Pudgy Acres Pugs, Heather Mapes ripoff Pudgy Acres sold me a sick puppy and won't refund any of my money Des Moines Iowa

I've been reading all of this and most of it is repetitive *sigh*. I breed registered horses and if/when there is a problem like this I would want the horse BACK and give a refund. You can't have it both ways. Either the dog or the money. Period. I don't believe that Heather KNOWINGLY sold you a sick puppy. Money or the dog. If money means more to you, then by all means give Ruby back. If you want to keep Ruby, shut up and get a life. Your continous attacks on Heather needs to stop. Posting her personal financial business is LIBEL! Either file charges in the courts or stop with your whining! Enough already! Geeeze!

Heather? Get a LAWYER - like yesterday! Vicki has stepped over the line.

Oh yeah...me thinks "Deborah" is Vicki

Actually, Romi did hear Ruby breathe for one day. I am sure she will claim Ruby's breathing was perfect in an effort to support Heather. I expect that. I don't however value Romi's observation skills since she can't tell the difference between a male and a female. Ruby's trachea problems predispose her to respiratory infections and pneumonia.

Ruby has developed another respiratory infection this week.
She is on antibiotics. I am hoping it does not turn into pneumonia again. She also has developed a severe change in her voice.

Romi owns Toby who is Ruby's brother. Romi did drive 5 hours to Heather's house to pick up her puppy. When she left to go home with her new male puppy she took my female puppy Ruby by mistake. I was then informed by Heather that my puppy was taken by Romi to Illinois. Heather dealt with the situation quickly and got Ruby back the next day. Romi never noticed that she had taken the wrong puppy home. It seems to me that a reporter should be able to tell the difference between a p***s and a vagina. I do not regret my decision to keep Ruby and I resent you (Romi) for the implication that I do. You don't know me and you've never heard my puppy breathe.

If I bred a puppy with a defective trachea, I would have refunded the entire purchase price. I would have never sold a puppy with genetic defects as a show prospect. I would never insist that a sick puppy be ripped away from her family as a stipulation for a refund. I was not treated fairly and in the future I will draw upon my experiences with Heather to make better decisions.

Hello!
I am offering this thread my personal experiences with Pudgy Acres. I have read many different elements of the arguments about Ruby, and rather than refer back to any particular posting, I just want to share my experience as an additional perspective for readers to consider.

I take pride in my own instincts about people, research abilities, and concerns as an animal lover...I have been a news reporter for 8 years. It is my profession to ask questions and come to conclusions about the answers I've been given, and then to decide if those comments are credible. When I approached Pudgy Acres about a pug one year ago, I used my professional skills, as well as my 35 years of animal companionship, as my guide to decide if a Pudgy Acres pug would be a good fit for me. That involved email inquiries, phone calls, and most importantly, a visit to meet Heather and her pugs.

When I contacted Heather, I wished to adopt a male fawn pug. However, I had never had a pug before and asked lots of general questions. I decided after our conversations and after reading some books about pugs I would like to have one very much. I drove 5 hours to meet Heather, her dogs and her family in person. I toured their home, their whelping area and their special kitchen where they prepare the dogs' food. My goal was to see Heather and her family interact with the dogs. The dogs were as much a part of the household as every other member of the family..I watched as Heather told me about each pup, weighed them, and then introduced me to her other dogs. I saw them playing in their backyard, but clearly they didn't live outside..they all lived in the home with the family. Heather packed my puppy's food for me to take home, she has answered every question I've had since I've brought him home, and her advice has helped me provide what I think is a wonderful home for my pug. Just last week, he was selected into a Therapy Dog program and I couldn't be more happy with the loving, silly, loyal best friend I was given. He is a gift from God. Though he is healthy, I also know what it is like to have a pet with serious health issues. In years past, I had a special cat named Alex, who was diagnosed with a terminal disease. Three vets told me Alex had 2 weeks or less to live, and he was 2 years old at the time. Well Alex and I defied those diagnoses, and he lived to be 12 years old. Every day was a gift. We went through so much together...and instead of being angry that he was sick, I learned to realize that with any one we love, person or animal, we never know how much time we have..and even if my pug, who has been very healthy, or any of my other pets, were to be diagnosed with a serious, unexpected condition in the future, I would be thankful for the time we shared together. I know I had spent more than $8,000 total for Alex vet care over the years, but I was blessed to have him. I would not trade one minute or one expense. I suppose I could have blamed a veterinarian for telling me he was terminal and giving me so much emotional stress, or I could have blamed the person who gave him to me, but that would mean I regretted having Alex, and I didn't. He was so dear to me, I wanted to focus all my energy in a positive way toward his health...not toward any one else.
When I approached Pudgy Acres, I had just lost Alex to cancer, and I was hoping to find another best friend in a pug. I also wanted to make sure I could meet the pug's health care needs and lifestyle. With Heather's advice, and with the pug I adopted, I found so many joys with my sweet Pug, and though I have no idea what is in store for his life span, I know he and I were meant to be. I hope he will live 15 years or more!!! But life is what it is..That's why we need to make every day count.
I'm so thankful Heather chose me to adopt him. Several people wanted him, and she chose me to take him home. He is a very strong dog, and my vet says he is doing great. My pug meets many people each week through special events he attends, as well as his volunteer work, and many admire his lovely face and sweet disposition. I am so thankful to have him, and I am confident my initial instincts about Pudgy Acres were right. To know my dog is to know he came from someplace special.
Romi Herron

I have to say I agree that Vicki could have easily just put the dog down.I think that is wonderful of her to take care of the dog despite the problems.Not too many people would have done that!
I'm hearing that Ruby is doing well and that's what is important!
Good luck To Vicki and Ruby!

Most state laws do not cover hobby breeders under the same laws or hold them to the same standards as they do a full time business breeder. Check your state laws before you decide to purchase from a hobby breeder. Whereas I feel this breeder failed her customer and her dog, I commend the dog's owner for not throwing the dog out when the medical problems overwhelmed her.

Thank you Deborah, for your comments and suggestions.

Really Deborah?
Ask Vicki what a backyard breeder is.She's the one making the accusations. Read the WHOLE ripoff report-you will see she was offered a refund but chose not to accept it.

Again,my point is - Before you make such nasty accusations,be sure you have proof.GET IT??
I simply said,if she was a BYB and sold all these awful sick dogs,why hasn't anyone else complained? That was HER accusation.I'm sure YOU wouldn't hesitate to defend someone YOU were happy with.And I'm not the only one.
So, as I said before,I do hope things work out for both of them.It's their thing.I just felt it was an unfair and inappropriate accusation.Believe me,If I felt Heather wasn't a good breeder,I would be right up there next to Vicki.Just because she had a pup that was sick doesn't make her a bad breeder.If you read carefully and did a bit of research,you would see that it is hard to find where the problem came from.Since it is only ONE dog out of MANY,how can you say she is bad? You can't.If many people complained and she had bad pups all the time,then yeah,there's a problem.
They couldn't come to an agreement.And the stipulations Heather made were not unreasonable as far as a breeder goes.At least that's what I've been told by other breeders.
So,again,whatever you have to say is only your opinion.Just like mine is mine.What ever they do,it's between them.I am NOT saying Vicki doesn't have a right to be angry,just that saying Pudgy Acres is a BYB is just stupid and untrue.

I do still wish Vicki and her pup the best.

Obviously you didn't read my comments.

But don't worry cause I didn't bother reading yours either.

I DID SAY that everyone is in agreement. The dog is sick.

EVERYONE AGREES!!!

Heather: pay her back.

Back Yard Breeder.....What is the definition of a BYB???

Is it in the dictionary?

Or is the definition flexible as to how a person views something?

It is clear you do not feel that Heather is a BYB. YOU have a healthy dog.

It is also clear that Vicki does. Her dog is sick.

After I read about the (3) THREE (3) litters that were "accidents"....I must say I am on Vicki's side.

Vicki....my heart goes out to you. keep us updated.

Here's a hint AKC would love to know about those accidental litters.

Here is the email of the person you will want to contact at the AKC. gsr@akc.org

Contact animal control in Des Moines. Tell them your story and SHOW them the "culling" comments.

Mailing Address:
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319

(515) 281-5211 (Voice)

(515) 281-6611 (FAX)

The governor general's office should help you.

Here is the website for the USDA The USDA licenses breeders. http://ds.usda.gov/

I will tell all of MY friends about this issue. And they will tell all of their friends. Etc.,

GOOD LUCK Vicki

Well,Deborah,since you had to put your opinion up,I had to respond.
First of all,If you read this carefully, NO ONE is arguing that Vicki has a sick dog! NO ONE! My argument with this is that she accused Pudgy Acres of being a "backyard breeder" and that is the furthest thing from the truth.She was rude when other people came on to say they never had problems with any of her dogs.We are not "friends" or "family members" of this breeder.Just happy dog owners.We are all feel bad that Vicki has has these problems with her dog.I also feel that everything was done to try and come to a resolution.Most breeders have basically the same contract.Maybe she should have read it.Who knows?
The point is,Vicki bashed a good breeder and made hateful accusations and insulted good people who were just giving their experinces with this breeder.Was this report necessary? No.
She wouln't have been happy no matter what Heather did for her.Bottom line.
Vicki seems to have moved on,so let's let this go.I only wish the best for Vicki's pup.Really. I do hope they have a fun,snuggly, happy, long
life together.

Hi.. I must admit i didn't even bother to read DeeDee and Debs comments after the first few. Blah Blah Blah

It is readily apparent that all of the friends and family have come out of the woodwork to stand up for this breeder. I am happy that all of you agree. However, you all have something alse in common too.

A HEALTHY PUPPY!!!

Vicki does not have that. So it stands to reason that she is on the other side of this fence.


You have proven to everyone here that this pup is sick. Even the breeder acknowledges he is sick.

So where is the problem?

Heather:

Make this right. You are doing yourself more damage than good here. You DID sell a sick pup. You also say that you would "cull" a pup in this circumstance.

What I really don't understand is why you want him back. Are you going to pay his medical bills?
What is that going to cost you in the long run? Or are you going to "cull" him?

Maybe it is better if you just give the 50% refund and allow Vicki to keep him.
That makes Vicki responsible for any future bills.

I think Vicki is more than willing.
I do not believe it is Vicki's intent to breed. If she wants to put him in conformation. GOOD.
When he does really well blow your own horn and say "I bred him. He is from my litters".

This dog is hers. There is emotion involved. That dog loves her too.

All of this is going around in circles.

I have one more thing to say.

The definitions above were missing some KEYWORDS.

I think the main one I noticed was FALSE.

Add false to those definitions.

GOOD LUCK VICKI!! You are a good mom. Enjoy him and give him the best.

I have read your report and wanted to express an opinion on this situation. I bought a pug puppy from a breeder who guaranteed the pug's health for two years,and as long as the pug was RETURNED, my full payment would be refunded. Now I don't truly know if you signed a contract agreeing to this or not, but MOST (nearly all) breeders tell their customers this prior to sell of the puppy. If you did not ask about it or did not read the contract, the breeder cannot be legally at fault for the puppies issues unless YOU conform to the agreement you signed. As I understand this breeder did offer you your refund under the circumstances that you return the dog. I do understand how hard it would be to return a dog you've grown attached to, but in order for there to be closure to this issue, you need to follow the contract you agreed to. It is unfair to "bash" someone in a forum and on the internet when she is running her business according to a certain set of rules and regulations. You must be responsible and ALWAYS read and understand what you are signing before you sign it, or agree to it.

BANKRUPT????

Seems to me, the only person here who is bankrupt is Vicki -- of any morals or integrity.

Quick - someone throw her a line so she can pull herself out of the mud!!!

Vicki - don't you know when you lower yourself to this level you lose the argument?

Heather - why did you feel you owed her an explanation of your financial situation? Obviously, the stress of this is getting to both of you. You both need to either find a way to resolve this (and soon before some one has a break down) or quit coming to this site and adding to the postings (and your stress).

I truly hope Ruby's health problems settle into a level where she is comfortable and happy and is able to enjoy her life. She truly is a little fighter so she should do well in training and showings.

My,my,my..................This is the wierdest thing I have seen in a long time.

Vicki, you love the dog, just keep her and love her and go on, $1200.00 down the drain is not the end of the world. There is nothing more you can do to Heather on this site...leave it alone.

Heather, it does seem like you have tried to do the right thing. Maybe you should just stop adding fuel to the fire by responding.

I wish you both well, but most of all I wish the little dog well. :)

Gee Heather,
Maybe Vicki can make some money and write your biography.
I just learned so much about about you,even though we are SUCH good friends.
By the way,what are you doing this weekend? LOL!



Sorry,couldn't help myself......

It's PROOF Vicki.That's what you need .PROOF.
You have NONE.YOU are the one making FALSE accusations.YOU.
Can't handle it? Maybe you should rethink YOUR angle before you open YOUR mouth.
You expected "oh poor Vicki".Bet you didn't expect people to see through your bull,did ya?
You didn't prove anything,other then you were wrong.

Nice try though.

Vicki,you really need to quit.If you didn't expect a refund,why are we here? Any person in their right mind would want proof to those kinds of accusations.WOULDN'T YOU??!! Of course you would.You say she wouldn't give you a refund,but it seems to me like she wanted to make some kind of agreement even though it states in her contract that she doesn't do that.But YOU decided not to.YOU made false allegations about her breeding.YOU are the one sounding like a broken record.YOU are the one trying to mislead people.
And you still go on and on and on about the same old B.S.
Can you prove Heather would resell a sick pup?NO,YOU CANNOT.
Can you prove you were sold a sick dog on purpose?
NO,YOU CANNOT.
Can you prove that Pudgy Acres is a "backyard breeder"?
NO,YOU CANNOT.
You will not get a refund because after what you've done,you don't deserve one.Arguing over a sick dog is one thing,but the other stuff is hurtful,rude,untrue,and unnecessary.We don't believe you,not because it's a Pudgy Acres conspiracy,but because what you say about Heather's breeding practices are UNTRUE!!!!
I'm positive Heather would do what is best for the pup,and I'm positive she would NEVER had resold her for breeding.Give us all a break.
You are just digging your OWN hole.

She didn't pay my vet bills, she didn't pay for anything. I have proven Heather Mapes to be a liar. I am not going to go back and forth with Heather and her manipulative friends. They have come up with dozens of excuses for Heather's behavior that are not true, and just downright ridiculous. They will continue to try to provoke me with lies, but I won't be responding to them. I am grateful that my puppy is still alive and that I can enjoy time with her. If your considering buying a puppy from Heather Mapes, my advice is don't, unless you want to be treated like this in the event of a problem.

She didn't pay my vet bills, she didn't pay for anything. I have proven Heather Mapes to be a liar. I am not going to go back and forth with Heather and her manipulative friends. They have come up with dozens of excuses for Heather's behavior that are not true, and just downright ridiculous. They will continue to try to provoke me with lies, but I won't be responding to them. I am grateful that my puppy is still alive and that I can enjoy time with her. If your considering buying a puppy from Heather Mapes, my advice is don't, unless you want to be treated like this in the event of a problem.

She didn't pay my vet bills, she didn't pay for anything. I have proven Heather Mapes to be a liar. I am not going to go back and forth with Heather and her manipulative friends. They have come up with dozens of excuses for Heather's behavior that are not true, and just downright ridiculous. They will continue to try to provoke me with lies, but I won't be responding to them. I am grateful that my puppy is still alive and that I can enjoy time with her. If your considering buying a puppy from Heather Mapes, my advice is don't, unless you want to be treated like this in the event of a problem.

She didn't pay my vet bills, she didn't pay for anything. I have proven Heather Mapes to be a liar. I am not going to go back and forth with Heather and her manipulative friends. They have come up with dozens of excuses for Heather's behavior that are not true, and just downright ridiculous. They will continue to try to provoke me with lies, but I won't be responding to them. I am grateful that my puppy is still alive and that I can enjoy time with her. If your considering buying a puppy from Heather Mapes, my advice is don't, unless you want to be treated like this in the event of a problem.

Vicki you prove more and more with each post that you know nothing of breeding. Linebreeding is a tool used by SERIOUS breeders, it is not a tool used by BYB's. When done right you tighten certain traits and helps to create more type. Its also used to find out what problems you have in your line. When putting two dogs so closely related together the results are either great or terrible. This lets me know what I need to work out of my line and helps me to lock in the traits I desire. The breeding between Boo and Will was a big success...No problems resulted what so ever! You know the bad part of this??? I dont have Will anymore. Also the puppy from Libby turned out spectacular! I dont believe that the hypo trachea was genetic at all. If anything maybe it was something eviromental while she was pregnant, maybe a lack of something in her diet? Maybe too much of something in her diet? Maybe she was just too small to carry that many puppies, possibly she whelped too soon and the puppies werent fully developed, I dont know, breeding is a gamble.

You kill me Vicki...You say that I wouldnt refund you any money, I clearly asked you "What would it take to make you happy?" You never bothered to answer back. I was going to work out some type of deal with you because I did not want you upset with me. No, according to my contract I was not responsible for ANY refund, get it? NOTHING WAS OWED TO YOU, but in all fairness, I was going to work with you because I go above and beyond my contract when there is a major problem.

YES, I want this report removed as part of a resolution. That is only fair of me to ask. I took two weeks vacation starting this Monday and I am going to a lawyer and getting this resolved.

Oh and I am NOT bankrupt. Remember....I am getting rich off my puppies! What a laugh you are. One minute im a greedy money hungry BYB'er and now im bankrupt. Funny that I always have money to go out and do whatever I want and buy whatever I want. There was a time a couple of years ago when Mike had 3 knee surgeries because of a work related injury that he went 5 months without any income. His employers insurance company would not pay out the work comp benefits and we had to lawyer up and fight it. We won and got a settlement but it took over a year to make any progress. During the time we had no income our house payment went unpaid and to fend off the forclosure we had to file a chapter 13, which means we had to PAY IT ALL BACK. Our big settlement on his knees has yet to come, I cant wait!

Is there anything else about my life you would like to know about? My husband and I work for our local power company and make good money and have awesome benefits (hence why I will be on vacation for two weeks) and we couldnt be more happy right now, things are going great for us FOR ONCE. Its nice not living paycheck to paycheck.

Now go ahead and post all the same stuff over and over again trying to make me look terrible. Your growing amazingly predictable.

Heather you are intentionally trying to mislead people.

The spin you and your friends have put on this couldn't be further from the truth. Nice try. You better put your heads together and come up with a new angle, this one isn't working either.

The reason I did not give Heather a vet report sooner than I did, was because she REFUSED to give me a refund. Why should I send her a report if she informs me that she isn't going to give me a refund?? I don't owe you a report so you can pull your inbred dogs from your breeding program! That was the ONLY reason she wanted the report and she said so.

"If I am to pull these two dogs from breeding again, I need to know why. That is the reason for my email."

"NO REFUND IS IN ORDER"

When I posted the vet report I NEVER expected a refund. I posted it to PROVE she bred a dog with a defect! I sent it to Heather to prove she was wrong for refusing me a refund. She had already stated long ago that I would NOT be receiving a refund from her.

"Vicki-
I dont just give a refund for vet bills, I am not financally responsible for any vet bills once the puppy leaves here, at that point the puppy is officially yours and you are financially responsible for her, just like a child or anything else you make a commitment to. You are right, she is a living breathing being, and I can not guarantee when the puppy leaves here, she will never have a problem medically for the rest of her life. If I could, trust me I would, but its genetically impossible. I try my best to provide the happiest, healthiest puppies that conform to AKC standards.

You signed my guarantee, and before doing so I would have hoped you read it. I DO NOT DO REFUNDS FOR ANYTHING CONGENITAL.

If you decide you are not happy with Ruby, you may opt to ship her back to me which would be at your cost. If you would like, I could pay the extra on top of that to fly to you in person to pick her up and when I receive Ruby back I would do a full refund or replacement puppy, although all I have at this time is pet quality. You could wait for another future hopeful show dog, but at this time I have no other breedings planned."

Heather
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The only way she stated she would give me a refund was If I returned my puppy to her, that way she could resell Ruby after I spent a fortune on her. She knew I didn't want to return Ruby so she tried to exploit my love for my puppy by offering as an option A REFUND ONLY IF I RETURNED HER. A very predictable move for a breeder with no morals or decency. No one has addressed her refusal to give me a partial refund for a reason, they want to paint a pretty little BIASED picture of Heather. You don't REFUSE a person a refund and then expect the person to send you documents.
I did consider returning Ruby at one point and I changed my mind. I am so glad I did. God knows where Ruby would have ended up If she went back to Heather. That would have haunted me, especially knowing how Heather treats the animals she claims to love.

Your claims of libel are just that, claims. If you believe you have a case than get a lawyer and sue me. You don't scare me in the least. I won't let people like yourself get away with lying and ripping people off.

Nothing is for free. If you want a refund you return Ruby. That's all there is to it. Since you do love your dog, isn't paying the price worth it?

I mean she did pay your vet bills, right? But you still want a refund. Then send the dog (who money is worth so much more than) back.

Or better yet. Take it to Judge Judy. I would love to see her chew you out over this.

Well Vicki,I hope you understand that being nasty and not thinking before you do something gets you nowhere.Had you presented the proper documentation in a more timely manner maybe you would have been happy(but I doubt it).You want your cake and want to eat it too.Please stop referring to Heather as a "backyard breeder".You know darn well she's not.You have one dog,Vicki,ONE who is sick.Out of MANY who are healthy. So when you are still around telling people your line of bullsh@#,be sure to direct them here,so that they get a bigger picture of the truth,and not just your halfa**ed version of it. Then they can decide for themselves.Remember,you are the only one who has a complaint about her breeding practices.How can you be surprised by the responses you get?
Good luck to you and Ruby.I hope she will grow up to have a good life with lots of love.
See Ya.

This is in response to another of Vicki's thinly veiled accusations indicating that breeding a half-brother and half-sister is not good breeding. Breeding is something that I had not known much about before my husband and I made the decision to get a dog. At that time we did enough research to give us sufficient initial information. And as we have delved more deeply into the world of the purebred, we are learning how much more complex the issues related to breeding and genetics are than we had ever imagined. This forum has given me the opportunity and motivation to explore even further. In this case, I looked into issues about genetics and breeding sibling or half-sibling dogs.

What I am finding is contrary to what I think those of us who are relatively uneducated about breeding would generally believe - that breeding closely related animals is a no-no, as we have learned it is in the human world. In fact, there seem to be 3 general strategies used by expert breeders to breed in desirable qualities and breed out undesirable qualities in the breed, thus working toward the goal of bettering the breed. These strategies are linebreeding, inbreeding and outcrossing. There are, of course, pros and cons and limitations to all of these strategies.

I am not going to attempt to explain any further here, as I am just learning myself. I will encourage people who are interested in looking into this further to Google inbreeding dogs. That is the latest search I have used on the subject and there are a number of good, informative sites. None of them support the accusations made here about the subject. You will find lots of interesting information that will help you to form a more educated opinion about the subject than has been presented by the complainant in this forum. Perhaps she should have done her homework first.

Vicki, How many times do we need to go through this? When you are challenged, you just restate what you have already said. The issue is not how much money you spent. Heather didn't ask you for the bills, she asked you for the evidence. And you didn't send evidence of a hypoplastic trachea until late July, though you began this complaint 5 months earlier in February. You emailed her your vet's phone number because it was too much trouble for you to get a signed statement from him to back up your complaint? And yet you have all this time to look for websites where Heather has posted information and cut and paste in attempt to support your misguided accusations. That certainly takes some time and energy. It seems you would have gotten much further had you used your time and energy to get a simple statement or copy of a report from your vet. And from what I'm surmising, you haven't sent back the registration papers or proof of spay, though you recently posted an email that said, many months ago I believe, that you were willing to do so. And I don't see you posting any evidence to the contrary. You are just posting the same old things that tell everyone how much money you spent. When will you get it! That is not the issue!

And now you say in your post that you think Heather doesn't want to give you your money back because she is bankrupt?! Well that's a new tactic! Please, Vicki. You are really starting to look rather desperate and pathetic. But as I said before, keep talking. Now you are poking holes in your own arguments. Keep talking. The real truth will come out eventually.

Heather you left something out which was your reply to the following e-mail stating that they only reason you wanted the report was to pull Will and Liberty from your "breeding program" you NEVER stated you intended on giving me a refund EVER. I am so SICK of all your lies. Please post anything saying that you agreed to give me a partial refund. You can't because you were, and still are playing GAMES with me. Did you ever bother to call Ruby's vet? Ever????

Ruby is having some problems with her breathing. Her x-rays showed bronchial pneumonia back in November and she has been on antibiotics ever since. She has gotten somewhat better but her breathing gets worse when she plays - she pants and has very labored breathing for a long time after. She's been on 6 different antibiotics and been nebulized with antibiotics and albuterol. Her vet is referring her to Auburn University in Alabama. She will most probably have a tracheal wash and a scope done. Hopefully they will be able to give me some idea of what's going on with her. A bacterial infection just doesn't make sense with all the antibiotics she's been on. I have to limit her playing to five or ten minutes at a time. She weighs ten pounds now and is very smart she sits, lays down, shakes hands, and stacks. She isn't housebroken, its been to cold and I won't take her outside until I now what's going on with her. She's only had two vaccinations because after the second one she got extremely sick her breathing got so bad I thought she might die. I'm not going to do another vaccination until I know what's wrong. My whole family adores her including my other dogs. As soon as I know more I'll let you know.

I had the impression from things you had said, that this was over regarding a refund. I scanned and sent you the bills I had paid. You stated in the e-mail I'm responding to now that the only thing you cover is death or a defect that will result in death in one year's time. What is the point of sending you the report If the only thing you cover is death? Ruby is still alive. If you are considering refunding part of Ruby's purchase price I'd be happy to send you the report. If not, I feel like it's a waste of my time and money. If you would like to talk to Ruby's vet his name is Dr. Sprott and his phone # is 770-251-8911.
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Here is an actual e-mail of Heather refusing me a refund EVEN If I sent a report. It follows the one she plastered above. She left this out on purpose. Heather you are a LIAR!!!!! Did you ever BOTHER to talk to her vet? You care so much it's the least you could have done. I like the way you pulled Will and Liberty from your breeding program, after you bred them THREE MORE times!!! Then you tried to sell Liberty intact for breeding, because three litters wasn't enough, how many litters did you expect her to produce? Would six be enough? seven? This is how you treat a dog you raised from a puppy? Your sick!!!

4/6/05
The reason I would like to see the actual vet bill is to know if Ruby actually has Hypoplastic Trachea. But I will just call and talk to the vet. Please remember, you never sent me anything stating she has Hypoplastic Trachea, but said you would. All I got was bills for URI's and a estimate for surgery (but didnt state for what) it could have been for elongated palate for all I know.

If I am to pull these two dogs from breeding again, I need to know why. That is the reason for my email.

Also, If anything (god forbid!) happens to Ruby within the one year time frame because of this breathing issue, I will also need this information. I dont know how else to put this, because talking about anything happening to her in the future just seems sick, but I want to get this taken care of just in case.

NO REFUND IS IN ORDER, but what would it take to make you happy, Vicki? I am not out to get you, or make your life a living hell. I want us to get along, I want to know that your not mad at me and I want to keep in touch about Ruby. Thats what this is all about. You think I am some bad person and im fake, but thats not true. You took my emails over this whole thing out of context and read the worst out of them.

I would really appreciate a Ruby update. Is she doing ok and did she recover fine from the surgery? I hope everything is going well with her.
--------------------------------------------------
I sent Heather the following email with some of Ruby's bills attached, all of the Pdfs I listed were sent in this email, eight to be exact. She is claiming they totaled $300 another LIE. I state in the email exactly what they totaled.

2/21/05

"I am attaching some of Ruby's medical bills to validate what I have spent. I know that all you have at this point is my word and without validation that it doesn't mean much. The bills I have on hand right at this moment total $1,294.19. I will have to make a trip to her vets office for the remaining bills not included in the document I am attaching to this letter. I would be more than willing to return her AKC papers and proof of spay in exchange for a healthy puppy or a refund."
---------------------------
(I opted to keep Ruby and asked for a refund).
I would be happy to send Ruby's bills to ANYONE who wants to see them.
----------------------------
Heather I believe the real reason you didn't want to part with my money is because you are BANKRUPT.

Heather you deserve this report you are a heartless person and you may have the support of a few people but this report will be here the next time you do this to someone else, and with you breeding brothers and sisters together it won't be long before another defect occurs. I will never contact you again. I will however tell people who ask me what's wrong with my puppy (a common occurence) who bred her and how she treated me. I hope it was worth $400.

#1..Email received Feb 18th

Hi Heather,

I picked Ruby up yesterday from Auburn. She is doing really well her energy level is higher than it was before the surgery and her breathing is improved already. Everyone at the clinic loved her - they all wanted to carry her around. They want to recheck her in three weeks to see hows she healing. I'm so happy to have her home it wasn't the same here without her. I'm hoping If she's well enough to start obedience classes with her soon. She has alot of energy and is constantly in motion and loves to play.

Vicki


#2 Part of an email received Feb 20th stating you will send the reports...


I've spent over $1,500 in vet bills at this point and I honestly don't know what else can be done for her. She's been to several different vets, had surgery and she's not getting better. Ruby is still very sick and I am dealing with the reality that she might not survive. She can't play or act like a normal puppy the least amount of activity causes her breathing to get so bad that she struggles to breathe for hours. I am asking at this point for a replacement puppy or a refund. I will send you all the receipts totaling the amount I have stated I spent for Ruby's vet care, plus letters from Auburn University and her veterinarian. I do not intend for this letter to be interpreted as an angry letter because it is not. I think you are a nice person whose intentions are good, that is why I chose to purchase a puppy from you to begin with.




#3 Email reply received on April 5th when I asked for the report AGAIN so I would know for sure it was indeed a hypoplastic treachea....

Heather,

I did inform you that she was having breathing issues in an e-mail dated 2/7/05. Here is what it said:

Ruby is having some problems with her breathing. Her x-rays showed bronchial pneumonia back in November and she has been on antibiotics ever since. She has gotten somewhat better but her breathing gets worse when she plays - she pants and has very labored breathing for a long time after. She's been on 6 different antibiotics and been nebulized with antibiotics and albuterol. Her vet is referring her to Auburn University in Alabama. She will most probably have a tracheal wash and a scope done. Hopefully they will be able to give me some idea of what's going on with her. A bacterial infection just doesn't make sense with all the antibiotics she's been on. I have to limit her playing to five or ten minutes at a time. She weighs ten pounds now and is very smart she sits, lays down, shakes hands, and stacks. She isn't housebroken, its been to cold and I won't take her outside until I now what's going on with her. She's only had two vaccinations because after the second one she got extremely sick her breathing got so bad I thought she might die. I'm not going to do another vaccination until I know what's wrong. My whole family adores her including my other dogs. As soon as I know more I'll let you know.

I had the impression from things you had said, that this was over regarding a refund. I scanned and sent you the bills I had paid. You stated in the e-mail I'm responding to now that the only thing you cover is death or a defect that will result in death in one year's time. What is the point of sending you the report If the only thing you cover is death? Ruby is still alive. If you are considering refunding part of Ruby's purchase price I'd be happy to send you the report. If not, I feel like it's a waste of my time and money. If you would like to talk to Ruby's vet his name is Dr. Sprott and his phone # is 770-251-8911.



I have asked you repeatedly for the signed vet statement, but as you so clearly stated in the paragraph above, it would be a waste of your time. As a breeder these are things I need to be aware of and without the report, why would I spay/neuter Liberty and Will???? You never sent the report till July 19th!!!! Two weeks after I placed Will (yes, I placed him with no proof of the problem!!!) and about 6 weeks after I placed Liberty (again with no proof of the problem! I think that is very responsible for a breeder. Here I am with no proof to your claims, yet I place my dogs anyway. Could you say you would have done the same if in my situation?

Ok so you send me the report on July 19th, that is 5 months after you originally emailed me regarding her surgery and asked for a refund. No, I would not give you a refund until you met the terms of my contract which is sending me that report AND her AKC papers (I state all this in the contract).

So without meeting the terms of the contract you signed, you start up this report and slander my name of how I wont honor my contract which is libel. You are the one who didnt honor my contract.


Now, from this last rebuttal of yours, you claim I have received all of those PDF files...The only PDF file I have from you is the one I received in July and that is the actual vet statement. I have received an email from you that was blank and when I tried to open the file, nothing happened.

I have received from you so far:

An estimate that never said what it was for...

Vet bills showing that she had URI's spanning a 4 month period and the costs for treating them, which added up to 300.00 and included well puppy checks and immunizations...

And once again, the vet report stating she had hypoplastic treachea which I never received until JULY.

Before July there was nothing on those receipts that indicated she had hypoplastic treachea or a prognosis for her. All it stated was that she had reoccuring URI's.

You are trying to mislead people to believe that I received proof of her defect at the time I told you I would not do a refund which is LIBEL.

Here we go again, Vicki. You do have a knack for twisting things. I did NOT say that stress caused the hypoplastic trachea. I said that managing stress is one of the ways to MANAGE a hypoplastic trachea. I don't speak unknowingly, Vicki, I have done my research. This is out there to be found. I am also in the health care field and I know a bit about how illnesses work, whether human or canine. I also said that a hypoplastic trachea may not necessarily be found until there is something to indicate a need to look for it, like a URI that doesn't resolve or gets worse, as in Ruby's case. The other thing I said about stress was that the combination of increased stress and poor respiratory conditions, such as on an airplane, could lead to respiratory illness in a puppy who might be more susceptible to it, such as Ruby. The main point that I was making there was that it is likely that there may have been absolutely no indication of the hypoplastic trachea prior to the puppy being shipped to you - in other words, you have NO basis for saying that Heather KNOWINGLY sold you a sick puppy. And THAT is one of the things you are trying to pass off as a fact. And frankly, from my knowledge and my experience with Heather, there is no way in hell that she would have shipped a puppy that she even had the tiniest inkling had such a problem!


Regarding the emails from Heather that you posted AGAIN (sigh) - Heather stated that she didn't give a refund for vet bills. That is because (and it's fairly clear if you look through all the posts) you sent her only a BILL, not any EVIDENCE of Ruby's problem! For all of your repetition and reposting, I am not blind, Vicki. I have already read them all. Any number of times. And I am putting them together differently. You can look at your so-called facts any way you want. My challenge of your facts remains the same. You did not send her any evidence other than a vet bill. And from what I am reading, that bill told Heather only how much money you had spent at the vet. It did not give any indication of what the charges were for. And I do not see you posting any evidence to the contrary. That would seem to explain why Heather might respond to you that she does not give refunds for vet bills. And I don't believe that other post was for you, but I would suspect that Heather would probably have worked more with you , had you bothered to give her the evidence she asked for. And had you not become such a miserable person to work with. Do not forget, she was initially willing to refund your money in full, but you didn't want to return the puppy. Understandable, but without clear evidence of a defect - a letter from your vet on official letterhead probably would have sufficed - or without being able to see the puppy and have her checked out for herself, AND having never met you in person, how the HELL was Heather to know that you weren't just scamming her? She let you know of her doubts! And most likely those doubts arose because of a lack of evidence supporting your claim. All you had to do was provide the reports. Again, I don't know of any entity that would just give a refund on a customer's word without any evidence. Try it, Vicki! Go to an electronics store and purchase a computer. Then contact the store and tell them there is a defect. Call them or email them and tell them the problem. But don't take the computer back in so they can check it out. Don't send it in for an exchange. Just tell them you want your money back but you want to keep the computer because you've become attached to it. Send them a bill from someone who looked at it, just a bill with the amount they charged you to check it out, nothing else. And when you don't get your refund, put up another report on ripoff.com and let's see how that flies. Try asking them to refund just half of the purchase price, but still don't let them look at the computer or show them any evidence of what is wrong. Treat them the way you have treated Heather, and see how far you get.

And Vicki, what on earth are you trying to prove by so tediously bringing up the issues again of the non neutering and the unplanned breedings? Everybody has read it. We all know that Heather told you something that was not true and in my post I acknowledged that. She also tried to clarify her real intention. We are all aware how you believe that should be interpreted. I believe my response to that was that he has placed Will, which addresses both issues. I think she spoke in haste. But I think it speaks more about the stress she was under rather than to her entire character or any incompetence. And if she is considering selling Liberty, which I hope she doesn't, I'm sure it is because she has found evidence that the genetics don't warrant pulling her from breeding. That is the type of post that you just throw out there without the evidence to back it up. There are people who will buy that Liberty should not be bred. Period. But in just the small amount of research I have done, I have been able to see that it's so much more complex than that. I intend to do more research as well, for my own understanding. And I suggest that anyone who wants to know do their own research and not just take you at your word because your view is skewed.

In my opinion Heather has been, overall, far too open and honest. She has hidden nothing. Everything has been out there for you to pick and choose whatever evidence you think supports your arguments. But from what I know of Heather, my guess is that she has done a tremendous amount of research on the problem that Ruby has and on the corresponding genetics and issues of breeding. She is learning - there is evidence of that in this post, if one wants to see it. The issues that you keep wanting to take us back to HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED. I strongly believe Heather will learn from this painful experience and it will make her a better breeder and a better person. I wonder if it will do the same for you,though, Vicki. You're tired, you say? Good. It had to happen sometime. You see, Vicki, the real truth does not tire. In the end it always prevails. I am not tired. I truly despise, with all of my being, the vile type of smear campaign that you have launched in these pages. It is the kind of behavior that weakens mankind and makes this world a little bleaker and more difficult to live in. It is clear to me that you have no more evidence and so you need to make a last ditch effort by repeating yourself. But YOUR truth is only one facet of the story. There are some who will believe it and avoid Pudgy Acres. They have to go with what they believe. But they will be missing out. Because, as I said, Heather will only learn and grow from this. She already breeds beautiful dogs. Her breeding will only become better for this. Because, contrary to what you would have people believe, Heather is dedicated to making the breed better. Breeding in strengths and out weaknesses. And anyone who is truly interested in knowing the truth will see through you and investigate the issues for his- or herself. And I seriously doubt that anyone will ever find another complaint about Heather or Pudgy Acres. There just aren't any and there won't be. I wish you and Ruby well, Vicki.

Vicki,

No one is saying that you are lying about the medical condition of your dog. All I am saying is that is your ONLY argument.My argument is that you make accusations that are half truths or false.You are degrading and rude.What ever was posted before by Heather is irrelevant.

You continue to try and make a case for yourself but never quite do it.No one is saying your dog isn't sick,they are questioning your motives.You have been asked to back up your allegations about Pudgy Acres' breeding practices,but you cannot.No one cares what Heather wrote to you or what she posted elsewhere in 2003.

The fact is,your accusations about Pudgy Acres being a backyard breeding business is FALSE.The fact is,you CAN'T prove Heather intentionally sold you a sick puppy.The fact is,NOTHING will make you happy.

If you want to move on,you would appologize to Heather and send a rebuttal saying you were out of line(that's the least you could do!).She has seemed to have made every attempt to end this and you have not.

My argument all along was that you were unfair in your rebuttals.You only gave bits and pieces of the what was going on and made some nasty remarks to those of us whose are happy with our dogs.And you made some seriously damaging accusations about someone's business.

I will not just sit back and be insulted and watch you smear someone's good name.I don't care who you are.YOU started this post,so you should expect some negative feed back.No one will just let you do what you did and not defend themselves.

Thank you Mary for your information on ILP numbers.

I've posted below the process needed to obtain one:

How can you apply for an ILP number?
Applications for enrollment into the Indefinite Listing Program can be downloaded or by emailing ILP@akc.org. When requesting a form via email please include your name and current mailing address. Remember, ILP numbers can only be issused to AKC registrable breeds.

The following must be submitted with a completed ILP application:
2 Color photographs of your dog.
-One standing in profile
-One head-on showing the facial characteristics of the dog.

Proof from a veterinarian that the dog has been spayed/neutered.

A non-refundable $25.00 application fee. Once compiled, the completed ILP application along with the items listed above should be mailed to:

The American Kennel Club/ILP
P. O. Box 37933
Raleigh, NC 27627-7933

I would not be willing to go through this since I already paid to have Ruby registered and it would cost me an additional $25.00 on top of what I already paid. I have been dealing with this situation since February and I'm not willing to jump through any more hoops for Heather. I told her I'd be willing to send proof of spay several times already. There is no reason to pull her registration if proof of spay is provided. I have sent Heather an estimate for Ruby's surgery, the receipt from Ruby's surgery, the follow up report from Ruby's surgery (which states she has a hypoplastic trachea). Heather is not going to give me a refund and I'm tired of providing everything she asks for only to be told it's not enough. Heather never bothered to call Auburn University regarding Ruby. If she had any doubts about me that was always an option for her, she had the phone number, it was on Ruby's estimate for surgery. I suggested that she should call several times (since she was so skeptical).

I have every right to be angry. My puppy has a serious defect that effects her breathing, I've spent over $1,500 in vet bills, Heather hasn't refunded a dime of my money, she's lied to me over and over, and she now has her past buyer's attacking me.

Stress doesn't cause a hypoplastic trachea, it's a congenital defect. Her defect was found because it was there all along. If you don't believe me call Ruby's vet at the University, maybe he can help you understand that it was there since birth. She doesn't have a URI now and has had two surgeries and she still sounds horrible.

Below I've posted FACTS (not opinions)
--------------------------------------------------
Heather's e-mail before I asked for a partial refund
dated 2/20/05

"I completely understand what you are going through and am willing to do whatever it takes to resolve this situation. I cant imagine what youve been going through to have come to the terms to part with her, but know that its for the best. I will replace her and would need to have Ruby returned to me somehow, this is the first time I have ever had a problem with any puppy so will need some time to figure things out. I have a litter of puppies that was just born on Valentines morning from a different mother but the same sire, there are 2 males and one female. All puppies are fat and chubby with large heads like daddy.

Let me know what you think and what you want to do, I am soooo saddened that Ruby is suffering like she is. If she comes back to me I will do whatever I can to make her comfortable."

Heather

--------------------------------------------------

Heather's e-mail after I asked for a partial refund
dated 2/21/05

"Vicki-

I dont just give a refund for vet bills, I am not financally responsible for any vet bills once the puppy leaves here, at that point the puppy is officially yours and you are financially responsible for her, just like a child or anything else you make a commitment to. You are right, she is a living breathing being, and I can not guarantee when the puppy leaves here, she will never have a problem medically for the rest of her life. If I could, trust me I would, but its genetically impossible. I try my best to provide the happiest, healthiest puppies that conform to AKC standards.

You signed my guarantee, and before doing so I would have hoped you read it. I do not do refunds for anything congenital.

If you decide you are not happy with Ruby, you may opt to ship her back to me which would be at your cost. If you would like, I could pay the extra on top of that to fly to you in person to pick her up and when I receive Ruby back I would do a full refund or replacement puppy, although all I have at this time is pet quality. You could wait for another future hopeful show dog, but at this time I have no other breedings planned."

Heather
--------------------------------------------------

Heather explaining her contract in the BBC forum.

"Now in my contract I state that I only refund half the purchase price for a defect which is just to protect myself, I do refund the full price of vet bills up to the price of puppy. I dont want everyone running back to me with a defect to get their money back, im sure you know how it is. And I am also flexible on the one year guarantee, if something severe popped up at anytime I would in fact replace or refund...I have a very good relationships with my buyers. I am however very strict on spay/neuter, if that causes my dogs to develop less, then thats just a chance that I guess im willing to take at this point till I hear or see something odd result from early spay/neuter. So far to my knowledge the only results are positive, like lessor chances at cancers."

Heather

--------------------------------------------------
Heather's e-mail dated 5/9/05, to let me know that she spayed Liberty and neutered Willy.

"She sounds a lot like her mommy, smart and a quick learner. Keep her well socialized because Libby used to love people then one day decided to start barking at everyone. Not that she dont like people, but she thinks its a fun game, it gets annoying and embarressing at times.

I am emailing you to let you know that I have spayed Liberty and neutered Will. With not knowing if this is a recessive or not in my line, I just dont want to take a chance at producing another puppy with this problem and putting anyone else through what you and Ruby are going through. I will be having scopes done on Boo and Peaches just as a precaution."

Heather

(Willy produced two more litters after I received this e-mail, Boo's litter of one (Olivia) born on 6/19/05 and Gidget's litter born on 9/3/05). Liberty also had another litter of one puppy, I do not know when that puppy was born or if Willy was the father).

--------------------------------------------------
Heather's ad to sell Liberty (Ruby's mother) intact posted 10/2/05

"2 Pug Adults both due in heat soon...

I have two Pugs available one fawn with 63 champions in her 6 generation pedigree and her neice whom is Black in color. The fawn pug is small at 13 lbs and has 3 litters of puppies (1,5,1) and her oldest puppy is in the show ring now. My black pug has had two litters (5,1) the second breeding was not a planned one, hence the singleton pup. Both are due into season in the next month and their last litters were both only one. This is a good opportunity to get started. Both are still young and active, great pets, crate and potty trained. These are indoor dogs as I am a small hobby breeder. Up to date on shots, heartworm meds and frontline.

I am asking 800.00 each with full AKC reg or 1500.00 for the two."

--------------------------------------------------

Heather's accidental breedings or surprise litters.

1. "Willy is a daddy to quite a few puppies. What a daddy he is. His first litter was quite a surprise considering he was only 7 months old and I didnt think he was *cough* manly enough to have babies. LOL He had 4 puppies in that surprise litter!"

2. "These will be Gidget and Willys (Debi's Willy) puppies, Willy made sure he didnt miss Gidget before he left because she came into season just a few days before he left to go to his new home. What a surprise this is!"

3. "My black pug has had two litters (5,1) the second breeding was not a planned one, hence the singleton pup." (the second breeding was between a half brother and sister).

--------------------------------------------------

I have sent Heather an estimate for Ruby's surgery, the receipt from Ruby's surgery, the follow up report from Ruby's surgery (which states she has a hypoplastic trachea) plus the following documents- ruby a.pdf, Ruby B.pdf, Ruby C.pdf, Ruby D.pdf, Ruby E.pdf, Ruby F.pdf, Ruby G.pdf, Ruby H.pdf. If anyone doubts their validity I'd be happy to e-mail them to anyone wishing to see them.

I don't care about enough about $400 to keep this going. These are facts, you can try to put any kind of spin you want on them. They are still going to be facts whether you write a novel for your next rebuttal or not.

Dee Dee,
YOU ARE WONDERFUL!!!
No one has said that better the you just did.

I had meant to add to my last post that my comments are made from my experiences with Heather and Pudgy acres and my observations and exploration about issues in this report. I have had only minimal contact via email with Heather about this report to ask her about it and offer my support. I say this because I want others reading this to know that I am not just a friend sticking up for her but a client who has thought a lot about this and wanted to provide a different perspective on things that could be of concern to people wanting to know about Pudgy Acres.

Vicki, I am wondering whether, in your email to Heather, you asked her why she wanted you to send back Ruby's registration papers. I wondered when I read that. My guess is because she hasn't been spade yet(at least I don't think I saw anything about that.) Heather would need to make sure that Ruby isn't bred. I know you stated that you wouldn't breed her, and I'm sure that, with the issues she has, you wouldn't, but Heather may need some evidence of that. I know that she wants to assure that a dog that is pet quality will not be bred, and especially a dog with Ruby's problems. Perhaps the two of you could come to some agreement about this. Just a thought.

Actually, registration is not required to participate in AKC Obedience.

From the AKC website:

"Dogs of any breed recognized by the AKC that do not have registration papers or known parents may qualify for an Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP). ILP dogs may participate in certain AKC events, such as obedience, agility, tracking and many performance events"

Heather did offer to make a resolution she offered to send me $400 with three conditions.

The first condition was to return Ruby's registration papers to her.

The second condition was to remove my Rip-Off report.

The third condition was to send her a copy of the actual vet statement.

I told Heather I appreciated her effort towards a resolution.

I also explained to Heather that Ruby is in training to compete in AKC obedience and that she needs to be registered to do so. She will be starting her fourth obedience class at the end of October.

I also explained to Heather that Rip-Off Report will not remove my report even if I ask them to. I told her I could update my report saying that a refund was issued and the problem was resolved.

I've pasted Rip-Off Reports policy below.

" If your complaint is resolved or situations get even worse, you can always UPDATE your Rip-off Report with your new updated information. Reports can only be updated and not removed."

She has not responded to my e-mail.

Vicki, you seem to be changing your tone, somewhat, to more subtle insults to those who are attempting to provide another viewpoint of dealings with Heather and Pudgy Acres. I'm sorry, but I'm not really impressed by your attacks - or your attempts to undermine my earlier post. I really am as intelligent as I appear to be. :) But keep responding, please! Your comments seem to be revealing more and more about your own character. I almost hesitate to post this, as I can see how each post that challenges you seems to add fuel to your destructive fire, but I do feel it is important to provide others who might be reading this with another, possibly more objective, viewpoint. The person who yells the loudest is not necessarily the most right.

With regard to your response to my earlier post, here are some definitions of LIBEL:

1. A written or oral defamatory statement or representation that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression

2. Defamation of a person by written or representational means

3. A false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person

And from a more legal standpoint:

4. An action for causing hurt or damage to someone's reputation

There are two forms of the Libelous action. If the action is in writing, it is called "defamation": If the action is spoken, then it is "slander". But it is all "libel".


The truth is not always a defense in a libel action. The court can find against you even if you tell the truth if the damage can be proved and you, the libeler, cannot mount an adequate defense.
_________________________________________________

Vicki, you say that you have not posted anything untrue about Heather but that is just not accurate. You have made a number of accusatory statements about her that you would like others to believe are absolutely true, when they are not. You tout venomous opinions and half-truths as though they are factual information and then attack those who attempt to provide another point of view, which is, in fact, sought by this website.

You imply that Heather knowingly sold you a sick puppy. What you don't inform people of is that a hypoplastic trachea may not ever even be identified in a dog unless there is a reason to check for it. Health care providers, whether for humans or animals, do not generally do more invasive or expensive testing unless it is warranted. You also don't present that one of the ways to manage problems with a hypoplastic trachea is to manage the stress of the dog. Perhaps, Vicki, it just might be possible that nothing manifested itself in Ruby's earliest weeks under Heather's care because she was well cared for and stress free. Perhaps it wasn't until you had the tiny puppy shipped to you - a stressful ordeal for a puppy - in an airplane environment, ripe with opportunity for respiratory infection, that she developed a URI that did not resolve, which then alerted the veterinarian to probe further. Heather even makes a statement on her website that she prefers not to ship the puppies. Apparently she was accommodating YOUR wishes as a customer. But you didn't bother to consider any of that when making your accusations, did you?

You state that Heather refused to honor her contract by giving you half the purchase price back. What you don't say is that Heather asked you for evidence of the defect, which you did not produce for some time. You don't mention that Heather asked you for some time to figure things out, as she has not had such a problem before and needed to do some research and problem-solving about how to handle the situation. You also don't mention that you apparently ignored that request or decided on your own timeline. It certainly appears that you have invaded all of Heather's online support forums in order to fuel your crusade against her. You do mention in your complaint that Heather WAS willing to give you a refund or replacement but you thought that you should be entitled to have all of your money back AND keep your puppy. And THAT is MISGUIDED ENTITLEMENT. You don't mention that the surgical discharge report that you posted was added several months after your initial complaint. In fact, you started this complaint in February and do not appear to have any evidence posted before the surgery in mid-July. It's not even clear to me when you did actually post it, since I didn't run across this report until this month. I would find it highly unusual for any breeder, or provider of merchandise of any sort, to refund all or part of a purchase price to a person they have never met, without sufficient evidence and thought. And documenting the bills you have paid does not provide evidence of the problem.

You state that a hypoplastic trachea is LIFE THREATENING as though that is an absolute fact. The real fact is, though, that a hypoplastic trachea could have a very wide range of effects from so mild as to not even being detected to so severe that it is life threatening. Even as a part of Brachycephalic syndrome, a hypoplastic trachea is not necessarily life-threatening. You referred me back to the report, which stated in July that Ruby's condition was still guarded. It is now October and Ruby is over a year old. While I do not argue that Ruby's health is compromised, it does not appear to be as immediately life-threatening, as you would have people believe. In fact, in an earlier post you stated that Ruby had received her Canine Good Citizen certificate and was working toward her CD Title. In a more recent post you stated that you won't be selling her at two or three years of age for breeding purposes. In a statement in September, you stated that you asked Heather to refund the difference between the show price and the pet price, a difference of $400. None of these statements would seem to come from an owner who's dog is within breaths of losing her life. Again, I don't argue that Ruby's health is compromised and, from what I have read, neither does Heather.

You make a lot of assumptions in your statements for someone who has never even bothered to visit Pudgy Acres or met Heather or any of her dogs. You would have people believe that Heather is a dishonest, money hungry backyard breeder, but she is not. I will give you that she did make an untrue statement about Liberty and Will being altered, but my guess, from my experience with Heather is that she was probably overstressed by this entire situation and responded too hastily. Perhaps she thought she was going to have to neuter both Liberty and Will and stated that she had done so before she actually did. And perhaps as she researched the situation more she found that it was not necessary to make that drastic a move. I can vouch for the fact that Will is here in Chicago with Deb. And regarding the post I made in our pug meetup forum, what you didn't see was that I had to email several members who were interested and let them know that Heather had already made an agreement with Deb by the time I had posted that. But what I think is important to note is that, by placing Will with Deb, Heather has both removed Will from her breeding program and addressed the issue of unexpected breedings.

Heather is not a backyard breeder, she is a hobby breeder. She is continually learning new things, but she knows her stuff. In fact, as my husband and I have entered the world of the pure bred, she has taught us a tremendous amount about the goals of breeding and what makes a good breeder. Oh, and Vicki, there are a lot of very reputable breeders that own both the dam and sire. I'm not sure where that statement came from. I have been to Heather's home and she and her family have been extremely welcoming. She has nothing to hide. They developed a large area in their house especially for the dams and their pups that is clean and safe for the first weeks of their lives. She spends many nights on the couch in that room when the puppies are first born to assure they are alright. I experienced her to be very particular about all the aspects of breeding. She answered any questions my husband and I had while we were there and after we took our puppies home. She's given us lots of information and pointed out good websites for us to learn more. We stay in touch with her because she cares about each one of the puppies she helps to bring into the world and is invested in knowing about their lives as they grow up. And we feel like we're part of a bigger family.

Well, I know this is extremely long, but I really felt like I wanted to give people a different view, more than just saying I'm a happy customer. Vicki, I'm sure you are anxious to point out any discrepancies or spelling errors or just the downright "wrongness" of my opinion or post, so go to it! :) I do want to say, though, that Ruby is a beautiful dog and I feel very sorry about what she and you must struggle with. It makes me sad to think about how hard that would be. I hope that you'll be able to resolve this and enjoy every moment with her in some sort of more peaceful state.

Worship,no,respect as a breeder yes.
I'm a big girl Vicki,and I can take care of myself.When you personally attack me and my intelligence,you can't expect me to sit back and not defend myself.

YOU started this whole stupid thing and were just asking for trouble.I would do it for ANYONE I know who's being personally attacked.Even you.

My point is not to name call and continue this stupid bantering,but for both of you to come to a resolution.I just can't stand people like you who not think things through and do not consider the consequences.That's it.If you could prove negligence,then hey,that's great.But you have not.

You may or may not have damaged someone's business because you were too stubborn to come to an agreement or whatever the case may be.I only wish the best for your pup.

I hope she is well and that you can love and snuggle her for a long time.Maybe it would be nice to Heather if you post something when you come to an agreement,just to let people know you are a civilized person.Simple as that.

No, I used different studs. Olivia is in my opinion the best puppy I have produced yet. She is also very healthy and has no breathing issues. Not even a snort. I am hoping to place her with someone I know so I can get regular updates.

Heather I have a question about Olivia the puppy you are trying to sell on your website.

Peaches is the mother of both Willy and Boo. Willy and Boo had sex and that pregnancy resulted in the birth of Olivia.

Do Willy and Boo have the same father??

What I'm trying to figure out, are Willy and Boo half brother and sister or full brother and sister?

Heather please tell Deb that she is not helping you. She obviously worships you, maybe you can talk some sense into her.

Wow Vicki,you just don't know when to get a life!!I spoke to 2 different breeders about genetics and ,since THEY are reputable breeders,and you obviously are NOT,I will lean more to what they have to say about genetics.Reading a couple paragraphs on the internet does not make you an expert,sorry.
Really though,your ignorance still amazes me.You have yet to find proof that Heather is a "backyard breeder".Come on.You claim you are so intelligent and are used to speaking to people of a "different Level" (back woods inbreds don't count,sorry)Well,no one else looks more "uneducated and ignorant" then YOU.The only argument you have is that your dog has a genetic problem.You have NO proof that that pup was given to you with prior knowledge of that defect.NONE.Fact is,you cannot prove anything besides the defect YOUR dog has.So, you have to attack good people who will defend the breeding practices of Pudgy Acres,who IS a good,honest reputable breeder.PERIOD.Tell me why you haven't found any other people who complained?Maybe because THERE ARE NONE!!You think because of ONE dog who is sick makes a bad breeder??!! And you have the gall to talk about MY chromosomes??!!REALLY??!!!Everyone is wondering why you will not make amends with Heather who, no doubt,has gone ABOVE AND BEYOND what she can to try and make you happy.How she breeds her dogs is UP TO HER.SHE is the breeder.NO ONE cas lodged ANY complaints for her dogs,DOESN'T THAT MAKE YOU THINK???!!!!Believe me,if I were in your shoes,I would be pissed too.But you went WAY over board with this stupid,untrue smear campaign.This is someones life here.Like I said before,and maybe I'll slow down so you can read it, WHERE IS YOUR PROOF OF OTHER UNHAPPY BUYERS?????
Get off your high horse,darling, and MOVE ON!!!

Sn, If I offended you,I appologize.I do commend you for working at a rescue,as I would be heartbroken and want to hurt the people who abused them and want to take them all home.My comment earlier was from experiences of close friends,and that was the exact reason why they did not choose a rescue.I also looked into a rescue and found most of the dogs to be ill or on long term meds.I am not home enough to take care of an ill pet,therefore I chose not to adopt one.I certainly would never tell people to not use a rescue or shelter!!!However well rescues screen people before they adopt out their dogs is not the same as shelters(at least where I live).All they do is have you fill out a form.So,you can't knock only breeders for being careless who they give their dogs too.That was my point.Lots of mixed breeeds are being put down as well,because of careless pet owners.And I am not a breeder,just a pet lover too!

Yes, I do cover congential defects. IF THEY CAUSE THE DEATH OF THE PUPPY IN THE FIRST YEAR. NO, I do not guarantee a show quality puppy although I do know a prospect when I see one and Ruby was conformationally a prospect. I do not cover anything that would keep her from showing. There are so many factors that can keep a dog from being exhibited that I can not guarantee them all. Anything can happen down the road. Even something as little as hernia repair would disqualify a dog from the ring. (not that she had one, this is just a example).

BUT......As you so clearly quoated my statement from the BBC forum, I do go above and beyond my guarantee when I receive proof of something serious. All I needed was the vets statement from you. At the time I said I would not do a refund, you had not sent that to me, and as I told you in honesty, I thought you were just trying to get a refund or another puppy for free.

Liberty was up for sale, I never denied that. I would have made sure that anyone interested in her know about the history of her puppies to keep from producing more puppies with that condition. HONESTY is the key to breeding out defects in our dogs. I cant part with Liberty and during the time that my sister had her I felt extremely guilty for placing her. After she came back to me I pulled the ad when noticing how happy she was to be home.

I have sent you an offer for a refund to clear this all up. Like I have said many times. I AM SORRY, I never intended for you to get a sick puppy. I have never had this happen before and I didnt know what to do at the time.

IM SORRY, IM SORRY, IM SORRY...I truely am, I wish you would believe me. I dont know what else I can say. Vicki, I am TRUELY sorry that Ruby has a hypoplasic trachea. Please work with me and I will do whatever is needed to make you happy. It should have never come to this.

Deb you know nothing about genetics. The mode of inheritence is undetermined in Ruby's defect (hypoplastic trachea).Sometimes Deb, you don't always need a pair of genes to produce a defect. Dominant traits are expressed in the heterozygous state therefore both parents do not have to have a gene for a disorder to cause the trait to occur. Deb, your a very ignorant, uneducated person, your on a different level than the people that I'm used to dealing with. I think your missing some chromosomes.

5/21/05 "Also something that was never updated in this report is that both Liberty and Will have been altered"

" I guess I should have said in my rebuttal that I placed both Will and Liberty in homes that would have them altered. I didnt realize you would be so technical as to who has it done."

Heather you placed an ad to sell Liberty with full registration intact for breeding, how can you say you were trying to place her in a home where she'd be spayed? Are you crazy?

"this is a good opportunity to get started"

"Both due in heat soon"

Heather you stated time and time again that you would not give me a refund no matter what documentation you received. Don't you remember?

" I do not do refunds for anything congenital."

Your breeding program? I would hardly call a bunch of pugs running loose and having sex in your home a "breeding program". I counted three "accidental breedings" in a year.

1.Boo and Will
2.Liberty and Will
3.Gidget and Will

Ruby will be with me her entire life. She won't be sold at two or three years of age to anyone with $800 for breeding purposes.

reguarding doesn't have a u in it!

Deb you know nothing about genetics. The mode of inheritence is undetermined in Ruby's defect (hypoplastic trachea).Sometimes Deb, you don't always need a pair of genes to produce a defect. Dominant traits are expressed in the heterozygous state therefore both parents do not have to have a gene for a disorder to cause the trait to occur. Deb, your a very ignorant, uneducated person, your on a different level than the people that I'm used to dealing with. I think your missing some chromosomes.

5/21/05 "Also something that was never updated in this report is that both Liberty and Will have been altered"

" I guess I should have said in my rebuttal that I placed both Will and Liberty in homes that would have them altered. I didnt realize you would be so technical as to who has it done."

Heather you placed an ad to sell Liberty with full registration intact for breeding, how can you say you were trying to place her in a home where she'd be spayed? Are you crazy?

"this is a good opportunity to get started"

"Both due in heat soon"

Heather you stated time and time again that you would not give me a refund no matter what documentation you received. Don't you remember?

" I do not do refunds for anything congenital."

Your breeding program? I would hardly call a bunch of pugs running loose and having sex in your home a "breeding program". I counted three "accidental breedings" in a year.

1.Boo and Will
2.Liberty and Will
3.Gidget and Will

Ruby will be with me her entire life. She won't be sold at two or three years of age to anyone with $800 for breeding purposes.

reguarding doesn't have a u in it!

Deb you know nothing about genetics. The mode of inheritence is undetermined in Ruby's defect (hypoplastic trachea).Sometimes Deb, you don't always need a pair of genes to produce a defect. Dominant traits are expressed in the heterozygous state therefore both parents do not have to have a gene for a disorder to cause the trait to occur. Deb, your a very ignorant, uneducated person, your on a different level than the people that I'm used to dealing with. I think your missing some chromosomes.

5/21/05 "Also something that was never updated in this report is that both Liberty and Will have been altered"

" I guess I should have said in my rebuttal that I placed both Will and Liberty in homes that would have them altered. I didnt realize you would be so technical as to who has it done."

Heather you placed an ad to sell Liberty with full registration intact for breeding, how can you say you were trying to place her in a home where she'd be spayed? Are you crazy?

"this is a good opportunity to get started"

"Both due in heat soon"

Heather you stated time and time again that you would not give me a refund no matter what documentation you received. Don't you remember?

" I do not do refunds for anything congenital."

Your breeding program? I would hardly call a bunch of pugs running loose and having sex in your home a "breeding program". I counted three "accidental breedings" in a year.

1.Boo and Will
2.Liberty and Will
3.Gidget and Will

Ruby will be with me her entire life. She won't be sold at two or three years of age to anyone with $800 for breeding purposes.

reguarding doesn't have a u in it!

Deb you know nothing about genetics. The mode of inheritence is undetermined in Ruby's defect (hypoplastic trachea).Sometimes Deb, you don't always need a pair of genes to produce a defect. Dominant traits are expressed in the heterozygous state therefore both parents do not have to have a gene for a disorder to cause the trait to occur. Deb, your a very ignorant, uneducated person, your on a different level than the people that I'm used to dealing with. I think your missing some chromosomes.

5/21/05 "Also something that was never updated in this report is that both Liberty and Will have been altered"

" I guess I should have said in my rebuttal that I placed both Will and Liberty in homes that would have them altered. I didnt realize you would be so technical as to who has it done."

Heather you placed an ad to sell Liberty with full registration intact for breeding, how can you say you were trying to place her in a home where she'd be spayed? Are you crazy?

"this is a good opportunity to get started"

"Both due in heat soon"

Heather you stated time and time again that you would not give me a refund no matter what documentation you received. Don't you remember?

" I do not do refunds for anything congenital."

Your breeding program? I would hardly call a bunch of pugs running loose and having sex in your home a "breeding program". I counted three "accidental breedings" in a year.

1.Boo and Will
2.Liberty and Will
3.Gidget and Will

Ruby will be with me her entire life. She won't be sold at two or three years of age to anyone with $800 for breeding purposes.

reguarding doesn't have a u in it!

I volunteer for a particular large breed dog rescue. You are so wrong about dogs not being adopted out of rescue. I just had a wonderful rescue dog placed today with a wonderful couple who will give her the love and attention she deserves. We have several rescue dogs per year come into rescue with heart worm. We treat the dog and when they are back to healthy, they are place for adoption. We also microchip the dogs that come into rescue and SPAY/NEUTER. We do home visits, we do follow up visits and phone calls. Every person who has adopted from one of my fosters has every phone number where I can be reached and are encouraged to call me any time day or night if there is a problem. Result? To date I have never had a dog returned from and adopter and I have never had an adopted dog show up at a shelter or dumped on the street. How are irresponsible owners "bred"? By breeders who pay NO attention to who they adopt to. By breeders who allow those buying their "purebred" dogs to breed them over and over again. How do you think SO many purebred dogs end up in shelters? Do you think the Doggie Fairy drops them off in the middle of the night? You need to get a clue, girl. If you are breeding, God help the dogs that you sell. (and Jessica...you GO girl!)

I volunteer for a particular large breed dog rescue. You are so wrong about dogs not being adopted out of rescue. I just had a wonderful rescue dog placed today with a wonderful couple who will give her the love and attention she deserves. We have several rescue dogs per year come into rescue with heart worm. We treat the dog and when they are back to healthy, they are place for adoption. We also microchip the dogs that come into rescue and SPAY/NEUTER. We do home visits, we do follow up visits and phone calls. Every person who has adopted from one of my fosters has every phone number where I can be reached and are encouraged to call me any time day or night if there is a problem. Result? To date I have never had a dog returned from and adopter and I have never had an adopted dog show up at a shelter or dumped on the street. How are irresponsible owners "bred"? By breeders who pay NO attention to who they adopt to. By breeders who allow those buying their "purebred" dogs to breed them over and over again. How do you think SO many purebred dogs end up in shelters? Do you think the Doggie Fairy drops them off in the middle of the night? You need to get a clue, girl. If you are breeding, God help the dogs that you sell. (and Jessica...you GO girl!)

I volunteer for a particular large breed dog rescue. You are so wrong about dogs not being adopted out of rescue. I just had a wonderful rescue dog placed today with a wonderful couple who will give her the love and attention she deserves. We have several rescue dogs per year come into rescue with heart worm. We treat the dog and when they are back to healthy, they are place for adoption. We also microchip the dogs that come into rescue and SPAY/NEUTER. We do home visits, we do follow up visits and phone calls. Every person who has adopted from one of my fosters has every phone number where I can be reached and are encouraged to call me any time day or night if there is a problem. Result? To date I have never had a dog returned from and adopter and I have never had an adopted dog show up at a shelter or dumped on the street. How are irresponsible owners "bred"? By breeders who pay NO attention to who they adopt to. By breeders who allow those buying their "purebred" dogs to breed them over and over again. How do you think SO many purebred dogs end up in shelters? Do you think the Doggie Fairy drops them off in the middle of the night? You need to get a clue, girl. If you are breeding, God help the dogs that you sell. (and Jessica...you GO girl!)

I volunteer for a particular large breed dog rescue. You are so wrong about dogs not being adopted out of rescue. I just had a wonderful rescue dog placed today with a wonderful couple who will give her the love and attention she deserves. We have several rescue dogs per year come into rescue with heart worm. We treat the dog and when they are back to healthy, they are place for adoption. We also microchip the dogs that come into rescue and SPAY/NEUTER. We do home visits, we do follow up visits and phone calls. Every person who has adopted from one of my fosters has every phone number where I can be reached and are encouraged to call me any time day or night if there is a problem. Result? To date I have never had a dog returned from and adopter and I have never had an adopted dog show up at a shelter or dumped on the street. How are irresponsible owners "bred"? By breeders who pay NO attention to who they adopt to. By breeders who allow those buying their "purebred" dogs to breed them over and over again. How do you think SO many purebred dogs end up in shelters? Do you think the Doggie Fairy drops them off in the middle of the night? You need to get a clue, girl. If you are breeding, God help the dogs that you sell. (and Jessica...you GO girl!)

First of all, I dont see why it took you so long to send me the actual vet statement reguarding Rubys trachea, if you would have just emailed it to me in the first place, this wouldnt be going on. It plainly states in my contract that I need a signed vet statement before any refund could be made. But you couldnt do that, you sent me a signed credit card receipt that says nothing except that you paid 700.00 to the vets office. It could have been for back bills on your other dogs for all I know. Yet you expect me to spay/neuter my dogs without receiving any proof of your claims?

Even still, without any proof I pulled both from my breeding program, I gave Liberty to my sister and I placed Will with Debi. I guess I should have said in my rebuttal that I placed both Will and Liberty in homes that would have them altered. I didnt realize you would be so technical as to who has it done.

Secondly! I would never intentionally place a hypoplastic puppy in a home, let alone ship one!!! Its absurd for you to insinuate that I knew she was having problems. She was checked over by my vet before she left, and came to you with the signed health certificate.

Yes, Liberty had a puppy die within seconds of being born..I was on the phone with my vet when she faded. He said it was not my fault and nothing could have been done for that pup. It was not fully developed and the vet said most likely it was due to Liberty being too small to handle that many puppies in utero.

As for the ad I had posted...I pulled the ad because I have decided to keep Liberty. I also cant decide if I want to place Boo or not, I change my mind daily on whos leaving and whos staying...Its not an easy choice to make. Problem is, I have my hands full with both Boo and Gidget. Not to mention I have Libertys puppy and Boos puppy here.

When I decide who I am placing would you like me to email you and let you know I placed the ad? You know, to save you some time from stalking me? Would you like to know who they go to also? Because I can assure you that any dog I have will only go to small hobby breeders who will care for them as I have.

Jessica,maybe you should contact some breeders an actully see how much money the make.It is barely any usually.People don't go to rescues because most of the dogs have serious or costly medical problems and can't afford or have the time to properly take care of them.I have friends who wanted to adopt from a rescue and didn't for those reasons.It is a shame how many pets get put down every year.That's from irresponsible pet owners,not always breeders.Maybe you can find a breeder bashing website somewhere else.

Jessica,maybe you should contact some breeders an actully see how much money the make.It is barely any usually.People don't go to rescues because most of the dogs have serious or costly medical problems and can't afford or have the time to properly take care of them.I have friends who wanted to adopt from a rescue and didn't for those reasons.It is a shame how many pets get put down every year.That's from irresponsible pet owners,not always breeders.Maybe you can find a breeder bashing website somewhere else.

Jessica,maybe you should contact some breeders an actully see how much money the make.It is barely any usually.People don't go to rescues because most of the dogs have serious or costly medical problems and can't afford or have the time to properly take care of them.I have friends who wanted to adopt from a rescue and didn't for those reasons.It is a shame how many pets get put down every year.That's from irresponsible pet owners,not always breeders.Maybe you can find a breeder bashing website somewhere else.

No Vicki,It's too bad you can't get on with your life.We support her because she is a good breeder.Why wouldn't the dogs be able to breed again?If only 1 carries the gene,then they can have normal healthy pups.I confirmed that with another breeder.Only when both parents carry it does it come out.For someone who is not stalking her,you sure have a funny way of showing it.By the way,have you come to any sort of resolution yet?Why are you even still on here? Don't have much more to say??Feeling a bit STUPID now?Maybe out of line?If you have come to an agreement with Heather,why don't you let everyone know? And drop it already.

2 Pug Adults both due in heat soon...


I have two Pugs available one fawn with 63 champions in her 6 generation pedigree and her neice whom is Black in color. The fawn pug is small at 13 lbs and has 3 litters of puppies (1,5,1) and her oldest puppy is in the show ring now. My black pug has had two litters (5,1) the second breeding was not a planned one, hence the singleton pup. Both are due into season in the next month and their last litters were both only one. This is a good opportunity to get started. Both are still young and active, great pets, crate and potty trained. These are indoor dogs as I am a small hobby breeder. Up to date on shots, heartworm meds and frontline.

I am asking 800.00 each with full AKC reg or 1500.00 for the two.

--------------------------------------------------
Placed on 10/2/05 by Heather Mapes

Removed after Heather found the most recent update to my rip-off report.

The black pug is her beloved Boo. The fawn pug is my puppy Rubys mother Liberty. Heather stated on 5/21/05 that she had pulled Liberty from her breeding program and that she had her spayed. She lied.

What do you think Heather meant when she wrote, this is a good opportunity to get started?

Both due in heat soon???

She refers to these dogs as her precious babies. Is this the way to treat precious babies? Selling them for breeding after they've already been bred several times. Liberty has produced two puppies with congenital defects, my Ruby is one of them, the other one is dead.

This is NOT how to treat animals that you love.

It's sad that so many people are supporting this kind of breeder.

Jessica,
Were you paying attention earlier in the posting? I thought that Vicki made it clear that this was not a forum to bash all breeders. She created this forum to bash only one particular breeder. You clearly have nothing to add to this discussion so take your pathetic rhetoric where someone wants to hear it!

Paul..YES! I agree 100%.

Vicky, in response to "If you don't like purebreds, then don't get one". Over a quarter of animals that end up at shelters ARE purebreds. Nobody's asking you to feel guilty about owning a purebred dog. The fact of the matter is, you BOUGHT a dog when you could have adopted one that was already alive. If you like pugs, then check the shelter. If they dont have them, they have a long list of reputable pug rescues.
If rescued pugs aren't good enough for you, because you're interested in showing only, then you're not wanting a pug because of the breed. You're wanting a quick way to make money.

Same as the people who do breed animals. If you do it because you claim you love a certain breed, you would want to rescue the members of that breed that are already alive and homeless. If you're breeding them, you're doing it for the easy money, pure and simple.

Really Vicki?I only know Heather because I bought a dog from her.Are YOU her friend because you purchased a dog from her?Have you bothered to contact other breeders and question them about possible genetic defects that they have had??REALLY??!!! How is one to know if a dog is carrying a recessive gene?Have you bothered to try and find ONE person who has any complaints about her dogs?Probably not,right?If she was this horrible backyard breeder you say she is,why is she still in business?Why hasn't any else complained? You are a rude ,obnoxious,unhappy lady who should not own an animal.You have a bad dog.Get over it and deal with it.If she is one out of lots and lots of dogs that is unhealthy,then that is a fluke.There is no way she could have know that.Doesn't that tell you something?Please find people who complained about her dogs,then maybe you would have a real arguement and not look like a raving lunatic.Really.You are only one among many who ARE happy.Nice try.And as for how much I paid for Willy,that was a misprint and was also taken care of privately.That means,it's none of your business.Heather didn't post that,Dee Dee did.He is worth EVERY dime I paid!And ,um,HE'S HEALTHY!!Have you read the other rebuttals from other owners?Hmmm,they sound happy.I guess Heather has LOTS of friends!!
As for neutering,she would have done it,but I told her I would.Another arrangement I made.Nope,you weren't there either.And it's irrelevant.Heather Mapes is NOT a backyard breeder.Not even close.I'm sure everyone has formed a nice opinion of you though.Like I said before,maybe a rock.And do your homework next time.

HEATHER MAPES IS NOT A BACKYARD BREEDER!!!!

Vicki,

I feel very sorry for you to be such a miserable person. No wonder you and Heather could never come to some agreement regarding your puppy. Now you're attacking the people who feel they have a right to post their rebuttals. Since their opinions don't agree with yours - you stoop to such tactics as calling them unintelligent!

Just how long would you hold a breeder accountable for the dogs they produce? Some dogs have genetic traits that don't show up for some time. Should you still be able to go after the breeder?

With all these rebuttals testifying to defect free dogs - it would only prove that Heather is a good breeder.

As for getting your next dog from animal control - that would have to be a personal decision. You're right - they have some really great dogs there. Maybe you could find one that would make you happy.

Vicki,

I feel very sorry for you to be such a miserable person. No wonder you and Heather could never come to some agreement regarding your puppy. Now you're attacking the people who feel they have a right to post their rebuttals. Since their opinions don't agree with yours - you stoop to such tactics as calling them unintelligent!

Just how long would you hold a breeder accountable for the dogs they produce? Some dogs have genetic traits that don't show up for some time. Should you still be able to go after the breeder?

With all these rebuttals testifying to defect free dogs - it would only prove that Heather is a good breeder.

As for getting your next dog from animal control - that would have to be a personal decision. You're right - they have some really great dogs there. Maybe you could find one that would make you happy.

Deb, since you never had a problem with your dog and your Heather's friend your opinion doesn't mean much to me. You have every right to voice your opinion here. I think its pathetic that the only thing Heather can do at this point is to call on people that have defect free dogs to defend her, that's my opinion. It's easy to appear like a good breeder when there aren't any problems. A very common thing for backyard breeders to say when they have sold a sick dog is that it's the buyers fault and if the owners are clearly not responsible, then they blame their vet. If all else fails, they tell everyone who criticizes them to "get a life."

I have provided proof in my report that my puppy HAS genetic defects. If you think breeders should be unaccountable for the puppies they create and walk away when there is a problem that is YOUR opinion. I would rather go to animal control for my next dog then to get another puppy from Wheezing Acres.

Oh, um Deb, In Heather's rebuttal dated 5/21/2005 she stated the following:

"Also something that was never updated in this report is that both Liberty and Will have been altered and will not be in my breeding program anymore, even though I never received any proof of Ruby's illness or surgery. Liberty now lives with my sister and Will is a family pet here in my home."

According to you he has not been altered, that would make what Heather wrote a LIE. Liberty has not been altered either that is another LIE. Deb, are you starting to get the point? Heather is a liar. If Heather has proof from a vet that Willy and Liberty were fixed on or before 5/21/05 she can certainly post it here.

Regarding the $400 and where I got that information,

Posted Jun 30, 2005 at 8:18 PM By Dee Dee

"Hi everyone! I just wanted to let people know that my breeder, Heather, has a male pug named Will that she is looking to place in a good home.

Will is our Stuey's littermate, so I could vouch for his bloodlines. He is a little over a year and a half. She kept him from that litter and has bred him a few times. But she's returned to a full time job and is slowing down on the breeding for now. She also has 3 female pugs and a female bully and she feels like Will needs a home where he will get more attention than she is able to give him at present. She is asking $500 for him or $400 if the new owner is willing to take care of the neutering."

If you paid more, than you were ripped off Deb.

Dee Dee I have not posted anything untrue about Heather Mapes so the word libel really doesn't apply here. When I read your title Unfortunate Libel due to Misguided Entitlement it made me laugh. It seemed like someone trying to appear more intelligent than they really are.


A hypoplastic trachea is a life threatening defect and it CANNOT be surgically corrected. If it could have I would have paid for that as well. Hypoplastic tracheas collapse leaving the dog unable to breathe. If you read Ruby's report from Auburn University you would have seen her prognosis is guarded. I could have all my friends write comments on how genetically defective my puppy is but I don't need to, I have a report from a University.

Anyone looking to purchase a "registered" dog should be aware that the only legitimate registry in the U.S. is the American Kennel Club. All of the backyard breeders are now registering their puppies with the Continental Kennel Club or the American Purebred Registry to get around AKC's DNA requirement for frequently used (breeding) dogs. If one goes to purchase a puppy, Ask what registry it is registered with. If the response is CKC, APR, or one of the other pseudo registries, RUN the other way!

Conscientious breeders do not have "accidental breedings."

It is extremely rare to find a responsible breeder who owns both the sire and the dam in a well-planned mating. When one person owns both the sire and dam in a union, it is usually an indication the person is a backyard breeder.

I have two of the most beautiful, healthy pugs which I purchased from Heather at Pudgy Acres. I have recommended her numerous times to friends and strangers who have stopped me on the street to comment on them. I have five pugs in total and the two from Pudgy Acres are undeniably not only the healthiest but were the best socialized from the minute I got them. And that credit goes to Heather. From the moment the puppies are born, Heather sleeps in the same room with them, holds them, cuddles them -- cares for them day and night. Kirby (who is the big brother to Heather's Boo) just wants to be held so he can give you hugs and kisses and Lil' Diva will make purring sounds when you are holding her. For Vicki to label Heather as a backyard breeder is unconscionable! If she had taken the time to pick up her puppy and spend some time with Heather she would have seen how dedicated she is to raising healthy puppies.

I could go on and on with regards to the quality of puppies which Heather has breed but obviously with all of the other rebuttal reports it would only become redundant.

Vicki - you say you aren't stalking Heather but your report proves otherwise. You have pasted bits and pieces of Heather's postings from various websites. How did you get these if you weren't stalking her to find out what she was posting? Coincidence - I think not! And to use only "blurbs" to your advantage and not post the whole statement is libelous. Pugs are very expensive dogs to own and anyone who is considering buying should do their homework first. And I will again repeat - I WILL CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND TO ANYONE - THE PUPPIES THAT COME FROM PUDGY ACRES ARE SOME OF THE BEST YOU WILL EVER FIND!!

My wife and I have purchased two wonderful little boy pugs from Heather at Pudgy acres, and have had no trouble in dealing with her or her husband vie phone, fax, or email.
Heather and Mike have provided us with great little companion dogs and have given us a lot of pug information about care and raising of this breed.
For our money, Heather is a solid breeder with a kind heart and caring demeanor. She loves her pugs and wants them all to be healthy at the time of the sale and go to a good, loving, and well maintained home where they can thrive and deliver all the affection and comedy that only pugs can give.
Any puggy purchases in the future will be from Heather as we are very satisfied with our dealings with her and her husband.

Sincerely,

I too, hope people interested in Pudgy Acres will continue to read this far. We got our 2nd pug, Jerome, from Heather. Our 'Romey' has the most fantastic temperament and is the most affectionate guy. From the moment we met Heather and got him, it was clear that much time was spent handling and working with him - he was not the product of a kennel trying to make money, he was from a home that loves the pug breed.

He is almost 2 years old and the healthiest one of our pugs. I could go on for pages about how many great qualities were obviously breed into the line of pugs he came from - great face, soft coat are just a couple I can name that we always hear comments about.

I can't imagine how this person thought that Pudgy Acres was trying to purposely breed a problem into the lines, and resorting to resolving this through negative internet postings was going to make this situation any better.

There is not a doubt that we would look to Pudgy Acres to get another Pug.

I hope that people who really want to research Pudgy Acres and know the truth will read at least this far. I have two beautiful pugs from Heather's breeding program and can testify that there is nothing "Backyard" about her. Unfortunately, Vicki had her puppy shipped and did not take the opportunity to spend time with Heather and her dogs in her home. Had she done so she would not be able to say the things she has about Heather or Pudgy Acres.

I have many more things I can say to Heather's credit as a knowledgeable and reputable breeder and will do so at a later time, but right now I would like to post a part of the Pudgy Acres contract that I signed when purchasing both of my dogs. I do not believe that the contract would have changed much between the last time I signed it in September 2004 and November of 2004 when Vicki read and signed it. I would also like to note that I have researched a number of breeder sites to compare this contract and almost all had very similar portions regarding the dog's health. While I can certainly understand Vicki's distress it is clear to me that she is misguided in her entitlement and beliefs that either Heather or Pudgy Acres has breached the contract in any way. Please look for yourself:

-------------------------------------------------

For your assurance, I offer a 1 year Guarantee for any LIFE THREATENING genetic defects. This means if your vet diagnoses your puppy with any genetic disorders to be serious enough to warrant the euthanization of the puppy, the report needs to be sent to me immediately! I will have a licensed veterinarian interpret the report. I also reserve the right to send your puppy to a vet of my choice (near you) for a second opinion. The second opinion will be at no cost to you if there is a confirmed defect. In the event your puppy dies unexpectedly and a vet cannot pinpoint a cause of death, an autopsy may be needed to determine cause of death (this is entirely up to you as it will be an incurred cost for you, but IS needed for a refund) Please remember that health is my top priority and if there is ANY health problems with one of my puppies I would need to know to ensure no future breedings with health issues..
*PLEASE NOTE: If the defect can be treated, it is not considered life threatening.

In the event that your pup does have a life threatening condition, I offer you two options:

1. Keep your puppy and I will reimburse one-half the PURCHASE price you paid for your puppy. (I would need for you to return the registration papers and vet report to me before a refund can be given). This option is not offered by most breeders. I offer this option because I know how much of a bond a person can develop with their pet in only a only a matter of days. (Please note, I can not refund shipping charges).
-OR
2. Return your puppy along with his/her registration papers. I will then replace your puppy with the next available puppy as soon as one becomes available. (If shipping charges apply to your situation, you are responsible for all related costs due to shipping including health certificate fees and vet expenses).

For those of you who really want to know the truth, thank you for reading this far.

Oh,um Vicki,I paid more then $400.00 for Willy and made my own arrangments with Heather about getting him neutered.I don't know where you got that information from,but you are wrong.I don't recall seeing you there when we made this agreement.........

Oh,by the way,Willy is my dog.He will be neutered the end of this month and is my only dog.I have no plans to breed him and had an agreement with Heather on this issue.I couldn't have found a more loving,snuggly dog.
Thanks Heather!!

I have to put in my two sense worth here.I have a 2yr old male pug that I purchased from Heather and he is a beautiful,healthy dog.I have NEVER had any health issues with him at all!! I also talk frequently with other owners who have dogs from Pudgy Acres and never had a problem with their dogs.And some of them have more then one dog from her. It is really sad to hear of someone so determined to ruin the reputation of an excellent breeder.There are so many "backyard breeders" out there who truly don't care about the breed.Sounds to me like Vicki wants a free dog.Nothing Heather offers to you will make you happy.It's a shame.I understand that the dog has issues,and that sucks,but to go on this smear campaign is just rude.Maybe you should have done your homework about the breed,sweetheart,because if you had,you would know the endless problems they can have.They are a high maintenance dog.
I hope you can resolve this for both of your sakes.For your one complaint,there are lots of us who are extremly happy with her and would go back to her.She is a wonderful,caring,responsible breeder,who tried to come to a resolution for you.
Be thankful she even did that.I certainly wouldn't have been so nice.Perhaps you just aren't ready for the responsibilty of a pet.Maybe a rock is more your speed.

Ruby went to the vet the day after she came home and had pneumonia. I spent over $1,200 dollars for vet visits,
x-rays and antibiotics. She was on antibiotics for four months without any significant improvement. Her vet finally sent her to a University in Alabama were she was found to have a hypoplastic trachea and brachycephalic syndrome. I then opted to have the surgery they recommended to help her breath better. When I told Ruby's breeder about Ruby's breathing problems she was compassionate at first but then got very nasty when I asked for a partial refund. She said she was skeptical (basically that she didn't believe me),
and that the vet rushed me into a rash decision by having the surgery. Nothing could be further from the truth. I watched my puppy suffer for four months and was emotionally exhausted, the last thing I needed at that point was to be told I was making it all up. I did not know until months after I got Ruby that she had several defects, I considered returning her but I couldn't bring myself to do something like that, especially after caring for her for four months. Her breeder refused to give me a partial refund before this report was ever created, that is the reason that this report even exists. When she wrote her first rebuttal on 5/21/2005 she said she had Ruby's parents fixed (so she would look like a responsible breeder). I found out three months later that she lied, and that neither one is fixed and both have been bred since, and she is now trying to sell Ruby's mother, intact for breeding. I am very upset that I had to go through this at all. Heather (Ruby's breeder) has not honored her contract and flat out lied on several occasions. Ruby's condition was present at birth and for Heather to suggest otherwise is completely ridiculous. How on earth could I make my puppy have a hypoplastic trachea? Her comments about me stalking her are also ridiculous. The only thing I did is expose her as a liar and she is understandably upset.

I would just like to add that I purchased a beautiful black pug from Pudgy Acreas in March of 2003 named Coco Joe. The first week we had her home we brought her to our vet as suggested by Heather for an examination and was cleared as a healthy pug puppy. It has been 2 1/2 years now and we have had no health issues with Coco Joe. Coco Joe has been a wonderful addition to our household and has brought great love and joy to our family.

Thank You Pudgy Acres!

Godbless

Ok, that quote was mine, but that was posted back in 2003...Here is the whole post that she failed to post all of.

"Just a quick point I want to add. Some will say this is foolish, but I dont. I dont think its horrible to breed back to back because wild dogs breed every cycle. At least by being domesticated, we keep them from breeding every cycle. I STILL believe that if a dog is bred twice in a row, she is due for a nice long break. They are after all, our family, and if they arent, you souldnt have them in the first place."

Here is the post that I posted right before this one....

"I have only bred twice (different females) so I cant really imput here.

But I dont think it is bad to breed a female back to back as long as her previous litter was 4 or less AND she gets a long break after both of those litters. I know my dam Peaches had her litter of puppies and then 4 months later Gidget had her litter...Peaches tried to take over and nurse them. She is going to be a great mother which for a Pug, thats a trait hard to find!"

I still believe that any b***h who has small litters and who bounces back is ok to breed the next heat cycle. My vet recommends it, because if you let them go through a heat without breeding they are open to all sorts of problems, including open and close pyometria and false pregnancies.

Peaches hasnt had a litter for over a year, how is that for a nice long break? Liberty only had one puppy her first litter which is why she was re-bred. Boo had a break after her litter of 5 and then her second litter was 1. I do not breed my dogs over and over as you state.

The reason Gidgets puppies are never registered is because she is APR and I sell her puppies as pets only.

Next time you want to know something, please just ask me. I have nothing to hide.

Liberty is here with me, she went to live with my sister, but my sister gave her back to me because she wasnt working out there, my sister has two boys and Liberty was jumping on her newborn. I placed Will with a very nice lady who will have him neutered. He is an only child and Debi loves Willy to death! I couldnt have asked for a better outcome for him.

Wills breeding to Gidget was unplanned. I had a home lined up for Gidget but couldnt place her till I knew for sure that she was not pregnant. I was 90% sure that she wasnt pregnant because I never exposed her to will. Someone must have let the two of them out together while I was gone. If Gidget was AKC I wouldnt have registered the litter because I never witnessed a breeding and couldnt say for sure that Will was the father, but shes not AKC so I dont have to worry about that. Registering a litter if you havent witnessed a breeding is a breach of AKC's contract, something I would never do.

I hope that answers your questions...I am really growing tired of defending myself and any of my actions or postings from years ago.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to take pets to the doctor for a well-check immediately after purchase. If necessary...delay picking up the animal until a scheduled visit. THEN - if there is a problem, you can promptly return the animal before you are attached.

If it's a long distance purchase, it would be worth it to pay for a vet visit that could be faxed or scanned & emailed to the buyer. This would verify that the animal was in good health before shipping. Protecting both the buyer and the seller.

You're talking about a $1200 dog...a "well-check" visit would have been peanuts! Not to mention it would have prevented both of you from having the emotionally draining experience you seem to be having.

It sounds like you loved the dog enough to spend a lot of money on the vet. Take whatever money the breeder will give you and enjoy life...its too short!

"Just a quick point I want to add. Some will say this is foolish, but I dont. I dont think its horrible to breed back to back because wild dogs breed every cycle."

This sentance above was never spoken or "written" by me. I am not sure where that came from.....

I also want to make a not that I said "would" in refrence to culling because I HAD NEVER HAD TO DO it. If put in the situation, I dont know what I would do. I can say I would do that now, but if ever put in that situation I could not say what I would do. If a dog was suffering, I would hope that I have the strength to do the right thing.

Vicki- I believe I congratulated you on Rubys acheivements, if I did not, I am sorry, I surely meant to. I get a lot of emails from people and I have a hard time replying to them all, I do work full time now and I have children and pets to care for. I try to keep up with everything and do not intentionally ignore anyones emails.

I just wanted to say that Gidget looks so beutiful in that picture. Her apricot coloring is amazing, dont you think so? Shes the smartest Pug ive ever met.

In reguards to culling....IF I HAD A PUPPY WHO WAS SERVERLY *SUFFERING* because of something genetic I would have my vet euthanize it. If Ruby had that problem at birth, yes I would have had her PTS, but she didnt have any breathing problems. I have never had to put a dog down (knock on wood!) that I have ever bred. I had one male pug that I flew in from PA that at age 4 started having serious seizures, ataxia and was unaware of who we were any longer. I kept life for him comfortable and carried him in and out every day to go potty and carried him to my bedroom to sleep at night. Is this the practice of a BYB'er of puppymiller? No, I care about every single dog I own or breed. Health issues are not something I take lightly and have had my share of imperfect dogs that I have owned and kept as pets, I have owned bulldogs one of the unhealthiest breeds in the dog world which resulted in a lot of pets for me, never were any of them bred.

Nothing you have posted about me from other forums is any way discriminating! Gidget is the smartest dog I have ever owned even though she is PET quality. Her puppies are usually sold before my champion background puppies.

Im sorry you have dedicated your life to stalking me on the internet, I cant even seem to go onto breeders chat forum to learn and chat with other breeders without having my comments thrown in my face. Vicki, please stop stalking me, your really starting to scare my family.

As stated before, I was going to refund your money, UNTIL you started plastering my name all over the internet/ calling me a Back yard breeder and stalking me. I dont think anything I would have done for you, you would have been happy with. Your one of the few that would never be happy and I will continue to hold my head up high and move on with my life....As they say.."Live, learn and move on..." Wish you could do the same.

The purpose of my report is not to complain that my puppy is sick. It is to warn others not to buy a puppy from her. Your comments on purebred dogs were very annoying to me. I have other dogs which are purebred which are perfectly healthy. The millions of unwanted dogs that you refer to have problems of their own, just because a dog is a mixed breed does not make it healthy or mentally sound. I'm not contributing to the unwanted dog population in fact I've worked very hard to help homeless animals in my community. I've fostered several dogs and cats in the last couple years and found them all good homes. I realize the plight of these animals. I've spent countless weekends up at Petsmart showing unwanted animals trying to find them good homes.



I don't understand your comment:

I hope this female human never adopts a child. Would she try to bring it back to the agency if it turned out to have a serious defect?



I didn't try to send her back, that is why I have spent hundreds of dollars. I don't think your read my report before you posted that stupid comment. If you do not like purebred dogs than don't buy one. The purpose of my report is to alert others looking for a puppy not to buy one from Heather Mapes. I personally do not believe that adopting unwanted animals does anything to solve the pet overpopulation problem, there are always more coming in even If a few make it out. Free spaying and neutering, education, and criminal prosecution of the ignorant people who are creating this problem is much more likely to solve the problem of the millions of unwanted pets in our country. I do not feel guilty for owning purebred dogs and never will, the responsibility for these unwanted animals needs to lie with the ignorant people creating the problem.

Left to their own natural instincts, dogs would reproduce without concern for the human concept of 'breed.' The respiratory problems shown here among pugs are just one example of how human interference in animal breeding (to create 'cute' pets) does harm to the animals. This is the sort of eugenics (or dysgenics) that would be unacceptable were it mandated for humans.



Millions of 'unwanted' dogs are killed every year. You can go to a pound and adopt an animal for next to NOTHING! Yet _still_ people like this female human Vicki would rather spend hundreds of dollars to 'buy' a 'cute' engineered pet to suit their fancy. And then complain about it when it turns out to be sick. (I hope this female human never adopts a child. Would she try to bring it back to the agency if it turned out to have a serious defect?)



Let's outlaw all commercial breeding until we at least have found homes for the millions of unwanted animals in our shelters.

Heather Mapes posted the following in the buy below cost forum:



Posted Tue May 31 2005 03:57 PM

"I would cull any deformed puppy and any cleft puppy. I say would because ive never had to do it. I did have a cleft puppy, but she didnt live more than 15 minutes.



I would have my vet euthanize because I am not comfortable killing a puppy.



If a puppy was raised and say at 8 weeks was having breathing difficulty because of hypoplastic trachea or anything for that matter thats in-operable, I would euthanize."





Posted Fri August 29 2003 07:25 PM

"Just a quick point I want to add. Some will say this is foolish, but I dont. I dont think its horrible to breed back to back because wild dogs breed every cycle."



----------------------

I now know that If I returned my puppy to Heather she'd be dead right now.

I am not sure how you paid for this puppy, but if you paid by credit card, stop payment. I had purchased a corgi pup from a kennel, when I took him to my vet I found out that he had a genetic defect. I had a sticky time dealing w/ the kennel, they to did not want to admit fault of selling a defective puppy as a healthy puppy, so I called my credit card company and disputed the charges as defective merchandise. That got the attention of the Kennel and almost immediately they settled on a fair refund.



Hope this works!

In another forum that Heather has posted on I found the following:



"Now in my contract I state that I only refund half the purchase price for a defect which is just to protect myself, I do refund the full price of vet bills up to the price of puppy. I dont want everyone running back to me with a defect to get their money back, im sure you know how it is. And I am also flexible on the one year guarantee, if something severe popped up at anytime I would in fact replace or refund...I have a very good relationships with my buyers. I am however very strict on spay/neuter, if that causes my dogs to develop less, then thats just a chance that I guess im willing to take at this point till I hear or see something odd result from early spay/neuter. So far to my knowledge the only results are positive, like lessor chances at cancers.



Heather



"Dont lie, less to remember"- Indian Larry

Vicky,



I just wanted to write and say that I so sorry that your puppy is sick. I too have adopted a sick animal, and was not told of it, and spent alot of money in bills. However, in the past two years, this cat has become my best friend. Although still needing special care, he always greets me hello, and sleeps with me at night. I know all this may be very irrevelant to you, however, you state that you have become very attached to your puppy and do not wish to give it up. You are doing a good thing. Would you rather a dishonest breeder, who just wants your money and could care less for the sick animal, caring for such? I wouldnt.



Look at it as a blessing for your new puppy. It needs your love and support.

Vicky,



I just wanted to write and say that I so sorry that your puppy is sick. I too have adopted a sick animal, and was not told of it, and spent alot of money in bills. However, in the past two years, this cat has become my best friend. Although still needing special care, he always greets me hello, and sleeps with me at night. I know all this may be very irrevelant to you, however, you state that you have become very attached to your puppy and do not wish to give it up. You are doing a good thing. Would you rather a dishonest breeder, who just wants your money and could care less for the sick animal, caring for such? I wouldnt.



Look at it as a blessing for your new puppy. It needs your love and support.

I asked Heather to refund part of the purchase price because I did NOT get what I paid for. I paid $1,200.00 for a show prospect what I got was a puppy who's trachea is severely hypoplastic and who can't ever be shown. She can barely even breathe ! It was only reasonable for her to refund the difference between the show and pet price. Her pet price is $800.00. I wanted a $400.00 refund and I told her I would send her proof of spay If she agreed to do this, she did not. That was too much to ask of Heather Mapes. I provided her all the proof she could ever ask for and she has never refunded any of my money. I never said Heather pay my vet bills and she knows this. She's just trying to manipulate the situation. Heather knew Ruby had a defect from the time she was born and never said anything so she could make as much money as possible. She sold her with full registration even though she knew she had severe breathing problems. Heather is an unethical, manipulative backyard breeder that anyone looking for a quality puppy should avoid.

Heather Mapes has received more proof than anyone could possibly ask for. She refuses to do what is right because she is an unethical backyard breeder of genetically defective dogs. Her one and only goal is profit.



Ruby Is still having breathing problems her bark is very strange sounding and she struggles to breath when she is exercised. Her inhalations sound like a very severe asthmatic.



Ruby has earned her Canine Good Citizen certificate and is now working towards her CD Title. When I informed Heather about this she didn't care, it was exactly the reaction I expected from a greedy backyard breeder.



I've done some research and uncovered more information on Heather Mapes and her poor breeding practices.



Heather Mape's posts in the Chicago Pug Meetup Forum

She claims the breeding that produced my puppy Ruby was accidental and her father (Willy) was 7 months old at the time. Heather Mapes never bothered to mention this to me when she sold me my puppy.



Oh and Debi, Willy is a daddy to quite a few puppies. What a daddy he is. His first litter was quite a surprise considering he was only 7 months old and I didnt think he was *cough* manly enough to have babies. LOL He had 4 puppies in that surprise litter! One is in Georgia, one in California, one is in the chicagoland area and the 4th went to Minnesota. With any luck, you may one day meet his only son, Toby at a meet up. Wouldnt that be cool?? Also he has a female puppy from a 2nd litter that lives with my sister. I gave him to my nephew and shes (the puppy) is only 3 weeks older than Olivia! We have our own little puggy puppy meetups.



Heather Mapes bred Ruby's father several times after she knew about Ruby's health problems. Below she is claiming another breeding to my puppy's father was accidental ! Gidget is not pictured on her website because she is not breed standard. She is breeding this poor dog back to back to make money. She is selling her puppies without registration so there is no record of how many times she's breeding Gidget. When Gidget is no longer able to reproduce and fill Heather's wallet she will be sold just like Willy ( Ruby's father) . Willy was sold for $400 and Heather didn't even bother to have him neutered before she sold him. She lied in her rebuttal when she said she had him neutered. I have no idea what happened to Ruby's mom although I suspect she is still breeding her and selling the puppies unregistered, again to make a quick profit. Gidget gave birth to the puppies she's referring to below on September 3, 2005.



Well....It looks like Gidget is pregnant and with having 3 weeks to go, she will most likely have a nice sized litter. She is showing now and is pretty big. She went from not showing to looking really pregnant overnight. LOL Soooooooooo, if anyone is interested in a puppy let me know and if your on my waiting list email me to reserve the color/sex you want. These will be Gidget and Willys (Debi's Willy) puppies, Willy made sure he didnt miss Gidget before he left because she came into season just a few days before he left to go to his new home. What a surprise this is!



All puppies will be fawn with varying amounts of apricot coloring. I am expecting a range of sizes with the males being on the bigger side. These puppies will be 700.00 instead of 800.00 because they will not be registered with AKC.

This has been my first complaint from any buyer out of the many litters ive had over the years. So when Vicki contacted me about Rubys problems, I was skeptical. I never recived any proof of the surgery, all I got was an estimate and it never stated what it was for. I need to know for sure what the problem is so I know fully what im dealing with in my line of dogs. If im going to pull dogs from my breeding program that I have worked so hard to produce, then I would like to know why.



I am going to cut and paste my responses to her in email, since she cut up pieces of emails to make me look like a monster..



#1 Hi Vicki-



I have spent the last half hour looking up hypoplastic trachea....The other two I have heard of and know a little about them as these are pretty common in the flat faced breeds. Ive never had a puppy with hypoplastic trachea before so this has me worried. She must be having a horrible time breathing because surgery is not common practice, especially because its risky. The throat cannot be steralized before surgery making it more risky, but seeing how high the temperatures are in a dogs mouth, it should be ok. Gosh I hope she pulls through alright, ill say a prayer for her, poor thing.



You must be a mess, this last half hour has been overwhelming to say the least. Im so sorry your having to go through this and honestly dont know what to say or do. I hope your not holding this against me or hate me for this, this is something I would never want anyone to have to go through. I feel horrible for poor Ruby. Please let me know how she pulls through, ill check my email as soon as I get home from work.



Heather



#2 I completely understand what you are going through and am willing to do whatever it takes to resolve this situation. I cant imagine what youve been going through to have come to the terms to part with her, but know that its for the best. I will replace her and would need to have Ruby returned to me somehow, this is the first time I have ever had a problem with any puppy so will need some time to figure things out. I have a litter of puppies that was just born on Valentines morning from a different mother but the same sire, there are 2 males and one female. All puppies are fat and chubby with large heads like daddy.



Let me know what you think and what you want to do, I am soooo saddened that Ruby is suffering like she is. If she comes back to me I will do whatever I can to make her comfortable.



Heather



(She asked for a refund or another puppy, in my contract, Ruby would have to be returned in order to receive a replacement. For a refund the puppy would have to die in the first year)



#3 Vicki-



I dont just give a refund for vet bills, I am not financally responsible for any vet bills once the puppy leaves here, at that point the puppy is officially yours and you are financially responsible for her, just like a child or anything else you make a commitment to. You are right, she is a living breathing being, and I can not guarantee when the puppy leaves here, she will never have a problem medically for the rest of her life. If I could, trust me I would, but its genetically impossible. I try my best to provide the happiest, healthiest puppies that conform to AKC standards.



You signed my guarantee, and before doing so I would have hoped you read it. I do not do refunds for anything congenital.



If you decide you are not happy with Ruby, you may opt to ship her back to me which would be at your cost. If you would like, I could pay the extra on top of that to fly to you in person to pick her up and when I receive Ruby back I would do a full refund or replacement puppy, although all I have at this time is pet quality. You could wait for another future hopeful show dog, but at this time I have no other breedings planned.



Heather



#4 She did not have medical problems the day she arrived. She had a URI, that was not caused by me. You opted for shipping and that is something that can happen during shipping. I did not get a receipt for the surgery, just an estimate. And nothing in the vets notes indicate hypoplastic trachea. I do not just give away my puppies, I took a loss last year breeding as it is. This is something I do out of love, it is not a bussiness venture. I am sorry I cannot afford to pay everyones vet bills, I definately would if I was financially able to.



Per my contract I cover anything life threating which would cause death. She is alive and well and could live for many years. I had a bulldog with hip dysplasia, elongated palate and stenotic nares live a long healthy life. It is common in brachycephalic breeds.



Please take a look at this website and maybe it will help you realize that what Ruby has is not life threatening and I feel that your vet may have pushed you into making a rash decision. While I know you want the best for Ruby, please understand that what you had done for Ruby was an elected surgery on your part, not mine. If you did not want a dog who pants or breathes loudly, maybe you should have considered another breed of dog.



http://154.ca/pugs/articles/probs/list.shtml Please read all the way down......



Heather



Im not going to post anymore emails as you can imagine it went on for a while. I have been very honest with Vicki and offered to do whatever it took to make her happy. If her dog would have died she would have either been replaced or refunded her money, but I do not pay vet bills. Once the dog is hers, she has to cover her own vet bills. She never asked me before the surgery if I would help out with the costs.



Im sorry Vicki is upset with me, this is never anything I would want to happen. Despite the events of this issue, Vicki and I do stay in touch regaruding Ruby which I am VERY thankful for.



Also something that was never updated in this report is that both Liberty and Will have been altered and will not be in my breeding program anymore, even though I never received any proof of Rubys illness or surgery. Liberty now lives with my sister and Will is a family pet here in my home.



Im sorry it led to this mess, I wish it would have been resolved between Vicki and I in private.



Heather of PudgyAcres Pugs reguarding the claims made by Vicki Perez of Georgia

Per the breeder's own response on this site, she is NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING. She obviously will continue to breed canines that have problems and she is NOT RESPONSIBLE for congenital defects. The perfect example of a poor breeder. Vicki, the next time you purchase a puppy, please do so locally and visit the breeder's kennels. Insist on seeng BOTH parents and where the puppies are bred and kept until sold. Check their line with the AKC if that is where they are registered. And get references from others who have purchased from that particular breeder.

So you know, the price on my webpage is pet only price. Show/breeding rights is additional as I really like to place in pet homes, or serious show homes. The sister to these puppies is in the ring and doing very well. She was a singleton born by c-section and im only telling you this because its genetic (my line has larger heads than most). It may be possible that you would have to do a c-section if you decide to breed your future puppy.

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I dont just give a refund for vet bills, I am not financally responsible for any vet bills once the puppy leaves here, at that point the puppy is officially yours and you are financially responsible for her, just like a child or anything else you make a commitment to. You are right, she is a living breathing being, and I can not guarantee when the puppy leaves here, she will never have a problem medically for the rest of her life. If I could, trust me I would, but its genetically impossible. I try my best to provide the happiest, healthiest puppies that conform to AKC standards.



You signed my guarantee, and before doing so I would have hoped you read it. I do not do refunds for anything congenital.

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If you did not want a dog who pants or breathes loudly, maybe you should have considered another breed of dog.

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I do not give my name out on my webpage for a reason, now that you have filed a report on me AND posted my full name weirdos can find me. I will be talking with a lawyer over this and about my contract.



I will be sure to file a rebuttul with your full name, address and phone number if you do not remove my name from that report.



I have been more than fair, honest and nice to you. I do not cover breed related things nor do I guarantee a show dog, if you wanted a GUARANTEED show dog, you would have paid more than 2500.00 for a puppy. You knew that and thats why you came to me instead of a show breeder.

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My contract covers dogs that pass away unexpectedly, have to be euthanized or may live, but would not be expected to live past the first year of life.



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No refund is in order, but what would it take to make you happy, Vicki?

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I dont know of a single breeder who will guarantee against brachycephalic respiratory syndrome, because 85% of Pugs have it to some sort of degree.

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Eyes are something I do not cover...A pugs eyes and mouth are the two biggest problem areas and has to do with the extremeness of their look. The more extreme we breed them, the more problems we will have. Not everyone will agree with that one, but I believe it to be true.



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I do have intentions of showing, someday. Its just so hard with two young children, a full time job and a cleaning bussiness on the side.

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I am going to challenge you to find a breeder with a better contract than mine, if you find one please take the time to find a few more, because I would love to see a few webpages where breeders even have a guarantee page.

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Yes, Liberty was bred back to back. Since the first litter was small (a singleton puppy) my vet said a second litter would be ok.

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If your vet is willing to attest to the fact this puppy was ill when you purchase it, file in small claims court to get the medical reimbursed to you. If this person is in another state, contact their District Attorney's office and tell them you would like to file charges against the breeder for selling sick canines. You might also contact the ASPCA and see if they can help you. The following website has information on shutting down stores that sell pets and unethical breeders: http://www.kindplanet.org