Complaint Review: MTN VALLEY SHIH TZUS

I purchased a puppy 6 years ago from Donna. From my 1st inquiry she was very prompt and pleasant, sending me any information I requested. I paid my deposit through paypal and as soon as a litter was born I immediately received photos. I picked out a puppy, I met her son in Maine to pick up my dog and I had no problems what so ever. My dog is extremely intelligent, well trained and well behaved. I have recommended mtn valley shih tzu to anyone I have known over the past 6 years who was interested in purchasing a puppy. She has wonderful little dogs.

We have purchased 4 Shih Tzu pups at different times from Donna Foss, and were distressed to read the negative complaints, especially given the tone in which some were presented. We have no personal connection with Donna aside from our visits & conversations when buying our pups, but feel we have to respond to these remarks. Our pups were all strong and healthy, and we were deeply impressed by Donna's caring and compassionate nature and how well she cares for and loves her animals. We made three separate visits to Mountain Valley to pick up our pups; it was always clean, and Donna was unfailingly courteous and welcoming despite the hectic schedule she surely maintains in caring for so many dogs. Unlike our first Shih Tuz pup (obtained from another breeder) Donna's were well socialized and treated like part of the family. The pups came to us freshly bathed & clean-smelling. We have never hesitated to recommend her to anyone interested in buying Shih Tzus, and found her unfailingly courteous & responsive if we had any questions.

I have been writing to Donna for a couple of months now. Every time I have a question about a pup she responds quickly and professionally.

Any question I have had she has answered right away and is always polite and sincere. I feel if she thought that there was a problem with a puppy she would let someone know or not send it at all until the matter was cleared up.

Sometimes thigs happen that we have no control over. I feel that this was one of those times.

Let me start off by saying this woman is a compulsive liar and tells her side of the story in pieces meaning leaving things out. Yes I contacted her about a male puppy and when I asked her when will the puppy will be old enough to be sent she replied the week of Aug. 16th, She told me I needed to put a deposit down to hold Rocky. She did send me three update pics. Here's where it gets stressful. Now Donna told me when we first talked that she would email me with all the flight details a week before which she never did so yes I started to get nervous my husband and myself never bought anything over the internet. My husband wanted to protect his self because paypal has a 30 day policy with money and we already lost the $300 dollars on the deposit because it was past 30 days.

I emailed her 3 times with no response. So the day we decide to contact paypal I called her first to see if I would get an answer out of her she was very standoffish and I could not get a straight answer out of her she was to busy was her excuse. Now tell me this my husband and I own our own business and if I told a customer I'm to busy to help you or answer your questions I don't Think we would have a successful business, Do you? Anyway she called us the day we contacted paypal and said what's going on my husband told her that he was protecting us and she got very upset told us that she wasn't going to send Rocky after my daughter had become emotionally attached to Rocky (Rocky loves my daughter we walk to the bus stop and wait for her everyday, she lays on the floor with him, we also have a huge backyard and they both love to run back and forth).

Finally my husband got a straight answer out of her and had told him when Rocky will be shipped. I was not listening on the phone as Donna had written because we use cell phones and she knows that because he told her if anything happens let me know because his phone is always with him and he can even read his emails from his phone. So why she decided to lie about that is beyond me.

When we finally did receive Rocky she told us to call her when we got him which we did. We told her he was fine because we had him for a half hour and he was playing and sleeping but later things were getting worse because his stool was loose so when she called later that night she said she would send something in the mail which we never got and he got worse. Never did she mention about a death in the family she told us that when she was late with the reimbursement for the vet bill that's when she mentioned the death. I just want her to know paying for the vet bill does not justify her behavior and her bad business skills. Rocky is in a loving home that take great care of him.

And if she feels she has a case against me then feel free to try and sue me because I HAVE THE RIGHT TO MY OPINION. Donna's problem is she has few excuses and a lot of lies that's all I have to say about her and her. gut feeling

I am the owner of Mtn Valley, and I think its time I respond to this mess. From day one, my gut, told me these people were going to be a prob, or shall I say "unreasonable". You breeders out there will understand when I say how you get that "gut" feeling. For example, when Mary called me and asked when we would be shipping the pup, I simply said , as soon as I can get a chance I will call and make arrangements. She said nothing, seemed ok with that.

Then, I find she had her husband reverse the payment thru Pay Pal!I called, spoke to Joe, her husband, while speaking to him Mary is yelling in the background. I asked why they did the reversal?
Joe stated that Mary was afraid I wasnt going to send the pup. My reply was if I was not going to do that and "Ripp" anyone off, I would not have sent updated pics on a regular basis, nor would they have been able to contac me after they had paid in full, which had been several weeks prior.

Let me make one thing clear here, we are LICENSED by the State of Maine. We are regulary inspected by them as well as AKC. So if we were a "Puppy Mill", or out to cheat anyone, I dont think we would have past inspection!! For those of you out there that have made comments out there, before you judge KNOW he facts!

Joe reversed the payments back to me,and I made arrangements to ship. NOW, BEFORE that pup was shipped, I told Joe before shipping and on the day of shipping, if the pup comes down wih loose stools, or if there are any probs, please let me know.I also called at the very lease twice to make sure the pup had arrived safely. Now would a
puppy mill do that? I explained to him that pups can come down with things due to the stress of the flight.

Now Joe, called me a day or so later, told me the pup had loose stools, but was playing, eating, drinking. I told Joe, I woud send him something for it. Then I had suffered a loss in my family, so I forgot! Instead of calling me and COMMUNICATING, that he hadn gotten it,AND wanted some reimbursement,for vet bills, NEVER was that mentioned to me. So I thought things were ok.
Untill I was told about this complaint on this ridiculous site! I had NO clue! So her statement tha I paid the vet bill, after this was posted, is not enirely true. I did NOT know they wanted reimbursment, and were so upset!

When I asked Joe why didnt he communicate to me more clearly, he said well when I 1st called you didnt act like you cared, my wife was listning on the other end,( how mature is that?) He also stated so I just blew it off. Now tell me how does that help the situation?

Now,I ask you, how can one tell what ones emotions are over a phone call? Specially after I had just received news about our loss.

Now about this website, it is like the enquirer!
You post things on here, about people without even finding out the other side, and all the facts.
I wonder how LEGAL that is??

Then you allow idiotic people to post things back and forth, such as 2 breeders, calling each other names, one cant even spell let alone the proper use of grammar!

Mary called us a puppy mill, which is defamation of chracter! Because it is NOT true! So now, Im not sure if I will perhaps consider taking all this to my attorney!

I just wanted to clear things up with (MTN VALLEY SHIH TZUS /DONNA), Donna did contact me after this report & said she was willing to pay for the vet bill,I am happy that donna kept her word and paid for the vet bill.

I personally have purchased several pups from Mtn Valley and never had any issues with illness or poor health. I do however know that pups can become stressed simply by leaving their know home and that all pups are born with sometype of parisite and that to can become a problem if the pup should become stressed. I also know for a fact that she spends a great deal of care as well as dollars making sure you get the best pup you can possibly buy. These type of comments only show how ignorant and petty people get, instead of working this out with the breeder they need to file these types articles which only cause bad blood between people and also show that these people should never have been sold a precious pup like the ones Donna provides for anyone who buys from her

Hi Friends,
I've been a breeder/exhibitor of superior quality dogs for 30 years. There is now a brand new way for buyers to find responsible breeders. It's www.BetterBreeders.com It makes breeders give references that are checked, like their vet, and years in business, accepts complaints, and will remove breeders from membership if they turn out to be bad. Remember being a licenced kennel, does not make a breeder good...they can be over large, and the pups treated like livestock and not socialized like a more germy, but loving pet home breeder.

You should also realize that your own body, and the body of every dog and puppy has parasites, and germs. Young puppies are usually only wormed with the very mildest of wormers for their own safty, and even the best vets will tell you those wormers aren't 100% kill. Also young puppies suffering stress from leaving their litters, and getting vaccines that lower their immune systems...can get bloodly, mucousy diarrhea from NORMAL flora bacteria and amoebas.

That puppy might have had coccedia that is normal flora in 98% of grown dogs, or campylobactor , that humans carry that's why it's transmissable, or giardia which inhabits most ground in country areas and pups can get from drinking out of a puddle or from mom who drank out of a puddle or pond.

It doesn't mean the breeder was specifically bad, although for small breed puppies, I breed Chihuahuas, many breeders keep them till 12 weeks old, so their immune system matures and gets past the maternal antibodies, so they can mount an immune response to what's known as "stress caused bacterial overgrowth".

There are many other germs, like strep, and salmonella that also can give puppies runs like you described. Every animal, especially babies,( just like your child going off to kindergarten), is going to encounter new germs, and get sick when they're stressed. Does it make you a criminal to send your child to school when he comes home with the flu?

Pet buyers need to be responsible too. All pets must see the vet within 24-48 hours of arrival to have a stool test, and be wormed or given antibiotics to keep them healthy so bacteria or parasites don't over grow. Humans get worms, and flukes, and amoebas and paramecium infections too.

From pets, or also from soil, or water, or raw foods. That's why your vet said whatever the puppy had, your child could catch. But it could have been just as easy that your puppy can catch campylobactor, a micoplasm bronchitas, giardia, strep throat, salmonella from your child, or from licking your floor as puppies do. Also you should know airline workers, feed, water , and take pups out of the crates at stop overs, and can spred germs..so the breeder could be innocent.

Most breeders are loving, nuturing people who do the best they can to sell healthy (not germ proof as there is no such thing) , loveable pets to people. I ship puppies with a bottle of Tincture of Green Hulls of Black Walnut, to be put in their drinking water the first few weeks in the new home.

It kills roundworm and prevents them multiplying due to tannins and iodine content, and also inhibits bacteria and virus, and also contains high levels of vitamin C. It's sold at health food stores and will relieve human diarrhea caused by bacteria too. Dawn Dalyce Member of www.BetterBreeders.com www.snschihuahuas.com www.kimmelot.com

I have seen many posts like this where someone has purchased an animal without seeing where it is being bred, the parents, the parent's papers. Never purchase any "breed" animal without having seen the puppy before hand.

It is not safe for an animal to be treated as cargo for shipping and I am amazed that these animals survived the trip.

If you feel that this person is selling sick animals and your vet is willing to attest to that, file a complaint with your local District Attorney's office, the District Attorney's office where the breeder is located and copy all information to Animal Services in the county of the breeder's residence.

Ask them to investigate the condition of the breeder's animals and have the back up information to show them why you are concerned. If your child could have become ill from what this puppy was carrying, make that a major point of your complaint with the DA's offices.

Check with the state and find out if the breeder is registered as a licensed breeding facility and if so, file a complaint with the State Veterinary's Office.

If the breeder is NOT licensed with the state and is required to be licensed, file a complaint with the appropriate state office. People would save time, money and heartache if they would thoroughly check out any breeder before they purchased an animal from their facility.

Any breeder that refuses to show you their breeding facility obviously has something to hide. Selling sick animals may be against state law and any breeder who has knowingly sold a sick animal (we won't even mention that the animal was shipped like cargo), should be shut down.

Mary-

Demand satisfaction from this company. contact them and using the vet report they should at a minimum be paying the vet bills that you are occurring.

Contact your attorney general and fraud division. You also should have some kind of statement from the company about the health of the dog etc.

If you want to keep the dog then they shoild at least pay any vet bills for what you say they already knew on the phone. You probably also have the right to demand your money back plus any expenses you incurred.

It is illegal to sell a sick pet........