Complaint Review: Karen Zakaria - Novi Michigan

I used to live on the same street as this lady until I recently moved and let me tell you I would NEVER buy a puppy from her.  In fact, I feel sorry for all of the dogs born in that house that are under her care!  It is true, her operation is comparable with a suburban puppy mill and there are many other complaints filed against her on here for the same issues. Trust me like I said, I was her neighbor, I use to see and hear evidence of this on a day-to-day basis!  I believe she calls her operation SHIH-TZU FAMILY or something like that. 
Anyways, just from living around to her I can tell you this.  There has to be 20-30 dogs living in her house, if not more.  I would not be surprised if she is doing some sort of in-breeding which could be the reason behind all of the health problems these dogs are having.  As a responsible pet owner myself, I know that raising 20-30 dogs in one home cannot be healthy for them. 
She reminds me one of animal hoarders you would see on TV.  During the spring, summer, and beginning of fall all you can hear around her house is dogs barking and yelping 24/7, she leaves them outside, unattended for long periods of time.  Just look her up on here, you will see many complaints against her.

There have been many sick dogs that came out of that house, probably about five that I know of.  She does not care and when I believe she was still continuing to have more puppies.  This operation is a suburban puppy mill and needs to be shut down!

Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan is looking for victims of breeders, pet

stores, and dealers. We have introduced a Pet Lemon Law and need your help.

Your testimony to our senators and representatives would be greatly

appreciated. Please contact Pam through my website.



http://www.meetup.com/puppymillawareness/



My organization also offers counseling to victims of the pet trade. I have a checklist

to provide to you.

I have a very different story as I was the victim of a puppy breeder who was a con artist just 2 days before Christmas who sold me a puppy that I bought for my kids for Christmas that was sick and they lied about having his shots and falsified his records.

The puppy died on Christmas eve and long story short, the breeders were caught in the act a week or so later and prosecuted.

I was lucky to find Karen and bought one of her puppies (which had legitimate shot records) and she was great and told us to call her if we had any questions or issues.  A week later our puppy had a bit of a cold and she was happy for us to go right over to get some medicine that cleared up the issue.

We also go to the same vet as her, which happens to have two of her dogs himself! (one of which is related to my puppy).

So, I can tell you from first hand experience that this is not some puppy mill breeder that is just ripping people off and breeding sick dogs.  We are considering another puppy and if we do get one, it will be from Karen again.

It's nice to know that she has people like you that stick up for her.  By the way, never did the name CeCe ever come up as one of the parents. She said the dad's name was Mark and the mom was Sophie.  So, that just shows you she isn't being honest as to who the parents of her dogs are or you don't know what you are talking about....Thanks though...  Keep on supporting this woman.  I feel sorry for the puppies!

First of all I must say that I am very, very sorry for your loss. 
Aria was a very special and extremely beautiful puppy.  I am sure you
are wondering how I would know this.  The answer is simple.  I own
Aria's Mother and her name is Cee Cee.  Cee Cee has the same personality
that Aria had.  I would regularly go and visit Cee Cee's  litter of
four, 2 boys and 2 girls, and I fell in love with Aria.  I wanted to
keep her.  When I would hold your puppy she would snuggle right into my
neck and feel perfectly comfortable being cradled in my hands.  Special,
she was so special.  If you knew Cee Cee, you would know why I wanted
to have another dog just like her.  I had to be smart about it and
realize that it just didn't make sense for me to keep her.  Cee Cee is
not a big dog.  She is roughly 14 pounds, but she has a very sturdy and
stocky bone structure. She is much shorter than my other dogs.  The male
dog that I chose to breed her with throws smaller puppies.  Something I
considered when choosing who I wanted to breed her with.  Small puppies
were important since Cee is not a big dog. 

When I found out
Aria was going to another home I cried.  I had a bittersweet feeling.  I
wanted to bring her into my home, but when Karen told me how excited
you were to have her and that you designed a room for her and you were
visiting her before she was ready to go home, I knew she was going to be
loved. 

I don't know if you know this, but Karen has been
breeding Shih Tzu's for at least 10 years and has owned them for roughly
35 years.  I have been heavily involved in showing dogs and breeding
dogs for roughly 14 years.  When you have been in the dog business this
long I am sure that there are 1 or 2 horror stories. Are they all the
fault of the breeder?  I don't think so.

I would say you are
lucky because Karen gave you your money back.  Many breeders only
guarantee their dogs for genetics.  If genetically something is wrong a
breeder will give your money back.  When the puppy leaves the house and
is given a clean bill of health it is its owner's responsibility. 
Genetically your puppy had nothing wrong and was given a clean bill of
health.

Karen goes out of her way to extend her knowledge to
anyone who purchases her dogs.  I know and I am 100% positive that Karen
told you if you have ANY questions to call her.  Did you call her? 
No.  I am also pretty sure she told you that she has a couple vets that
she works with and even own a couple of Karen's dogs.  Did you call
Karen to tell her what was going on so she could send you to the vet
that is very experienced with her dogs? No.  You mentioned that you had
not had a dog for 7 years and you were naive.  You should have called
Karen the first day that she wasn't eating. I am sure that your friend
was speaking of adult Shih-Tzus who throw up.  It is not normal for a
puppy.   I know Karen told you to call her with any questions and you
didn't. If your dog was dehydrated, which is what you described as
emaciated and called Karen she would have told you she was dehydrated
and to bring her over immediately. Your vet should have given her some
fluid before he gave her blood or have done a Sub-Q IV. (This injects
saline directly under her skin and brings some fluids back) Yes, the
Karo syrup was good. (Karen would have told you to do that) The
antibiotics were good, but had you have called Karen like she asked and
even taken the dog over there she would have given you the antibiotics
and possible even resorted to tube feeding.  Karen would have also taken
the dog to her vet who is very experienced with Shih-Tzus.  I will tell
you that there are illnesses dogs can pick up from humans.  Bronchitis
being one of them.  Bronchitis turns into pneumonia and a dog of that
size usually passes in 24 hours.  Of course her belly was filled with
air, she was dehydrated.  I have stayed up many of nights with tiny pups
who have bellys full of air and I give them mylicon but I knew they
weren't dehydrated. I cannot stress enough that you should have called
her.  She knows her dogs.   I am sure that Karen even sent you home with
small can of Science Diet AD.  High protein puppy food. As Karen goes
through your goody bag she always says "call me before you give this to
the puppy." You didn't call Karen at all.  In my opinion, if you didn't
want to call Karen, your vet should have been monitoring her and
probably kept her at the clinic to observe her progress.  You were
duped, but I think it was by the vet who was charging you a large chunk
of money for his services. I have seen Karen stay up all night to do ALL
she could to save a puppy's life, and she has been successful. All life
is precious to her.  She would have done that for Aria and in my heart
of hearts I believe Aria would have survived.  I kept saying to myself
"Why didn't they call Karen?"  I am still puzzled to this day.  I will
tell you that Cee Cee has whelped a few litters and this is the first
puppy of hers to die.

Aria's brother is doing fantastic and he
has the same loving personality. The other two litter mates are
beautiful and thriving as well.

If you really think that she is
only in this for the money, don't you think it would have been a little
easier for her to give you your money back?  You were assuming that the
second hand check was bad.  That is not Karen's fault, it is yours.
Karen let you make payments on Aria but you were unwilling to let her
make payments back to you.  Is that fair? Karen did not have to give the
money back especially since you did not show her the dog, the receipts,
anything. Her dog money that she has come in goes right back into food,
vaccines, vitamins etc. Everyone seems to think that this is a business
that keeps the money rolling in.  Trust me, if that is what you are
thinking you couldn't be further from the truth. Many breeders have
regular jobs to support their household and do this as a hobby.  Karens
household is supported by another income and she breeds dogs  because
she loves doing it. I don't think that bullying was the method that your
husband should have used to as for his money back.  I am sure that he
was very upset and took it out on Karen.  She really does deserve an
apology for that.

Yep, animal control has been called.  They are
called by angry people like you who don't understand what goes on in
that business and wants some justification for what happened.  You don't
know the facts, you have never bred puppies.  It involves a lot of
heartbreak and more patience that you can imagine.   Breeders have
several dogs and some of them stay at their house and some of them are
with other owners.  I am sorry that you don't believe the fact that
Karen babysits other peoples dogs, but she does.  I have seen dogs in
there that can be little terrors, but she still watches them because she
loves her customers and loves her dogs.  They won't catch her doing
anything wrong.  Her dogs are registered , her house is clean and the
dogs are very well cared for.  You must have believed this too, or you
wouldn't have bought a dog from her in the first place.

I
completely understand your anger and your frustration, however I don't
feel that there is any way you can blame your loss on Karen or really on
yourselves for that matter.

I have three dogs that I got from
Karen and I don't trust anyone else with their lives.  I am so sorry you
didn't have the same positive experience that hundreds of her customers
have had.  Perhaps when your grief has passed and you see this through
someone else eyes and not just your own, I would like to give you the
first pick of Cee Cee's next litter.   I am sure that they will be just
as beautiful and have that magical personality that Cee Cee has. I would
also like to extend the opportunity of visiting Cee Cee would help you
with your loss.  Karen asked me to contact you earlier and offer these
options to you and I see that I should have done that.  I apologize for
that.  Please know that we were both shocked and dismayed at the loss of
Aria we grieved as well. 

You can contact me through Karen.

Jennifer