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I purchased a Show Quality Great Dane from Kathy Williams - Witamy Great danes -- This puppy had severe bone issues and this person even though she has acknowledged problems with this litter and other litters she has not replaced my puppy or sent me any type of reimbursement for the 2000.00 I spent on him --- do not trust this name and stay away from any dogs with this name in their pedigree --- they are mostly inbred and all related to this same litter. I have proof so do not think am just slamming this kennel.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
We got a Dane puppy from her in early 2011, shorty before she was raided apparently. His Dad was Showtime, Ch., don't remember the mom. My wife and kids were ABSOLUTELY disgusted when they got there, but, fell in love with our boy, then, only 8 weeks old. They did take him (rescued him), and found he was covered with fleas on the way home. They pulled off at the first Petsmart and got a flea bath and bathed him the moment they got home. He has grown to be the BEST dog we've ever had. He has a wonderful temperament, he stands like a champion, he looks fantastic and loves every family member (including the chihuahua and Lhasa Apso) to death. We wouldn't trade this dog for the world. Weather he really is the result of a mill, or, has Champion bloodlines is irrelevant. We have nothing good to say about the breeder, and I'm glad her dogs were rescued however I can say with conviction that, at least our dog, is a champion, if only to us.
We drove 9 hours from Ohio to get our Witamy Dane and when we got there, we felt as though is were a matter of life or death to get the puppy out of there as quickly as possible. We actually felt as though we rescued this dog even though we paid good money for him. We knew immediately we had stumbled upon a puppy mill and we should not have supported it with our money but we felt very stongly that if we did not take the puppy with us he would be dead soon. The place we were currently at did not even come close to looking like the place pictured on Witamy Danes website. FILTHY is the only word to describe what we were witnessing. Anyhow, to make a long story short, we have now had our dog for 3 years and love him very much. However, he has several health issues and we have spent over $8, 000 in vet bills, surgeries and travel expenses. We have also had several vets tell us that they suspect "in breeding" which is what we think may have taken place also. Im not commenting to argue with anybody but simply telling my experience to maybe educate others so that the same mistake isn't made again. BUYER BEWARE!
Yes this complaint is very much the truth. I fell into the trap that so many people do but I knew better than to...and I did it anyway. I went to see a litter of her pups that sounded good online, you know how anyone can make a website seem like they are a professional breeder! The conditions were off the chart aweful, she was in a trailer at the time, five or more adult Danes and three litters of pups on the ground. Literally ON the ground, the floor, crawling blindly looking for their mamas who were moving around nervously the whole time and covered in scars and open wounds on their legs from all the fighting they would do. All those unspayed females with litters of puppies in such close quarters were just too much stress for them. Stupidly I ended up taking a puppy knowing full well I shouldnt buy from somebody like this but I fell into the trap of trying to at least Save one! What I really wanted to do that day was scoop up her one year old grandson that she was raising in the middle of all this filth and the fawn female with the sweetest soul that radiated from her eyes and get the hell out of there! I found out a year later that the fawn female whom I felt so badly for, died from infection caused by all her open wounds on her legs and disgusting living conditions...not to mention no medical care for the infection. My own puppy that I brought home, who ended up having that same sweet soul his mama had, he had to be put down before he was even two from severe bone deformity. He could no longer walk. Last summer when I read the news that her dogs had been impounded and she was finally getting what she had coming, I cried. I cried for my beloved Dane who had to suffer the way he did and die because Kathy was selfishly producing more litters than she could properly care for, and I cried for that sweet soul whose face I can still see...who had to suffer and die from an infection that could have been prevented in the first place but at the very LEAST could have been taken to a vet and treated. Kathy just did NOT want to get a job though, she just wanted to keep those dogs dumping out litter after litter so she could make a little money and stay on her ###. Because heaven forbid she get a job and set a good example for those grandkids the state stupidly put in her hands to raise while the parents did their jail time. I doubt it was out of love that she took those innocent grandkids in, but rather for the money the state would be sending her for their care, because she is aaaalllll about trying to screw the state for money. Social security, etc. Just look at her records online they speak for themselves. Kathy Witamy often defends herself loudly in newspapers and online boards since her dogs were taken from her and her puppy mill operation was finally exposed for what it was. She doesnt realize the louder she rants, the more obvious what trash she is. Many people in the Dane circle will tell you that kathy used to be a breeder who put her own dogs in the show ring, who strived for danes who would win shows. Thats how she started out. Then life fell apart on her and instead of picking up and dusting herself off, she went out with the trash.
I can assure you that at no time did the person above come inspect the dogs at the shelter. First and foremost, the Great Danes were never housed at the shelter until recently. Read the press releases and news stories, all the animals were kept off site. Secondly, I live in Monroe very near the shelter and there was no "police brigade" there at anytime (Monroe is a small community and us residents would have heard about this). Also, if you read the humane society's website, it states very clearly that they are not an animal control body. Therefore, they do not break into people's homes and steal dogs. Their website tells people to contact their police department for these issues. The last point I would like to make is that in the sheriff's press release and in the subsequent court hearings, it is very clear that there was a warrant to search the house and seize the dogs. Therefore, it was not unlawful. It was also noted in the hearing that the only person who inspected these dogs was a licensed veterinarian and an animal behaviorist. Seriously, if you're going to lie and spread rumors, at least get your facts straight.
I just found out about this seizure from an update on the news.
This smacs of the same thing they pulled on another breeder several years ago.
I got a call from the shelter to come and evaluate the dogs...I was escorted by a police brigade surrounding the shelter. I walked in and took one look at the Danes and knew right away who they where AND they were NOT, in anyway abused, or where they malnutrition, etc. This was lead by ACTIVISTS against cropping ears. Because these people had a litter of just cropped pups.
The abuse case they showed me was a VERY healthy 10 year dane that had a lick granuloma on his front leg. This is NOT abuse its a condition that is aggravated by licking. AND the puppies they seized (without a warrant) when I asked to see them...they said one of the members took them home to care for them. These puppies were NEVER to be found again. I left refusing to be part of any of this seizure that was not done by the law.
People whether they own dogs or not NEED TO STAND UP and stop these illegal seizures, coming into homes without warrants, and not following procedures which is mandated by law. They use these extreme cases to try and show everyone why it is important to get in and seize animals, neuter and adopt them out before the owners can obtain legal council. I know of a case of 2 neighbors that had been waring for years and one neighbor called the humane society on the other saying their dogs had no water. The water bowl on the deck had been knocked over, they had 2 dogs.
The humane society used the 'visual' of no water to break into these peoples homes!
Do they help extreme cases of abuse yes, have they been afforded too much power yes,
Do they obtain the legal documents to enter a home no, do they follow the appropriate procedure when a complaint is filed, no, do they follow proper procedure when seizing animals, no. They DO make sure it gets tons of media attention though that way no one will notice they never follow the laws.
Just because DOG BREEDERS have multiple dogs does not make them bad people...
(I may have worded this funny, but I hope you understand)
Dog breeders are sentimental about their dogs AND their offspring.
Reasons why dog breeders MUST have more than one breeding pair, a dam and sire.
It takes generations of producing to see what is the outcome in both phenotypes and genotypes.
If a dog breeder wishes to have genetic diversity, they need different pedigrees from different kennels across the state, nation and world.
(In simplistic terms, Pedigrees are like Recipes and are as different as sugar & spice, onion and garlic. and you need the different lines at different times. )
Female dogs only have two heat cycles are year every 6 to 8 months apart on average, compared to a human which is monthly. Many married human couples have tried to have children and unable to conceive for years. Certain times of the year are NOT the best time to raise a litter and find adequate homes.
Example: In the Winter no one wants to be out in the snow potty training,
versus in the Spring when the kids get out of school and parents have vacation to potty & obedience train their new dog, so they can have quality time for the dog.
Many dog breeders study line breeding and outcrossing results.
They select the pick puppies from their litters and grows them out.
It takes time, money and labor to grow out a puppy that is thought of as special and a good representative of the breed standard.
They have to raise them to 6 months before you can show them.
It is not like looking at a kindergartner(5 years old) and say this child will be Miss America and this child will become a Rocket Scientist. Future hopes make it interesting.
Some dogs do not make it in the show conformation ring, but may do well in hunting, obedience, rally, tracking, therapy, and more. AKC has other events other than showing that they can earn a title. Many dogs are working dogs and have special abilities, intelligence, and benefit humans in many ways.
They have to raise them to 2 years before you can OFA certify hips and elbows
and have to wait for the test results. Sometimes dog breeders keep more than one puppy from a litter and choose the one with the BEST health test results.
Other breeders may want a show breeding prospect that have been grown out. So they can see what they look like and see how they do in the ring comparitively.
Many breeders keep older retired dams and sires as respect to their geriatric age.
They may not want to put a dog down, just because it is older. That is like telling grandma and grandpa that they are no longer of value. Dog breeders still enjoy their personalities, even though they are not having offspring. And it is very hard to find homes for older senior dogs. The dog world is not like a terminal market for farm animals in agriculture - like dairy, beef, swine and sheep industry who ships out the culls. They have Johnson Creek to turn them into sausage or a glue factory, rendering plant. Just so you know that the dog world is not like that.
Dog breeders have a mentality(a way of doing things) and sentimentality ( a personal emotional attachment) to our beloved dogs.
(I am guessing that someone was badgering her, when she wrote this by the words.)
This is from her website... GUARANTEES and PRICING
The following information is pertinent information regarding the purchase of puppies from me. Please read this page over carefully before deciding whether or not you wish (or are able) to obtain a Witamy puppy. I reserve the right to refuse to sell a puppy to anyone I deem inappropriate. If you do not like this, TOO BAD.
I breed to produce SHOW QUALITY puppies... however, some pet puppies are
generally available due to litter size and the criteria that I base my selections for
show quality on. Because of this there are generally puppies that will be available to
the discriminating buyer... Witamy Great Danes is a labor of love and a HOBBY...
It is NOT a business... All dogs in my breeding program are MY PETS! If you are
looking for a puppy shopping center...or expect to be treated like you are shopping at
Wal-Mart... Please go elsewhere! Everything I do with my dogs from photos to
selling, shipping or anything else is done on MY schedule as MY time permits...
Please keep in mind that I "also" work, have kids, grandkids and a life aside from
my dogs. Also, I am looking for homes for my pet puppies with people that want a
member of their family, not a status symbol or kennel dog.
PRICES: **Pet puppies: $1200 limited registration. Show quality puppies: $1500
and up! **Deposits are a minimum of $300. DEPOSITS ARE ALWAYS NON
REFUNDABLE! I DO NOT REFUND MONEY! Puppies MUST be paid for in
full prior to cropping! Occasionally we do have special pricing! Please understand
it is for the advertised litters only and certain conditions will be expressed IN THE
AD. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING...NOT
HAPPENING!
Please read this page very carefully.
GUARANTEE: Witamy puppies are guaranteed for life against serious, life
threatening GENETIC defect by replacement puppy. I do not replace puppies for
any other reason or if you CHOOSE to send your puppy back. Puppies will be
replaced when I have one available that meets the criteria for the originally
purchased puppy! There is no time limit on replacement puppies. I do NOT
refund money. If for any reason you cannot keep your puppy, it MUST be returned
to ME. Should a defect occur I do not expect you to return your pet to get your
replacement puppy. Please contact me with further questions. My guarantee
reflects my love for my dogs and my faith in my breeding program!
All adults in my breeding program are first and foremost MY PETS. No dogs live in
kennels. They are all x-rayed for hip dysplasia and are tested for other hereditary
diseases as necessary. No unsound dogs either physically or mentally are used in my
breeding program. I am very proud of what I have accomplished over the years and
would in no way sacrifice that quality for anything or anyone.
WAITING LIST: Puppies are sold on a first come/first approved basis after litter
arrival. However, I am happy to keep your name and notify you when a litter is
born.
CROPPING: All Witamy puppies are sold cropped. Puppies will be available to
leave for their new homes between 8 and 10 weeks of age. Uncropped puppies can
be obtained with prior notification, no reduction of price!
SHIPPING: I am willing to ship and have many years of successful experience with
shipping. However, I do prefer to meet prospective puppy buyers in person when it
is possible. **Occasionally, I am also willing to bring your puppy to you, for a FEE
which MUST be paid in advance!
SHOW QUALITY PUPPIES: All show quality puppies MUST be co-owned by me
until completion of their AKC championship title. Show puppies are guaranteed not
only against serious genetic defect but are also replaceable if serious faults occur
such as bad bites or other serious faults that would affect their ability to complete
the AKC championship title. Show quality puppies are also guaranteed to attain
championship points with certain other stipulations being required. Please contact
me with further questions. Show quality puppies CAN be sold and shown
UNCROPPED! I am willing to mentor newcomers to the breed!
Please do not hesitate to call! (I Intentionally left phone off this post) I am ALWAYS happy to chat about dogs.
I think it is a case of a stupid "PET PERSON & their associates" probably blowing the whistle and whining over and over again til they thought they would put it to rest.
(I am going to voice my opinion and I don't know how much of this will show up since it is long, but otherwise I will try to repost what does not appear after I hit submit)
Dogs are animals, they are created by God and loved and cared for by humans. Not every animal or human is perfect, some win at shows, some live on the couch or kennel. Great Danes are VERY big dogs, it is harder to find crates and supplies for such a large giant breed, which live on average 8-10 years.
Getting Animal Rights People involved so they can get donations for their shelter. The AR bandwagon. HSUS and PETA will ask for your donations and the money goes to their exectives and not to help the animals. Infact Peta kills more than 75% of the animals they take in. Is that fair that they get the millions of dollars and the dogs are killed because of people like you who are taking away the dog breeders show dogs?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrTPiQUftSg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-uHgiilMQA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cCl4N4fnt0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y9Qa2GrHJA
The animals looked well taken care of. AKC inspects bookwork and the conditions of the dogs. You can't win all those dog shows with sickly dogs. It takes lots and lots of dog shows to become a champion. Pet people have no idea, not a clue.
The economy is terrible. People with out jobs, losing their homes. Moving to apartments where only small pets are allowed, if any. And placement for dogs is not as successful as you think, unless the media stirs up trouble, then everyone will want to SAVE a dog. And get it really cheap, and the money goes elsewhere instead of the people who took care of them all those years. It is a CRIME to take away the animals from their owners and sell them. It is robbery!
I don't know them personally, but the story got my attention. And I do have sympathy for dog breeders. How many acres is the house on? What if they built a kennel building and only had a few in their home for sanitation purposes. Let them try to apply for a Conditional Use Permit for their property.
It is hard to have a "Perfect Showdog". You have no idea how much pedigree and genetic research goes into raising showdogs. Nowdays anyone who has a litter of puppies or multiple dogs is considered a Puppy Mill.
When you raise dogs you humbly learn...
1. You are NOT God. -AND- 2. Mother Nature has a sense of humor.
Each dog, animal, and human are unique in their own way and one of a kind.
They are a hobby/show breeders. With this many champions, I would hardly say they are a puppymill if they are striving for quality and showing their dogs in the US & Canada.
Ch. Witamy's Poppin' Up All Over
Ch. Akorn's A Design By Witamy
Ch. Witamy's True Diamond Diplomat
Ch. Rinacre's Reflections of Witamy
Can.Ch. Witamy's Windfall V Cheviot
Can.Ch. Witamy-Cheviot's Chi-Town Shaker
Ch.Witamy's Promise Kept V Sisco
Ch.Witamy-Mavro's Hocus Pocus
Can.Ch.Witamy-Danetastix The Candidate
Ch.Von Scheer Playin' 4Keeps Witamy
Can.Ch. Witamy-Cheviot Designer Genes
Can.Ch.Witamy's Duchess V Pawtastic
Did you read her guarantees? www.witamygreatdanes.com/guarantee.html
The Humane Society is: GREEN COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY. Donations for caring, especially food, for the 46 dogs can be sent to: Green County Humane Society P.O. Box 54, Monroe, WI 53566
For those of you who unwittingly adopted from this horrible person--thank you for keeping your dog and giving it a good loving home.
The owner of WitamyGreat Danes, and all who live w/ her are nothing but TRASH! I can't believe she expects people to actually believe she shows these dogs--NO ONE who shows dogs or even cares about dogs, has this many dogs "living" in those conditions.
http://www.channel3000.com/news/28035530/detail.html
Kathy has NEVER been a reputable breeder. This is not news to most who've shown Great Danes in AKC events in the Midwest. Any decent breeder would shudder at the thought of her managing to get a hold of a dog from their lines, although she's managed to do this over the years by taking advantage of newcomers to the breed who don't know well enough to see where she houses her dogs in person. She is nothing but a puppy mill of the tallest order. Any dogs she's managed to get a championship on has been done by exploiting others. Nothing that lives in her "mill" would ever be able to show. I've personally seen the dogs she hides, the ones she breeds to death - they are scared to death, full of parasites and half starved. More dogs have died horrific deaths (including by fire) then I would ever want to know for fact. If you want to know what her purpose for having these animals truly is, have them spayed or neutered and she will have no interest in them anymore. Ask her where her source of income is - how does she make a living? She makes a living off of scamming people - selling unhealthy dogs or in some cases, taking money for dogs and never delivering them - she does not have enough income to pay for 46 animals! Anyone who has any knowledge at all of breeding QUALTITY, loved animals knows there is NO WAY you can make enough money to live off of breeding dogs unless you are a puppy mill. I believe Melissa has also had run ins with authorities in the past as well. I would STAY AWAY from this woman - she is sick.
DogDazed - I know quite a few dane owners and/or breeders that had their dogs for 10+ years without any health problems or surgeries.
Just a comment to DaneGirl... You had to euthanize your Dane at 8.5 yrs old. Most Danes only have a life expectancy of 8-10 years, so I would say that you got the full life span out of your pet, regardless of all the other issues.
Note: This is a corrected copy of my above statement. Random letters and characters were added to the initial comment- not sure why- but this is correct:
News reports today indicate Kathy's brother is the only person facing charges so far. Because he owns the property, he is being charged with ownership of all 40+ dogs. Previously the group, including Kathy Williams, her friend Melissa, and niece were all claiming a portion of the dogs- most likely to avoid the upcoming puppymill regulations so that no one person would exceed the number of dogs sold or litters produced to meet licensure requirements. Thank you to all those you took the time to tell the truth and to all the law enforcement entities that had to coordinate efforts due to the group's tendency to move when their abusive practices were identified in one area. Let's all be vigilant and make sure the dogs don't go back to their owners and then be relocated (and hidden from oversight) again. It sounds like the Green Lake Humane Association has been on the fron lines and really stepped up with helping the removed dogs. Please thank them for the hard work and donate whatever supplies you can to help provide for those Danes that now have a chance for a clean and loving home.
News reports today indicate Kathy's brother is the only person facing charges so far. Because he owns the property, he is being charged with ownership. Previously the group, including Kathy Williams, her friend Melissa, and neice were all claiming a portion of the dogs- most likely to avoid the upcoming puppymill regulations so that no one person would exceed the number of dogs sold or litters produced to meet licensure requirements. Thank you to all those you took the time to tell the truth and to all the law enforcement entities that had to coordinate efforts due to the group's tendency to move when their abusive practices were identified in one area. Let's all be vigilent and make sure the dogs don't go back to their "owners" and be relocated again. It sounds like the Green Lake Humane Association has been on the fron lines with helping the removed dogs. Please thank them for the hard work and donate whatever supplies you can to help provide for those Danes that now have a chance for a clean and loving home.
Kathy williams aka witamay great danes home was raided and all dogs where taken. Forty plus of them wednesday night may 25 2011 . So all the complaints made worked now hopefully these dogs can get good homes and the state will punish her to the fullest extent of the law. So any one who supported her new better shame on you!
I got a puppy from Witamy back in 2002 - we drove from Mid-Michigan to Madison Wisconsin to see this puppy. Once we were there she decided to bring the puppy to her mother's house instead of letting us onto her property. The puppy had a break in his jaw that she claimed had happened when the mother had stepped on him. She also said he was the last one left which I found out later was a blatant lie (she later admitted he was the only one in the litter). I made several attempts to get AKC registration papers from her and she strung me along for months before she finally admitted she was never going to get him registered and she would not send me the paperwork to do it myself. My poor dog had to have 4 operations and I finally had to euthanize him at 8 1/2 years of age. She is nothing but a backwoods puppymill as far as I'm concerned. BTW - she's listed on "Same Day Pets"...that should tell you something.
Check out [redacted]s.com for more information on this complaint.../link removed/ Might be an interesting read and insiteful.
Complaint is, unfortunately, accurate. Google "Witamy Danes" and see the litany of complaints posted on various sites. Then, look up Kathy J. Williams DOB 11-1956 in State of WI CCAP. Also, check with the sheriff department's animal control officers in Green, Rock and Dane Counties in WI and inquire about their issues with her "breeding operation." Contact any of her previous landlords (names and numbers can be obtained from court judgement and eviction records on WI CCAP) to discuss conditions in which dogs were maintained. Finally, drive past Witamy Great Danes current address in Brodhead, WI (also available via court records).
That is 100% correct...Witamy Great Danes should not be trusted at all.
They have gone from reputable to puppymill/hoarder in a very short time...
I have always heard the path to hell, is lined with good intentions.