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Mittelwest German Shepherds

Mittelwest German Shepherds review: refund and abuse 10

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11:00 pm EDT
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I am a disabled man. I went to Julie Martinez, the owner of Mittelwest German Shepherds and made a deal with her for a pup. I got this male pup and after being told by her boyfriend/manager Grant and herself this would be a show pup, we made a deal. After having this pup for a little over a month. We noticed he was very afraid of everything. Then we started noticing his tail was crooked. I tried calling Julie Martinez, and didn't get a response until I placed some complaint ads up on breeding websites. She then gave me a female pup in return for the male pup, which I had to place because she was going to put it down. We had the same problem with the female pup, we brought it to Julie's training facility in Wonder Lake and the female pup would not do the bite work. She insisted that I wait until she gets a nice pup and one that she felt would be a good fit for me. She did sell that female pup to someone else but I never recieved any of the money and it has been over a year now and still no replacement pup. I have tried emailing her but she has a different excuse each time. These pups came from a breeding out of a dog she owns named V1 Yasso vom Mittelwest SchH3. She has many pups that were bred from this dog and I am sure many more issues and complaints. We became friends and I seen first hand how the dogs and pups are treated at her facilities and its not good. The kennels are dirty, the manager yells and abuses the dogs, she uses kids to do what adults should do and so much more. I will also be making complaints on many other sites until I get the pup that was promised to me. I also know so much about her operations and the handeling of the dogs and pups on her property and all this is, is a big puppy mill and these poor dogs sit in kennels all day and all night coming out only when people come for training or to buy a pup. They bleach the kennels and put the dogs right back into them before they are even dried off. They bathe the dogs and pups only when someone is coming to see them. They dont spend time with the dogs and all they care about is breeding and making money at the cost of others. The register the pups under their kids names and others because she has had so many complaints. There is so much more, if you are interested in knowing more please let me know. Thanks

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Paula Holman
, US
Mar 18, 2018 6:16 pm EDT

Thank you all for posting these comments. I was contemplating purchasing a puppy from them. Can anyone recommend a reputable breeder?

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Joy Bozzelli
, US
May 06, 2018 11:20 am EDT

If you are looking for one with papers check with the AKC for who they would recommend. But first, try looking on various sites like petfinder.com, they have many pure bred dogs, all ages, any gender. Please adopt and don't shop.

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DiAnne Krueger
Elgin, US
Mar 13, 2015 10:42 am EDT

thank you so much for these comments. I am looking to get a new dog and I met a beautiful long haired 9 month old shepherd at my vet office today. He is the dog of a serviceman who is currently away at school and Zeus is at home with the young man's mother. Zeus is a loveable dog and I was given the name of Mittelwest as where he was purchased from. I unfortunately will not get a dog from them since I could not handle losing a precious dog to an illness that can be avoided by caring for them properly. Hopefully the ASPCA is keeping their eye on this place!

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upset gsd owner
, US
Feb 07, 2015 11:29 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I have struggled with whether or not I should write this, but on January 28, 2015 I had to have my beloved German Shepherd put down. When my husband purchased him from Julie Martinez, he was 4 1/2 months old. My husband thought he was diligent in making sure that the puppy was coming from a reputable breeder and that he was healthy. From the moment we picked him up from the airport and brought him home he spun around and chased his tail to the point he actually bit the end off, he also sucked on his hips, we took him to the vets for that and was told it was anxiety. Over the next few years he became worse, he developed hip dysplasia, lost almost all of his hair due to what the vet said was a hereditary skin disease, developed bone spurs on his hips and spine, had prostate problems was aggressive towards anyone who came anywhere near me, including my husband and kids as well as anyone who came into my home, and as the vet would say "not right in the head". I never contacted Julie because to be quite honest I didn't see the purpose, I knew I would not even consider returning him, I wouldn't want another defective dog from them any way, he had become "MY DOG", he never left my side, no matter what I was doing he followed me everywhere. Mittelwest offers a "lifetime guarantee" on their dogs and I honestly don't get it, we did not purchase an appliance or TV, you don't just return a dog that has become a part of your family! We did everything we could to help him, tried different meds, skin treatments, etc... He was a good dog that unfortunately was born with a terrible body. It just breaks my heart to know that they sell these dogs knowing they are not healthy and don't have them checked by a vet before selling them. On the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection it stated that he was "to young" for his vaccines and or treatments, he was 41/2 months old, seriously? Do they just think we are all idiots? My dogs suffering became more then he deserved and I was faced with the decision to have to put him down. I will never buy another German Shepherd from Mittlewest, but will instead spread the word that no one else should either. I have read so many complaints from other owners and don't understand why these breeders are still in business. They are greedy and don't really care what happens to these dogs once they leave the puppy mill. I am sure that out of the hundreds and hundreds of puppies that they sell there are a handful that are great, beautiful, healthy dogs, ours was not the case and I'm sure it wont be the last either. For those who will say "why didn't you contact the breeder" I will just say this, When we purchased our puppy we committed ourselves to him, to love him, provide for him and take care of him, no matter what! A refund or another dog would never be able to replace him or the love that I had for this poor dog! He was my baby and deserved so much more then what he was faced with, we did our best to care for him and make his life as good as we could! Shame on you mittelwest for selling dogs you know have issues and not giving two [censored]s about the effect it has on the new owners!

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Janet Reich
, US
Jan 07, 2017 7:14 pm EST

I have had the same experience, we should seek legal help to shut them down. They just tortured my dog and I think she is a devil

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Joy Bozzelli
, US
May 06, 2018 11:17 am EDT

Breeders like this are still in business because people continue to "buy" animals. Adopt don't shop isn't just a phrase. Stop buying dogs/cats and these backyard breeders go away.

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Reicherthaus German Shepherds
RACINE, US
Nov 20, 2020 11:10 am EST

not all breeders breed this way. Adopt Don't Shop" is just a marketing scheme to get people to BUY dogs from rescues and shelters that are in it for the money. There are legit rescues as well. But whether buying from a good breeder, or getting a dog from a reputable rescue you need to do your research as you can get a bad deal from either one.

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GSD Lover
Cary, US
Dec 16, 2012 4:55 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am so sorry for your loss. Mittelwest is nothing more than a high end puppy mill. She is a heartless person and will get what's coming to her some day.

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Km1064
Greer, US
Dec 15, 2012 4:44 pm EST

I just lost the most precious dog who came from Mittlewest kennel. He had issues since 9 weeks of age. My ex boyfriend gave me him when we broke-up, because he was going to euthanize Nero due to his autoimmune ailments. Mittlewest took no responsibility for breeding unhealthy dogs. I fought hard to keep my sweet boy alive. He succumbed to a brain tumor earlier this week just shy of his 4th birthday. My vet is convinced he was the only dog to survive this long from his litter.

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GSD Lover
Cary, US
Jun 30, 2012 1:57 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We were ripped off too! We bought two pups from Mittelewest. One died suddenly at 6 mos and one has been fighting immune issues since we brought him home. They are only in it for the money.

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