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Report: #1045800

Complaint Review: Mittelwest German Shepherd Dogs - Internet Internet

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  • Reported By: Rob — Lords Valley Pennsylvania
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  • Mittelwest German Shepherd Dogs 8310 Howe Rd, Wonder Lake, IL 60097 Internet United States of America

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I purchased a female German Shepherd puppy from Julie Martinez of Mittelwest German Shepherd Dogs, 8310 Howe Rd., Wonder Lake, IL. 60097, with the intention of breeding the puppy in a
hobby breeding business. I took the $3,500 & $350 shipping fee, a total of $3,850, from my retirement fund to invest in this expensive puppy. Ms. Martinez was well aware of my intention to breed her and the important investment I was making. I asked her for the deepest red color, best breeding candidate, from the Dezi/Albert litter born on 4/13/12.  

In 27 years of owning German Shepherd Dogs, both sable and black & red, Schutzhund dogs and pet quality, I never spent this much money on a puppy before.  Not only did I spend the most money ever on this puppy, I got the worst quality ever, the most deformed puppy I ever purchased in my lifetime, from Mittelwest. This puppy was diagnosed with SEVERE hip dysplasia, so severe that Ms. Martinez refused to take the puppy back. She was too deformed to give her away as a pet. 

Since this was such a huge investment for me, I asked for my money back and she refused. She said she would replace the puppy, but with what quality? I don't want another deformed, smaller than normal puppy in pain. I asked her for the best breeding quality puppy she could give me and I received the worst I ever bought. I asked Ms. Martinez to be my breeding mentor to assist me with breeding this puppy with a sire from her kennel when the puppy reached maturity.  I was absolutely heartbroken over the pain this poor puppy is in.  

The puppy was walking like a drunken sailor and was cow-hocked. She was biting all her fur off her thighs because she was trying to get to the pain in her hips. An x-ray showed the hips are angled back causing the hocks to rub together. This is something any breeder with 20+ years experience should notice in a puppy. The right hip is so bad that it is floating outside the pelvis and the puppy is in a lot of pain. If you look down on the hips from above, you can actually see them sticking out which is not typical of a normal German Shepherd puppy.

Ms. Martinez advised me to get a replacement puppy when it is a year old so the hips could be tested. When I asked about the 2 older puppies for sale on her website, she said one was sold and the other might also be sold. I told her I wanted the other available puppy, Tessa, and she said that I WOULD HAVE TO PAY the $350-$400 shipping cost to ship the replacement puppy to me and that I WOULD HAVE TO PAY for the x-rays to make sure the hips were OK. WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS MONETARILY CHARGES THE PURCHASER for replacing a defective product they sent to the consumer???

WHAT DO I DO NOW? I have a$3,850 puppy that is not worth giving away and a breeder who wont refund my investment. The puppy has to be on Deramaxx or other NSAID for her whole life! The
medications often damage the liver and the dog has to be tested every 6 months to make sure there are no liver complications. In great sadness and regret, I am searching for an attorney, registering a complaint with AKC, consumer protection, and every organization this breeder is affiliated with. Dont purchase a dog from this breeder.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 04/24/2013 08:42 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/mittelwest-german-shepherd-dogs/internet/mittelwest-german-shepherd-dogs-smaller-than-standard-severely-deformed-puppy-severe-hip-1045800. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
6Author
3Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#9 Author of original report

Your Answer

AUTHOR: - ()

POSTED: Friday, January 13, 2017

Here's your answer. Look at ALL the complaints on this website and others. You are out of your mind to even think about getting a dog from Julie at Mittelwest!  I suggest you go ANY other breeder than Mittelwest! You are smart to do your research before waisting almost $4,000!

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#8 Consumer Comment

Updates?

AUTHOR: Kdp29 - (USA)

POSTED: Friday, January 13, 2017

 Do you have any updates? Do you still not recommend Julie Martinez? Whatever happened to the two dogs she sent you...did you get your refund? I'm considering buying from her and would love to know, thanks

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#7 General Comment

Who are the parents of these puppies? UPDATE to Complaint #1045800 Regarding Mittelwest Kennels and Deformed German Shepherd Puppies being Sold

AUTHOR: mia - (USA)

POSTED: Thursday, July 09, 2015

I would love to know who are the parents to these puppies that you received with an overbite and hip problems. Please respond. 

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#6 Author of original report

Thanks, Barbara 2

AUTHOR: Mittelwest Kennels, Bad Breeder, No Standards, Fearful Deformed Puppies - ()

POSTED: Sunday, December 07, 2014

I forgot to include the 5 pins she needed in her knee that was disconnected @ $3,000 orthopoedic vet care.

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#5 Author of original report

Thanks, Barbara

AUTHOR: Mittelwest Kennels, Bad Breeder, No Standards, Fearful Deformed Puppies - ()

POSTED: Sunday, December 07, 2014

Thanks, Barbara, I know it wasn't an accident. Julie has full knowledge she is selling pups with hip dysplasia and other defects. The replacement pup I received from her has more defects than the original puppy I received ---- this one has hip dysplasia, an extreme overbite, is the runt of the litter (barely 60 lbs), and has a broken crooked tail. I probably saved her from being put down. I'll never get the $3,850 back from this greedy unethical breeder who will someday have to answer to a higher power for bringing all these sick defective puppies into the world.

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#4 General Comment

Julie is aware of these hip issues!

AUTHOR: barbara - ()

POSTED: Saturday, December 06, 2014

Julie Martinez/Mittlwest Kennels is very much aware that Albert was likely to throw bad hips when breed with a particular line "LINE in her kennel". I breed my b***h to Albert(wonderful dog) and I got 1 puppy with that hip she was horrible to the people who she sold the dog to and even worst to me. i dont know if you are still fighting with her but if you are might be able to find something you could use. SHE KNEW and still breed! She knew when she took my money for the breeding and no forwarning...........I'd never had a bad hip! JULIE MARTINEZ/MITTLEWEST KENNELS was and obviously continues to be IRRESPONSIBLE and ruin her GRANDFATHERS reputation.

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#3 Author of original report

Update to Replacement Puppy from Mittelwest German Shepherd Dogs

AUTHOR: Mittelwest Kennels, Bad Breeder, No Standards, Fearful Deformed Puppies - ()

POSTED: Friday, December 06, 2013

 

Update on my replacement puppy from Mittelwest German Shepherd Dogs on 11/22/13: 
 
At 6 months of age, I had to take Roxi, my GS replacement puppy from Mittelwest, to a knee and hip orthopedic specialist Vet, Veterinary Specialists of CT, for evaluation because of her limping.  This puppy has the following defects:
        1.) Overbite which is more significant with her permanent teeth in
        2.) Hip dysplasia, worse on the right
        3.) The growth plate on her right knee is significantly separated from the bone and needs corrective surgery with 4-6 pins or she will not develop normally and possibly be in pain and lame (cost about $3000)
        4.) Her tail has a kink in it and is crooked
 
As my replacement puppy, this pup is in worse shape than my first pup (which cost me $3500 for a puppy in extreme pain with stage 4 hip dysplasia - see previous report).  
 
Since the first puppy was so defective that Mittelwest did not want me to return her, I found an organization, Alliance for Life, that would get her 2 new replacement hips at half price ($4000 instead of $8000) if Cornell University performed the surgery.  The problem is that I had to give her up to do the morally right thing for her.  I cried for weeks, but I know that she did not have to be put down, she is no longer in pain and is placed with a new family who could afford the surgery. 
 
The replacement puppy, Roxi, needs corrective surgery on her defective right knee.  I was heartbroken when the Vet Specialist told me she, also, has hip dysplasia!  Roxi came from different parents so I assume hip dysplasia is running through ALL the Mittelwest lines!  The problem is Julie from Mittelwest obviously doesn't care and is still selling deformed puppies without a second thought to their health!  It is such a shame that greed causes Mittelwest to refuse to breed healthy dogs. This is the very reason the whole breed's reputation is going downhill!  All I wanted was a healthy German Shepherd!  Instead, Mittelwest decided to send me another defective dog possibly to retaliate against me for notifying their future customers of the truth about their terrible breeding practices on this site, Rip-Off.com.  
 
Julie from Mittelwest is shrugging off this matter and treating it as the normal course of business.  She said she will refund my money but has yet to make payments towards the reimbursement of this puppy.  I have received nothing.  Can we make payments when we pay for a puppy from Mittelwest?  Absolutely NOT - the money is due up front!   
 
In 29 years as a federal criminal investigator, I have never dealt with such an unethical business as Mittlelwest and such a unscrupulous crook as Julie!  What kind of dog breeding business could care less about their reputation or making their customers happy by refunding their investment on a deformed or sick puppy???  To continue to knowingly breed dogs with hip dysplasia and other defects in all the lines is just setting up heartbreak for unsuspecting German Shepherd Dog lovers! 
 
My attorney and I am pursuing legal action to get all my money back AND MORE as I can't get a healthy dog from Mittelwest.  If you are reading this, most likely you have had a very upsetting experience from Mittelwest as well.  My attorney wants to pursue a Class Action Lawsuit by combining all the unsatisfied customers who received sick or defective dogs together in one lawsuit.  If you are interested, please contact me with your own nightmare experiences at (((REDACTED))).  
 
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#2 Author of original report

UPDATE to Complaint #1045800 Regarding Mittelwest Kennels and Deformed German Shepherd Puppies being Sold

AUTHOR: Mittelwest Kennels, Bad Breeder, No Standards, Fearful Deformed Puppies - ()

POSTED: Tuesday, September 17, 2013

UPDATE to the Record on Mittelwest Kennels RE:  Possible Second Deformed Pup from Mittelwest Kennels

  
9/17/2013
 
The breeder of German Shepherd Dogs, Julie Martinez, of Mittelwest Kennels in Wonder Lake. Ill, sent me a replacement puppy on August 15, 2013, after four months of many, many emails back and forth.  She is a beautiful little pup but she, like the first puppy, is deformed.  The first puppy had stage 4 hip dysplasia and the second "replacement" puppy has an overbite. This means the top jaw is slightly longer the the bottom jaw and when she closes her mouth to bite her food, her bottom incisors dig into the top jaw's gums and cause damage to the gums because the alignment of her jaws, and therefore teeth, is not correct.  This is a serious fault in the dog world and she cannot be bred or shown. Here's the email I sent her on 9/17/13: 
 
JULIE:  You knew that Christi was not going to be bred again because she produced pups with an overbite.  You knew, at the very least, that these puppies should have been "discounted" puppies sold as pets only. There is NO WAY the overbite could manifest itself on the flight over here, like magic (?), and that you had no knowledge of this serious fault.  The first puppy you bred and sent me was deformed in the rear end with stage 4 hip dysplasia, and the second puppy you bred and sent me is deformed in the front end with an overbite and God knows what else!!!  Yet, you had no second thoughts at sending me a second deformed puppy after all I've been through with the first one.  I will not know about the second one's hips until she has a "prelim" xray at one year old.
 
This puppy cannot not be bred and cannot be shown as this is a serious fault.  I am monitoring her eating and researching if she can even compete in Schutzhund. 
 
What are the chances, 1 in several million (?), that this can happen TWICE BY CHANCE???  You knew exactly what you were doing.  What is it going to take to get a completely healthy puppy from you for my hard earned money???
 
My research and Vet advice says that if the overbite is under 2 mm (of which this is more than 2 mm), there is a small chance in German Shepherds that it might correct itself by 10 months of age. I will wait this time period and pray for correction by divine intervention. 
 
If it doesn't correct itself, I will update the record accordingly and request another healthy "UNDEFORMED AT BOTH ENDS" puppy! We will have to wait until then before I send you another dime for shipping.

 

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#1 Author of original report

7/12/2013 UPDATE to Dysplastic Mittelwest Puppy

AUTHOR: 7/12/2013 UPDATE! - ()

POSTED: Friday, July 12, 2013

As of 7/12/2013, Julie Martinez, breeder of Mittelwest German Shepherd Dogs, is assisting me in picking out a new German Shepherd Puppy to replace the puppy with hip dysplasia. She guarantees the health of all her puppies and will replace my dysplastic puppy with a healthy one. Over the last few months, I have learned to trust Mittelwest again as they promise to deliver a replacement puppy.  I have also learned that nature follows no rules and that breeders breed dogs with the best probability of good genes, but there are no guarantees as nature makes it own rules.  More specifically, both the sire and dam of the dysplastic puppy had OFFA approved hips.

I will update this report as soon as I receive my healthy replacement puppy. 

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