Complaint Review: Deb Rimkus Bach Shelties Bella Villa Thompson Belmark Shelties

I am sorry for all the problems you went through, but I am mostly sorry for the dog and his puppies. I agree with all other people that posted here that asked you if the dog was sick since day one, why did you even think about breeding him before knowing for sure what problems he had? To me, as a consumer, this is very irresponsible, and I'd never buy a puppy from you.

I do not have a dog from Bach Shelties but I am here to say that I was shocked to see Bella Thompson's name and Belmark Shelties involved in your complaint as I have a dog that I got from her a couple years ago and all I have to say is GREAT things about her. The Sheltie I bought from her is the most wonderful dog I have ever had. He has a great temperament - different than my older Sheltie that I got from another breeder, which is very scared of everything, is very nervous.
But the Sheltie I got from Bella is simply awesome, he is happy, healthy, super social with people and other dogs, has a wonderful coat and is not scared of anything! I have only compliments to her and the hard work she does with all her dogs. I didn't breed any of my Shelties because I got them as pets.

Bella was always very nice and committed since day one. I think that if you got your puppy with any kind of problem and was not satisfied with it, you should have sent the dog back, especially if you wanted a dog for show. And as far as I know, the buyers are always required to take the puppy to the vet and send a vet report to the breeder in 72h or less (depending on the breeder's contract).

I am really sorry for the fate of your dog - and have to say the symptoms you described sounded like giardia or coccidia, like the first person that commented said. Mine had this this year and it took awhile for the vet find that out. Luckily he is doing fine as he got the right treatment - and like the person said, it was a very inexpensive one.

But after reading your post, I believe you were not responsible at all in the first place with the dog. And I had defend Bella and tell my experience too with Belmark Shelties as I only have good things to say about her.

I have got to say I am sorry for your problem with Bach shelties but I am here to disagree. My first comment just like everybody elses is why on earth would you breed a sick dog? Any body in there right mind would know not to put a poor dog at risk if he is sick. Also why didnt you take him to the dr when you first got him. Everytime you purchase an animal it is common since to take the dog to the dr within 72hrs. You stated that he had diarreah right when you brought him home. Hello another sign to take him to the dr! You sound like you are the one that did wrong! I have worked with Deb and I know darn well that she would have helped you out in anyway possible. She cares very much for her dogs and does not want anything bad to happen to them. She always keeps in contact with her buyers. I am pretty sure that the puppies that he fathered didnt get sick because of him expecially if he had cancer. Maybe you had a sick b***h also! Taking this to court is one thing but going online and talking bad about people is another. It is people like you that makes people question selling there precious babies to honest people. They dont want anything bad to happen to them (like to get breed while they are sick). You never breed a dog no knowing what is wrong with him, for the sake of the puppies and the dog! I sorry but I believe you are the one that did wrong in this case. Deb would do anything to help one of her puppies. Cancer is not something to take lightly! If there were so many people that agree with you then why is there nobody else backing you up. Yes things go wrong in contracts, puppies get sick I get that but I think I speak for alot of other that you should be the one charged with cruely. Im sure people might question buying a Bach sheltie because of this one person doing harm to their puppy and slandering the breeder online but stick to the facts and do your homework and you will see that Deb and Bella have very beautiful, healthy and hardy dogs out there and will continue for years to come! I Love my Bach sheltie and wouldnt change him for the world!!!!!

I am sorry for your loss...But I believe you didn't do the best for the sheltie.
I have been showing, breeding shelties for over 25 years and if I had a dog that was as sick as yours seem to have been, I would have made a responsible decision to have NOT BRED HIM.

I know Bach shelties and Belmark Shelties and they have proven over and over to be responsible breeders and people to work with. However, it takes two.

Cancer strikes and its not a inherited defect. And as you said it had been since he arrived and usually you have a grace period in your contract to return the dog.

Shipping dogs usually is a stress on them especially shelties, and they as puppies can loose weight quickly, and it sounds to me like albon treatments might have the first thing I would have done...

If they have a cronic problem, I tend to put them on a series of albon treatments and antibotics for 10 days. then repeat it.
If that doesn't solve it then I would say that there is a problem...

Taking this to court is one thing, but slandering breeders online without proof is another...

I would not want you to have one of my precious puppies.

I own a Bach b***h who is now six years old. I acquired her almost two years ago from her first family, who successfully trialed this very bright, sweet girl in obedience, agility and rally until other life committments required her placement in a new home. I've continued to work with her and my experience has been extremely positive. She is definately a one-person Sheltie but is immensely eager to love, learn, please (and eat!) and is full of life and joy.

I found the line to be exceptionally hardy healthwise. Shortly after I acquired this girl, she developed closed pyrometria - which the vet missed on the first visit, since she displayed almost no symptoms. Her uterus ruptured in two places and she developed severe peritonitis. I almost lost her but she survived the emergency surgery and after three days of intensive care and a blood transfusion, she was home and on the way to a remarkedly fast and full recovery.

As for her developing pyrometria in the first place - I was told by the vet that having an older, unspayed dog that had not been bred was a risk factor. (I had booked the appointment to have her spayed about a month after she arrived in my home, but she came into season two months early, so the surgery was - unfortunately - delayed until after her season ended, which is when she developed pyrometria.)

While I am certain the original poster was devastated by the tragic loss of her dog, my experience argues for the overall hardiness of the line. My dog's sire is still alive, as is her dam - at 14 years old. Nor did I have any difficulty working with Bach to get my girl registered to me from the original co-ownership, although Bach received no financial benefit from helping with the transfer.

I've been involved with Shelties as a fancier for more than 20 years and have seen strengths and weaknesses in every line, both physical and mental. I currently own three blue merle Shelties and they each have different strengths and weaknesses.

As tragic as the loss of one dog is, it does not necessarily argue that an entire line has health issues.

- Island Scribe

First of all I would like to say I am sorry for your misfortune. I on the other hand have come to post a rebuttal. I have bought from Bach Shelties on a number of occassions as well as some of my friends and have had nothing but the best service and best quality dogs. I have one that is 14 years old, and one as young as 8 months. They came to me healthy, happy, beautiful and some of the most social dogs I have met. I have had no problems whatsoever into their adulthood. They are just as gorgeous today as the day I bought them from Bach. Her prices are also well below the average of other breeders. She wants her dogs to reach their full potential, in the show ring and at homes. She loves and deeply cares for her dogs. You can know that just by talking to her about them.

Bach has always kept an open line of communication and has gone well above and beyond her responsibility as a Breeder. She answered every question I had and if she did not know it, she found it out for me. I stand behind her and the quality, health, and temperment of her dogs.

I do have some questions for you. If this dog came to you sick from day 1, then why in God's name did you proceed to breed him not knowing what he might have had. That is irresponsible and cruel on your part! Just the act of breeding could have added more stress to the situation of him being ill. Also, I don't know of any disease that could be passed on to puppies from birth from a sire, besides congenital heart defects, which the puppies would probably already be dead. If they had health issues from that young of an age, have you ever thought that maybe it was your b***h that gave something to them?

Once again I am sorry for your misfortune but myself and my friends have NOT had the same experience as you. Because of this I am wondering if it is not something on your end that went wrong. I encourage anyone who has bought a Bach and has had as wonderful experience as I and my friends to tell it, to post their support. Look at people's breeding programs, see how many Bach dogs there are. If she was a bad breeder with sick dogs then why do so many people choose to include them in thier programs? Are all these other people irresponsible to? I think not.

Look at the person who knowingly bred a dog that was not at his best to get a litter out of him....a dog she says knowingly she did not know what was wrong with it Who is irresponsible? Who should be charged with cruelty? Make your own decision but I know I don't think it should be Bach.

I am keeping ,myself anonymous because I do not want any slanderous things being said about me or my shelties. The sheltie world is very competitive and sadly most people get ahead by discrediting others, not by their own success and quality. Buy a Bach Sheltie! You will not be disappointed!

When your dog had diarrhea did your vet check for coccidia and giardia? Both are intestinal parasites that may require several stool specimens to detect as they can be in a dorment stage. Untreated both can lead to death. Both can be easily picked up on the soles of shoes from a contaminated area...re:dog shows. Albon is the drug of choice for coccidia and flagyl and panacur are the drugs of choice for giardia. Left untreated dogs lose weight, have diarrhea, bloody stool, dehydration, ect...The solution is testing your dog and inexpensive treatments. A dog have have a flare up in times of stress such as flying, changing homes, whelping puppies, showing, ect... Thus the dog could have tested negative and been healthy when shipped then had a flare up from the stress of shipping.