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My main complaint, as you will see, is that I believe this organization to be a puppy mill ring, and I believe that the breeder knowingly sold us a sick puppy, and now is refusing to pay ALL of her bills to get her better.
My fiancee and I just adopted a little boston girl in mid-December. When I contacted Marlene LIppert, the owner of the organization after finding her on the AKC website, she referred me to a "friend" of hers named Mary Klinedinst. I contacted Mary who had a girl puppy available within the next two weeks. It was really easy, she gave me a pick-up date, gave me directions, and we were all set! My fiancee and I went up two weeks later, I sent her a text a few days before to confirm, and we were all set. After driving over 2 hours to her house (which she was aware, as she was the one who told us that is would be about 2 1/2 hours to get to her house), we arrived to find 3 sheds that were all filled with dogs. She handed us our VERY tiny little baby Boston puppy, and we noticed that she had snot bubbles coming out of her nose. Mary then informed us that she had a "cold" and that she was on antibiotics. After hearing this, we were both a little weary about taking her, but at this point my fiancee was already holding her, falling in love, and Mary assured us that she would not even have put the puppy on antibiotics but with the stress of going to a new home she felt that she needed them. We felt that she would be okay.
I contacted our vet at Matthew J. Ryan Penn Vet Hospital 2 days after getting her and she instantly told me that the antibiotics that our puppy was on are really meant for humans, and they don't easily absorb into a dog's body. We couldn't take her to the vet right away because she couldn't be outside for a few days. If she were to get a chill this could result in pneumonia and probable death. We took her to the vet the following week and we were then told that she had kennel cough. We were shocked! So, at that time, they switched her antibiotics, told us to keep her warm and inside, and we were told that she would have to be on her new antibiotics for 3 weeks! I couldn't believe that our poor baby girl had to be on antibiotics for another 3 weeks, after already being on the antibiotics that Mary sent us home with for one week! I immediately contacted both Marlene Lippert and Mary Klinedinst. Mary basically told us that we were not covered for kennel cough, yet, the problem was that when Mary sold us our puppy she was not healthy, and we felt that Mary had to pay to get her healthy again. We were also really suspicious of her because our puppy was on the antibiotics for 2 days prior to us picking her up, and Mary never contacted me. Both her and Marlene had my cell phone and e-mail address. This tells us that she didn't want to call us because she was afraid that we would not pick up our puppy and she would lose $1500. After about 4 go arounds with e-mails, she FINALLY agreed to pay for the Vet bills. (My vet also sent her vet a report, and we sent Mary and Marlene the vet report.) The total amount was $200.00 which included the vet bills and the antibiotics. She then sent us a check for $100.00, saying that she was not paying for the first visit to the vet as we are supposed to get this anyway. I can see her point, yet, the fact still remains that she NEVER contacted us to let us know that our puppy had been taken to the vet, and prescribed antibiotics 2 days prior to us picking her up, and she sold us a sick puppy. (Which is acknowledged in her vet's health certificate.)
We did not nickel and dime her by charging her the gas to take her to the vet, the amount of time that my fiancee had to take off of work to get her to the vet. (In total we had to go to the vet 3 times, the first visit, again to pick up the second round of antibiotics as they expire after 10 days, and again as a follow-up.), as well as our extremely expensive heating bills so our little girl wouldn't get a chill. Yet, we really felt that Mary would do ANYTHING to not pay us.
Our vet also told us that anyone breeding more than one breed is typically a backyard breeder or a puppy mill. This woman had Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs, and Pugs. (She may have more as we only saw 1 out of 3 of her "sheds".) I also think that this is a little scam that these two women are running. Sturbridge Farms' website shows many awards that Marlene's dogs have won, and it seems incredibly reputable, yet here she is referring us to someone else. (Mary also informed us that Marlene sells all of her dogs...interesting!)
I am in the process of reporting her to the AKC as I think that they are using the organizations good, reputable name to basically promote their puppy mills. Marlene is on the AKC website as an AKC breeder, yet Mary is not. I am appalled at their behavior, and the fact that they love the almighty dollar more than this wonderful breed.
Our saving grace is that we do have our sweet, baby girl, who after being on antibiotics for a month is doing WONDERFUL! She is happy, healthy, and a vital part of our family! We truly feel that we saved her life, as the living conditions for these dogs did not seem very comfortable.
Having purchased a puppy previously from Mary I disagree 100% with the comments from Lacy. The simple fact that Lacy did not have a vet appointment scheduled prior to picking up the puppy says a ton. If that pup was so sick and she waited to get it help, well not a great advocate as an owner. There are vet clinics that take dogs in 24/7, and there are people that try to scam breeders also. Mary's business of selling puppies is clean, well maintained and she herself is kind, and gives you all the time in the world to make your decision. She is reasonably priced, and gives new owners all the attention they could ever want.
I am glad that this site allows both sides of the story and I am Marlene... discussed in the above complaint... about myself... Mary Klinedinst and Sturbridge Breeders Association.. I would very much like to address the other side of this.. First of all I would like to address the woman’s contention that myself and Mary are running a "scam" as nothing could be further from the truth. My website speaks for itself... and there is nothing dishonest about it.. I raise and show Boston Terriers and French Bulldogs and have done so for 35 years and in this time I have acquired MANY trusted friends in my breeds as well as some who do other breeds... So since I am certainly NOT a "puppy mill" cranking out multiple dogs for only profit... many times I do not HAVE puppies of my own and if any of my trusted friends DO have them... I of course will pass that information on to people looking for pets OR show prospects.. This is exactly what I did in this situation.. I did not have puppies.. Mary did.. and I put the two parties together...
At this time I would like to discuss Mary Klindinst... I have known Mary for 12 years... she raises Bostons, Frenchies and Pugs... She has a total of 20 breeding dogs... which in an informed persons mind would NOT qualify as a "puppy mill" .. Despite this woman’s claim that her vet said anyone with THREE breeds is a backyard breeder or a puppy mill... In my 35 years of breeding and showing dogs... I have met MANY people highly respected in their breeds, who have TWO breeds and sometimes three.. Backyard breeders are normally people who, without care to linage or health, purchase two or more dogs and decide to breed dogs to make some money... Mary, nor myself come CLOSE to falling in that category. From 2008 (when Pennsylvania implemented NEW and strict dog laws) til 2014.. I was on the Dog Law Advisory board for the state and almost single handedly took charge of the "safe harbor" program.. which allowed the REAL puppy mills in our state to call ME and come and get dogs they were planning on "dumping" because of the new laws, so they could either go out of business (which the new law forced them to) or move out of state to states that have no dog laws... Since I do not glean my knowledge OF puppy mills from advertisements on television... but have seen them first hand.. up close and personal... when I went in to them to rescue thousands of dogs... I take REAL offense at that label being stuck on myself OR on Mary... How ironic that this woman’s complaint calls Mary’s--heated---air conditioned--full access to grass yards--state of the art SAFE kennels... "SHEDS" so she can conjure up visions of dirty, horrible rabbit hutch type things to the reader of her complaint.. I own 6 acres and most of it is devoted to my dogs... I am proud OF my kennel as Mary is of hers.. we are BOTH licensed kennels with the state and we both pass inspections at 100% EVERY time... As to Mary NOT being an AKC breeder... Amazing... since the puppy this woman got from Mary is AKC registered... and Mary is ALSO inspected (as am I) by the AKC.. and has ALSO passed all of THOSE inspections with a 100%... FYI... there is no such thing as a "registered" AKC breeder... You either breed dogs with AKC registration or you do not.. We BOTH breed dogs who are AKC registered... Mary in fact stands her own CHAMPION AKC Boston stud... I bred him.. Mary took him to his championship...
As to this womans assertion that the puppy was SMALL... Her puppy was NOT a "runt" by any means and was the proper size for a puppy of its age... Again the inference is somehow the puppy was TOO small to leave... Which is NOT true... The only mistake Mary made here was allowing a puppy to leave WITH a cold brewing... and WITH medication.. Once this woman’s vet talked to Mary’s vet.. the conclusion WAS that the medicine prescribed FOR the puppy was a medicine that YES people CAN take... but dogs can also take it... and was actually the generic version of the same medicine that the woman’s vet put the puppy on... Mary DID try to fix this problem tho... and Mary DID pay this woman’s vet bill FOR the cold... Even though she asserts the cold the puppy had was kennel cough... HER vet did NOT state that in the vet report... or in speaking with Marys vet.. Even had it BEEN "kennel cough" --that is just another strain OF a "cold". Once again the complaint is worded to make the reader think the very worst.
In closing... This woman’s complaint is worded quite well to make the reader really question myself, Mary and our association of SMALL, GOOD breeders...I can tell you its a far cry from the nasty, emails filled with foul language that this woman’s fiancé sent to us regarding this issue. We have NOTHING to hide... ANYONE is welcome to visit us and see for themselves the WAY we raise dogs... We do not ship them on planes.. so eventually ANYONE who gets a puppy from us WILL meet the breeder and SEE the facility.. It’s sad that the Internet seems to be a place where mud can be slung... When 99 percent of people who got dogs from us are beyond happy with them in every way... . I thank you for taking the time to read our side of this story..
Sincerely.
Marlene Lippert