Danu Great Danes Melissa Pevy Unethical breeder trying to make a name for herself Loomis, California

If you are considering doing busisness with this breeder, I recommend you ask her for references from Debbie, Gary, and Jackie all of whom wrote previous rebuttals but have since discovered Melissa’s unethical practices and have apologized to the original owner of this dog for their statements here.

The many litter mates of this dog suffered medical or behavioral problems. It was also disclosed, by another breeder, who also no longer does busisness with Melissa due to her lack of ethics, that this dog may have possibly come to the owner with a blockage, as the dog had access to Melissa’s son’s toy soldier and would regularly ingest the toys.

This would also explain the colitis discoverd just days after the new owner took her puppy home. As stated above, I would urge you to contact the previous rebuttals and hear first hand about their experience with Mellisa Pevy as a breeder, an experience which for some even resulted in litigation.

My best friends ended up as the forever home of the dog referred to in this scurrilous report, and I became his daytime dog-sitter/walker/provider of belly rubs. I spent a minimum of 30 hours a week with this dog over the past 3 years, and I loved him dearly. In other words, I am very well-qualified to report on the health and general condition of this dog.

He was in no way a weak, diseased, or sickly dog, and when he died he weighed about 160 lbs. He was a big, good-tempered, lovable guy with a massive chest and the loudest bark I've ever heard. He was always a hit at a dog park or vet's office and soaked up attention like a movie star. While his favorite 'activity' was (surprise) sleeping on the "good" couch, he was a majestic sight on the occasions when he felt like running, with the kind of big, easy, loping gait that Dane lovers could watch all day.

There was one weird thing about him, however: He was always hungry, almost ferociously so, and he always ate like there might not ever be food again. It was the kind of hungry, in fact, that would make you wonder whether something had happened to him when he was a puppy. It made you wonder whether perhaps he'd been starved when growing up.

I did not know this dog when he was a puppy, and I am not an animal psychologist, vet, or breeder. I do not have any first-hand knowledge of what happened with this writer's anonymous 'friend'. I do have a lot of experience with Danu Danes, however, because this dog is just one of three Danus that my friends have joyfully brought into their home.

I can't imagine what a more ethical breeder than Melissa would be like, unless the breeder spent their downtime writing actual philosophical papers on ethics (I have a Master's degree in philosophy and have in fact written philosophical papers on ethics).

Simply put, I implore anybody reading this absurd report to consider the sheer number of rebuttals provided here.

Then try your luck at casually buying a Danu Dane.

You'll find that Melissa has very high standards for placement of her pups, and that the process of buying a Danu Dane is about as casual as getting a home mortgage. Prepare to be vetted thoroughly, because she isn't just looking for a decent backyard and a check that clears. She wants her pups to have only one home for the rest of their lives, and it has to be the right home for that particular pup.

If you're lucky enough to get a Danu Dane in your life, you will not regret it.

I have a litter sister to this puppy, and I see other puppies from this litter often. All are very healthy, active and social. Melissa has done an excellent job with these babies. She is very concerned with the health and longevity and takes the proper approach with health testing.

I have seen pictures of all of the puppies since day 1 and made a trip to see them in person at 5 weeks. They were always well taken care of. They were definitely part of her family and loved.

I saw a picture of this puppy the day he left for his new home and he looked very healthy, as he always had. Then came the picture when she had gotten him back, I actually cried. I had never seen a puppy in this kind of condition before. It's a breeders nightmare to see one of your babies this way. It's a very sad situation, but I've seen the updates on him now after the TLC and proper care and he is bouncing back nicely.

I have adopted a puppy from this breeder. This puppy was not bred by Danu Danes, but by a backyard breeder who dumped him at 2 weeks old due to health problems. She took my mastiff  in, bottle fed him, and took care of all of his health issues, the main of which is being born blind in one eye. When I ADOPTED him (not purchased, as I believe Danu adopts their dogs into new families) , I received a LONG letter on his development from 2 weeks old, his habits, all of his toys (so he wouldn't be homesick) as well as her full support if I had any questions/concerns. I still talk to her this day, and she still gets regular updates on my dog which her family hand raised. I've seen this liter of puppies grow from the moment they were concieved, and know for a fact that they were bred and raised in a loving home until they went to their new homes. Danu Danes was extremely concerned and wanted the best for these puppies from day one. I've seen the puppy in question from when he went to his new home, so when she took him back, to now.  For her to not have taken this puppy back would have resulted in his death.



I would be honored to be able to adopt another dog from Melissa and her family, and hope to one day get one of her beautiful Danu Danes in the future!

I just want to say that I've had nothing but positive experiences with Danu Danes.  I met the breeder a few months before I purchased my puppy.  She has been there from the beginning answering any and all questions.  I can also attest to the fact that NONE of her puppies who were placed in their new homes were sick as claimed by this "friend".  As a matter of fact, another puppy from this same litter lives about 45 minutes from us and we've seen the puppy and her owner several times.  Both my puppy and her puppy are healthy, thriving and GAINING weight like a puppy should.  I'm sure there are always two sides to the story, sometimes even more, but in this case, I am totally confident that MY breeder did the right thing from all the facts I know. 

To call her unethical is actually defamatory.  She is the epitome of what a breeder should be.  She shows her dogs to get an unbiased opinion of her dogs, she does ALL the necessary health testing to ensure the best possible chance that puppies born are free of inheritable genetic defects, and she stands by her puppies for life!  Unethical breeders DO NOT do any of the above because all they care about is the money.  Unethical breeders will take your money and you will never hear from them again, much less take a puppy back for any reason.

If she had not taken this puppy back, I'm sure this puppy would have died.  I've seen a picture of the puppy the day she took it back, and folks, I am NOT exaggerating when I say this, that it's a picture of neglect (yes, just like the ones you see on TV).  A month later, with nothing but TLC and food, this puppy has made a remarkable recovery!

My husband and I searched for a year for a reputable Great Dane breeder and chose Danu Danes in California.  They were highly recommended by other people in the Great Dane community.  We went to meet them first (we don't live in CA) before the puppies were born.  We were very impressed.  Their dogs lived with them and were treated as family members.  When the puppies were born we were called and got weekly photos and updates on their growth, socialization, health, etc.   We were looking for a male and it was very hard to choose because they were all so healthy and handsome!  This was our third Great Dane purchase and the experience was by far the most personal, supportive and informative.  We went back to CA to bring our boy home, flying in and then driving back.  We met all the puppies and reviewed the information package that Melissa prepared.  She included food to ensure a smooth transition.  The puppies were all active, bright-eyed, curious and playful and loved Melissa's children -- everything you could hope for.  Our pup made the transition smoothly.  Melissa had made sure to get him accustomed to being in the car before we arrived and he took to a road trip like a champ!  Melissa goes above and beyond to make sure the puppies are doing well in their new homes.  Puppies can get into a lot of mischief and should not be left unattended.  Colitis can start from anxiety over being left alone, from chewing on plants, ingesting bird droppings, etc.  Ingesting foreign non-edible materials necessitates an immediate trip to the vet and an x-ray to prevent surgery due to bowel obstruction.  It sounds like this situation resulted from inadequate supervision and failure to seek immediate medical care.  Were I a breeder with a puppy who had had two surgeries traceable to neglect, I would not deem it conscionable to return the pup to the family.  Breeders have contractual rights and an ethical obligation to reclaim a puppy if it is not being suitably cared for.  Our experience with Danu Great Danes has been entirely positive.  We respect Melissa's ethics and judgement.