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My Mother recently applied to rescue a puppy chihuahua from Pixie Mamas Rescue. I had met the dog through the foster parent who was on her way to bring the dog to the rescue. I knew my mother wanted to adopt a puppy to keep her senior dog company and I fell in love with this dog. The foster mom told me that the dog would have to receive it's shots and be nuetered before adoption could take place and that the pixie mama rescue (Barb Backhaus) would be in touch. To expite the process I completed an on-line application for my mother. over a week went by and Barb Backhaus would not return phone calls or e-mails from myself or the foster parent. I finally got an e-mail from Barb stating that she will not consider placing a puppy in the home of a senior dog because she was certain that the senior dog would be miserable having a young and active dog join the family. She insulted me by saying that the chihuahua was "more than just a cute puppy" and needed much more than the dog could get in my mother's home with a senior dog. She never spoke to my mother and never even visited her home to evaluate it and my mom's senior dog. This woman, Barb Backhaus was insulting, rude and self rightous. it is a shame that some of these rescue places become so radicle that they overlook a loving home for a rescued puppy. Pixie Mamas Rescue, Barb Backhaus, in my opinion through this experience was BAD to do business with, was insultting, ignorant and self rightous with radicle views that limit the placement of rescued dogs. I wonder if Barb Backhaus believes that the chihuahua is better off in her small home with 28 other dogs than in a forever loving home. I would caution anyone not to do business with Barb Backhaus or Pixie Mamas Rescue unless you are o.k. with being insulted and waiting for them to get around to contacting you. It appears that Barb Backhaus is not concerned with placing rescued dogs in forever homes.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I don't know if I want to adopt from you people; I am hearing a lot of bad things & comments about your organization. I had the same experience with a north carolina group { howling 4 spirit}. someone named denise brault. I was called names & put thru the meat grinder. I tried to give them everything they wanted but I did not know how. not too familiar with all this modern technology crapola. a very nasty woman & also a woman named rachel simmons; very rude & also called me names. I don't know what is wrong with these people; they say they want to get dogs adopted & you get nothing but a hard time. people throw dogs in the trash & throw them on the side of the road & an honest person comes along & we get treated like [censored]. I don't know what to do anymore. sick & tired of these miserable people; if you can call them people. said my peace. ronnie ladenheim
We applied to adopt a dog from Pixie Mamas. Within 24 hours, we were contacted by Barb, and set up a home visit for a day or two later. She spent at least 2 hours with us, observing how Toby reacted to his new surroundings, and us. She was extremely pleasant, and her love for dogs was obvious. We never felt that she was anything less than 100% committed to making certain Toby got a good home. In the long run, that is all that really matters.
I'd give Barb and Pixie Mamas 10 stars if I could, and absolutely recommend the organization to anyone looking for a rescue dog.
We had no choice but to give up our rescue Cheeto! My sister has a bad back and Barb Bachaus is just a uncaring person. She threw us off her Facebook page and we have no clue where he is at. I think that Barb is unprofessional. My sister and I are heartbroken over giving Cheeto up! The guilt is overwhelming. BARB could at least let us know where Cheeto is like MANY other rescue sites post. I am done here and I hope Barb can live with herself not telling us if Cheeto is in a good home. TERRIBLE!
To be honest, I don't find them to be very professional and one woman who responds to emails (I think it was Barb) was rather rude. However, I do agree that it is important to be diligent when choosing owners for these dogs, so I do respect that - yet there is no need for rudeness in doing so. I successfully adopted my little guy - I filled out an online application through PetFinder, was called that day or the next day, set up a meet & greet/house visit that weekend, and boom, he was mine the next day. I have a small apartment and was worried it may not be large enough, but Debbie Moscato said it would be fine - and it has been! We are so happy together, and I love him more than anything. But when I tried to follow up on further information, I did receive a rather brushed off response. Debbie herself was kind and responsive, but the whole thing definitely seems like it lacks some kind of professionalism and/or organization. But I do commend them for doing the right thing, I don't think they are bad people, and I have successfully met my soul mate through them.
Its very hard to hear "NO" when you hope to adopt a pup from a rescue. Foster homes take a lot of time to get to know each dog and they develop an idea of what the ideal home for a pup would be. Often there are several applicants for one dog. If a puppy wants to run run run outside and 10 of the 15 applications have fenced in yards does it make sense to put him in an apartment with seniors with no fence? Dogs live 12 to 15 years and the first several they are very active, chewing while new teeth come in and need to be taken out often for house breaking. The rescue does its best to place the dog with the right home. They do not want failed placements so often they will keep the dog in foster a little longer rather than have an unhappy dog and a angry or heart broken family. Its very hard to say no to a family and harder for the family to hear it. Its almost a give in that they will be angry when they hear it, but for once its more about the dog than the people and I think thats the way it should be!
I emailed Pixie Mamas with a question regarding obvious situations for an adoption to be denied (ie: too many dogs in a household etc) and I was emailed back a very rude border line nasty response. I was shocked.
I understand how you feel but they are very successful with their adoptions because of their scrutiny. In February as you can see above, I adopted a wonderful dog from them. Recently tried again, was a little unsure and Barbara was annoyed and rude. But, because she has to deal with so many difficult situations and has to be so careful about the homes she sends these precious pups to, I understand her situation. When I'm really ready, I'll go to her again as she's very good at matching up the dog with the prospective adopter!
Barb is a self centered, self righteous, condescending, awful woman. You have obviously not seen that side. Count your blessings. She will ruin your life and be smiling the whole way through.
Wanna hear the BEST part of this complaint? The woman who made the complaint took her personal dog to the SPCA and DUMPED it cuz she didn't want it anymore! Yep. and yes I know for sure. I worked with her. So the right decision was made by the rescue and the people involved probably have dealt with this so many times it was a no brainer. that puppy would have been right next to her dog at the pound. And I love the fact that she published the full name of the woman that runs the rescue. That is just crappy. So Patty DiNapoli you should make a public apology to Pixie Mamas and Barb and maybe admit she was right and you were WRONG. as for everyone else and their complaints - walk a day in their shoes.you can't make everyone happy there will always be someone whining they didn't get their way or think they were treated bad. big deal. bigger fish to fry out there people.
I’m sorry. She’s not wrong. The apology should go to your friend. I thought she was this amazing, helpful woman— ok I’m sure she is if you are one of her chosen few. I received a mood swing I never deserved and never saw coming.. Her response, her emails make me literally sick.
I adopted a miniature poodle from them and they were wonderful! Our wonderful dog Miles, was exactly as described and they're careful about who they give their dogs to so that the dog doesn't end up back in rescue or worse. Good for them!.
Wow— what a show Barb puts on.
While I appreciate what this rescue group is doing to help dogs, I have to agree that their level of professionalism is severely lacking. After a week of waiting for a follow up to an application, the responses I received from this rescue group were very aggressive and insulting. While I understand this is run by volunteers, a certain level of professionalism and respect should be shown to applicants. If an applicant is not right for a certain dog, they do not need to be berated for this. It should be relatively easy to explain why the fit is not right and then follow up with constructive comments as to why adoption may be right for them in the future with a different dog. You catch more flies with honey, right? I personally felt disrespected by this group and would not recommend their service to family or friends, but I do wish them luck in the future as the work they do benefits animals in need.
This rescue group is nothing but rude and impolite. This Barb sent my mother an email, after she seen the dog and was told she could have this dog the following Wednesday when the came to do the house visit. My mother checked her email yesterday and this "rescue group" denied her the dog and went further to accuse us of taking dogs out of crates without asking, and letting doge run with the leash. In the mean time my mother went and purchased all of the things a puppy could want or need in life. They never came to the house visit. They were very rude at the rescue meeting and had children, their children, running around. They denied me fostering because I have a small fenced area at the side of my house that is open. Never came to look at my house or asked me if I would fence the area in, which I am doing. I would not recommend this "rescue" group to anyone. All they wanted was to put money in their donation pot.
I retract my complaint... I have the wrong rescue group... sorry for any issues this may have caused... I can't find a way to remove the above statement
she took a payment for a rescue dog and refused to refund or give the dog to the forever home.. over $600.00 gone... something is terrible wrong with this business... and believe me action will be taken!
At first we had no complaints that ended quickly, however. At the time of adoption Barb had said that the dog had a dentist appointment to pull some teeth. Someone from Pixie Mamas was supposed to come back in a weeks time to pick the dog up and deliver him to the vet. The vet bill had already been taken care of we were told. Suffice it to say, we had to incur a vet bill of over $1000 on a fixed income. And the poor dog had two abscessed teeth and large bleeding gum sores. They will not give you a phone number and have not responded to 4 MONTHS worth of e-mails. Do they care about the animals or the adopters? Not in our experience.
She is a twisted woman. She is supposed to step up and help in that situation. Omg -/ I need to talk to you. I will never get over what she did to me. Please please contact me.
I recently adopted a dog through Pixie Mamas rescue. I have nothing but good things to say about this rescue organization. Barb was kind, courteous and professional through out the whole process. Rescuing a dog is not like going to a pet store and buying a puppy. Many things must be taken into consideration as most of these dogs have suffered greatly and been bounced around more often than not. All precautions must be taken to ensure that the potential home will be the last FOREVER HOME.
As dog lover who last year said goodbye to my faith full companion of 17 years, I would never have considered getting a puppy in her later years. I waited and now have two pups. They have the same energy and levels of mobility. If your mother has a senior dog and wanted a companion for it why on earth wouldn't you have considered adopting another senior? There are so many who need loving homes.
It's really unfortunate that you had a bad experience with Pixie Mamas. My experience however was very different and I would absolutely recommend adopting from this rescue. Remember these people are volunteers and do the good work they do out of a genuine love for animals.
lalalala
I comment Barb on her efforts to not place this puppy with just anyone. No one knows these animals better than the person who has taken care of them. RESCUE is different than getting any old puppy from a BREEDER. Breeders don't care where their puppies go to. As long as they are making the "buck" but with RESCUE we try to fit the puppy into its forever home. I agree with Barb that to have a puppy brought in with a Senior dog their may have been consequences. The Senior dog may have become annoyed and bitten the puppy. People have to "think through" before they just jump and get any ole puppy. These RESCUE people go to many lengths to take in puppies that are often times ill, miles away and are nursed back to health. I would suggest that the person that made this complaint think twice about adopting a Puppy with a Senior dog. I'm sure that Barb found a "better fit" for this little pup than this family. GO GOING BARB FOR TAKING YOU TIME AND FINDING THE PUPPY ITS FOREVER HOME!
Laura Umphenour
well, this is 2 years i made my original comment. and i stand by what i said 100%. barb went above and beyond for me to get the dog i wanted. she drove to niagara falls the canadian side to meet me. The foster homes she uses are just wonderful. tammy was my dog, jobi's foster mother. do you know she carried him around on her belly to get him to trust and build security in this dog?. these people are fabulous. all rescues should interview and di-sect people and thier lives. because the dogs do not have a voice. they are invisible. someone has to fight for them. Barb fights for them. how can you possibly put her down for that?
I adopted a beautiful dachshund from Pixie Mamas. I completed the on-line application on a Saturday afternoon. I had the dog less than 96 hours later. The organization did its due diligence, which is to be expected. I dealt with Deborah, who had been his foster mother. She was thorough, business-like, and polite. She followed-up, via e-mail, for a couple of weeks, to be certain all was well. About six weeks later, I adopted a second dog. Again, Deborah was wonderful, the process was smooth, and the dog - adorable. MY experiences with this organization were outstanding. They are very benevolent, kind-hearted people. I recommend them, without reservation!
I could not disagree more with all the complaints listed here. I found this organization to be professional, caring and thorough and anything less is not acceptable when it comes to secure loving homes for these furry friends who have endured so much pain. Barb walked me and my mom through the process and was great at answering my questions and got back to me very timely. We have to understand these people are busy too and are volunteering so much of themselves; patience is required in the application process as with the first days of adoption. I cannot think of one negative aspect of the whole process. If they do not accept one's application or deny adoption I say good for them for saying so rather than risking a bad experience for the animal and family.
My husband & I have TWO Senior Min Pins - they were 11 at the time we decided to adopt a Min Pin puppy who was 10 weeks old. Around 6 months after him we started to look @ the Pixiemamas web-site. We found the most adorable Min Pin/Chihuahua mix named Kenny. He was 4 days older than our new puppy. We placed an application with Barb & with in a week Kenny moved in with us. Barb was wonderful & had no problem with our having senior dogs. One of our seniors is completely blind & has been diabetic for 6 years. Before placing any of their dogs they also check Vet records - we are always there! I don't blame them for being so thorough since the dogs live with them prior to being adopted into their forever homes - they cannot help but to fall in love with them & to become personally involved. If anything happens to our senior guys we fully plan on adopting another puppy from Barb. Kenny is so very sweet & so well behaved. He fit in perfectly with our little doggie family.
I couldn't disagree more. We just adopted a Chihuahua for Pixie Moma's and the process was wonderful. Barb is very thorough and careful in evaluating applications from prospective adoptive families. This is a necessity, since the dogs being adopted typically have had a traumatic experience and need a special home. In our case there was a complicating factor in that we already have an adult Chihuahua who is oftn agressive toward other dogs. Barb stayed at our house for over two hours while we watched to see whether the situation would work out. When she left, she emphasized that, if there werey issues, we should call her, and if (God forbid) the situation did not work out she would take the new dog back no questions asked. Well, the situation has worked out wonderfully so far. I think Barb is an exceptional person and am so grateful to her for our new pet.
And another thing, Any WISE person who has common sense about dogs would realize that you never bring a younger dog into an older dogs home. It can really make an older dog feel uneasy. Make him sad, Jealous, and all sorts of things. It's to much stress on a senior dog. and a senior person. And you do have to have a fence for a small dog. SO THEY ARE PROTECTED ! from other dogs. OR from just seeing animals and wanting to chase them. Running into the road after another animal is a good way to get killed. Yep theres allot of rules... thats the way it goes in LIFE!
I received two chihuahua puppies from Pixie mamas. The do check you over very well. And you can't just snap your fingers and get a dog. It's a LONG process. YOu have to be patient and WILLING! TO go thru anything. These little dogs have gone thru tramatic experiences. SOme only have one eye. Some have been with one owner. And they have had to leave the dog. Because of health issues. Maybe they went into a nursing home. Theres so many reasons these pups are looking for new homes. OLd ones and new ones. Pixie Mamas. Study them in their foster homes for months so they can let us know all the habits and problems with these little fellas. These little babies young and old need a home. And love. I adopted two of the best dogs I have ever had in my life. And I have always had pure breed chihuahuas. These two were the best. Pixie mamas. Does the best job they can. S
SHAME on anyone who tires to rip them down. Yes these are women with families, jobs, Sick parents ECT! Be patient. And if you pass the test. You will get a dog. They have high standards. But believe me. IT's so worth it. I have SPIKE AND SPROUT! The best little dogs there are. If I ever have a ton of money. And I need to donate it. Cause I'm gonna croak or something. Guess who's gettin it... PIXIE MAMAS! God Bless all the mamas!
I am sorry this stuff happened to you guys. there are always two sides of the coin. sometimes we have to realize that e-mail is an impersonal mode of communication, and we could take things the wrong way. Also we can choose to take offense at things that were not meant that way. I am not saying your experiences are not true, i am just saying look at all sides. i am dealing with pixie mama rescue and i have communicated with barb so far. I have not experienced any rudeness on her part as of yet. I know they have high standards, but i have learned that most rescues do. the questionnaires are long and detailed, but i think they need to be. These dogs have been through hell, and they deserve to be in a loving home that suits them to a tea. otherwise they may be given up too easily after adoption. The rescues you have to keep in mind are volunteers with families, jobs, free time ect.. they are busier than us. So answering e-mails immediately may not take priority over paying bills, taking care of children and feeding dogs ect.. I contacted another rescue and never received an answer to this day.. i simply moved on. if they are that busy or disorganized, it is best i pass them by and move on to another. which is how i found pixie. keep looking, don't lump all rescues togeather and give another a shot. good luck!
I recently emailed Pixie Mama's adoption about a puppy my boyfriend and I were interested in. I explained that one of us is always home in our apartment and are an extremely active couple. Four days passed by and no one replied. I went on the Pixie Mama's website and read the update on the puppy we wanted. The update was very insulting saying that an apartment wouldn't be good enough for the puppy and she would need a fenced in yard and another puppy/small child to play with. Instead of responding to me in a professional manner they decided to write to me on a public website. very rude. The way they go about adoption is ridiculous, like they are god themselves. Maybe adopting the puppies to eager parents instead of bouncing them around in foster homes be better for them?
I have found the person who does the email replies to be very insensitive and rude
They don’t even offer condolences when you tell them your story of losing your own pet
I have dealt with Pixie Mama Dog Rescue and have found them to be wonderful, caring people. My son had to give up a dog this past summer, and they were there to help him through his critical time, Never rude, always polite, I cannot imagine this happening. I converse from time to time with Laurel, and she is nothing but pleasant. Lets give these people that do good for the animals a break.
Agree that this was a rotten thing for the rescue to do and not very good relations with the potential adopter.