing all your friends down as references, who of course will say great things about you -- so you all think that just because Angie doesn't believe in this way of doing business, that makes her a "fake" rescue?

You all have no idea, and it is not right to publicly spread lies about a person's business -- especially when it is a rescue, which is saving so many dogs' & puppies' lives, every day! Angie should be praised, not attacked.