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I would have preferred talking to someone who could have heard this story in it's entirety but hear goes. I hope I don't leave anything out...
A few months ago when watching a program I saw a small dog that needed adoption and it got me thinking strongly about replacing a family pet that we had lost in February from cancer and her old age. When checking many of the county facilities I found that the dogs were mostly larger breeds and that if they had a small one it was gone before I could even get a hold on it.
While surfing the web I found that there were many "rescues" listed and many that even listed animals that had been saved from puppy mills.
One month ago I found the perfect dog that meant for our family. I was not able to see the puppies but after seeing the mother dog and knowing what breed she would be mixed with and getting a description, my son and I picked the dog that would be our "Kasey". She was described as a tan and white female and after looking at the pick of the mom we knew it was meant to be.
I sent the deposit as requested and asked for updates each week. I had been told that the mother had been rescued and was in foster care and was an hour away. I have all the emails that can prove our conversations since that is how she preferred to do her business. I only received the one set of pictures because she claimed her "foster" did not have the ability to send her more.
Then suddenly she contacted me and said I could pick her up a week earlier than originally planned. I made the appointment to pick up Kasey on May 31, 2008. When we got to the Thyme and Sage Ranch, in Richland County, where she claims to "rescue" her animals, we first saw people and cars every where. Then we saw horses, geese, dogs, and puppies in a pen in the yard. It was a warm day and the sun was very hot but when I asked about my puppy I was told it was too cold for her and she was in the back of the truck. Jennifer Petkus, the owner of the site, went to the truck and brought me back a little puppy that was what had been described to me when I made the agreement with her.
Kasey was very animated and it was obvious that she wanted to play and have any kind of companionship. Kasey did smell pretty bad but I felt that after looking at Jennifer who did appear to have feces or dirt all over her it was possible the puppy had played in the barn area as she smelled much like manure. After Jennifer "checked out" another couple who was receiving their dog she came to me and said she would check me out. While we were waiting my son heard Jennifer speak of Disney, the dog Jennifer had listed as my puppy's mother in the advertisement, and that she had died. When we went up on Jennifer's porch I asked her about Disney and she told me that there had been a terrible accident with her at the foster's home. She said that the foster had left Disney outside with their dog and that the other dog had attacked Disney and caused life threatening injuries to her. She even went as far as to say that Disney and a puppy had been intended to be adopted by the foster family and now they could not take the puppy. She informed me that the puppy that was returned was a black and brown female. I had said maybe we would want to look at her since my son wanted a black and brown dog in the beginning anyway. Jennifer then quickly said that they dog looked more like a Chihuahua than a Yorkie and we would probably not be happy with her.
I talked to my son and he said he was happy with our choice and glad he picked her. I let it go and continued our paperwork. Jennifer then hurriedly got a couple sheets of copied pieces of paper out of a box and had me sign a spay/neuter contract that also has a health clause and safe environment agreement. She then quickly filled in some blanks on a piece of paper with Kasey's breed, name, and filled in a bunch of X's where the vaccination information should have went. Jennifer then gave me two sheets of paper about Coccidia and Giardia and mentioned it was something she could get if she was stressed out and if so to contact my vet. This did not bother me since I knew she would not have any stress and Jennifer said Kasey had been vaccinated on Friday (May 30, 2008). Including checking with my vet ahead of time on what to feed her and when to bring her in for her next shots. After finishing the paperwork we packed Kasey up after some pictures for Jennifer's "Happy Tails" part of her website, Jennifer told me that we might want to water Kasey from time to time on the way home and feed her since they had withheld food since 8 a.m. that morning. I didn't question it because we had a two hour drive home and I didn't know if she would get car sick or not being so very little.
We then drove home, stopping a couple of times for water and potty breaks but she was amazing on the drive home. I was in complete shock that she did so well. My own 10 year old (very healthy) Shih Tzu/Maltese dog does not do good in a car for 10 minutes let alone 10 miles.
When we drove home I tried to feed Kasey and it was obvious she did not have much interest in food and I figured she was just excited. I spent time with her on Saturday and Sunday trying to get her to eat better but she really did not have much interest but was however drinking. I did call Jennifer on Sunday and ask how to get Kasey to eat better and then tried to wet the food and it seemed a little better and Kasey started to eat. I even went and bought some wet food and mixed it with the dry and she ate some of that too but still not eating as well as I would have thought. I did contact my vet and he had pretty much the same suggestions and as long as she was drinking I felt all was well.
On Wednesday night, June 4th, I noticed that Kasey seemed much more tired but I had played with her quite a bit and she pretty much stayed right by me most of the time so I felt she was just tuckered out being so very little. We had bad weather that night and into the next morning. When I heard the very bad weather about 7 a.m. I realized that Kasey had not woke me up and it scared me. When I got to the crate I realized that she had been sick in the night and when I opened the door she did not come to me as she usually had done. I reached to the back and she was limp. I immediately called my vet and ran her in to be checked. At that time she was dehydrated from being ill in her crate and had depleted her glucose levels. I was used to being up in the middle of the night to let her out and feed and water her already and then my husband would before work as well. This was obviously very upsetting to us.
After the initial check the vet asked me to leave her there and to treat her with IV fluids. Later that day Kasey perked up and based on the shot record Jennifer gave me my vet only checked her fecal matter and found the highest levels of Coccidia and Giardia parasites that he has ever found in a sample from a puppy and felt it was the only cause for Kasey's illness. I treated Kasey and my other dog with antibiotics (precautionary for my existing pet) for the next 24 hours and made sure that she got some nutrients and drank as much as possible. Right down to sleeping with the puppy next to me so that I would know if she made a noise and could get her out and help if need be.
Kasey seemed to pick up some and Friday I thought we were out of the woods. Saturday morning I woke up and again Kasey had not woke me up and found that she had been ill in her crate. I immediately got her some water and her medicine and tried to soothe her since she did nothing but whimper at this point. I kept her warm and in my arms for two hours until my husband got up. But because she was now throwing up and I knew it was the last symptom we did not have before for a Parvo test my husband and I again ran her into the vet.
Once at the vet's office, we were immediately taken into the back and a Parvo test was administered. The Parvo test came back as a very strong positive, not any doubt at all. This was so very upsetting to me since I had called Jennifer when Kasey got sick and she said that she had used Pfizer 7 Way on Saturday before we got Kasey. This didn't fit since I knew she had said that she vaccinated her on Friday when I signed the papers. That was not the only lie since on the bottom of the paperwork Jennifer wrote 7 Way Van Guard which is not the preferred vaccination and can be bought just about anywhere per my veterinarian. These lies started to add up but I did not address her about them at this point because I was not sure if my puppy was going to be okay or not, at least when she first got sick.
On Saturday June 7th after the positive Parvo test my vet told me that he would have to hospitalize Kasey and keep her a couple days. He said she was still not out of the woods but he would do what he could. I was however very satisfied that my veterinarian would do his very best because he had done so much for our dog that passed away in February and as a disabled police officer I know this doctor is the one that handles all the canines in the department I used to work for as well. We stayed long enough to see that he was able to get an IV in Kasey, not what I thought since she was only 1.3 lbs. That was a sign that we really thought she would be okay. We then left Kasey in their care on Saturday mid day and waited to hear from the vet and his staff.
I did call Jennifer from the office there with my husband and the vet with me and she blamed my family for causing stress and that it was our fault that she caught Parvo. Parvo has an inoculation period of 7-14 days and that meant she already had it when I brought her home. It was just good that my other dog was as healthy as she is and that she is current on her vaccinations. When I told Jennifer that she lied to me and that I might have been able to save her she told me "I don't have time for this" and before she could hang up I guaranteed she would hear from me again. She treated my vet and myself like idiots and gave us absolutely no respect at all. There were no apologies at all and nothing but blame. She is surely not the woman I would expect to be running a "rescue".
So on Sunday night I did not hear from the staff and started to worry so I called the office. I did not hear and felt it would not be good when I did. Monday morning my phone rang at 8 a.m. and it was indeed my vet. He told me that Kasey had died. He said her body temperature had dropped Sunday afternoon and that she again became lethargic. He said her heart rate started to decline and he tried to give her medicine to help her but that the heart had been damaged by the Parvo and she did not make it. This was devastating to me but worse I had to tell my son about this and this was supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life as he was starting driver’s education that morning.
So after collecting myself and breaking the news to my son, I spoke to my husband and we decided that Kasey's little life and death would not be vain. I called the Richland County Sherriff's Office and spoke with them about this entire situation since my vet said that even had she been vaccinated once he felt she could have possibly made it. I initially was told that they would have a deputy go out and investigate this situation since it is obvious that she allows puppies to play where geese feces is and that alone is a danger to the puppies and to their owners because Giardia is contagious to humans. Jennifer should know that and did not say she didn't but said my puppy was never on her grounds. I know that I put her down not knowing that was the case and many others picked up those puppies not knowing that either. It was also my understanding that Thyme and Sage Ranch holds the contract for the animal control services for Richland County. This alone needed to be reported because healthy animals could be put there and get ill on that property before getting back to their owners.
Well after the initial phone call, I was notified later that no deputy would go out because it was a "civil matter". I informed my contact person that I was upset about this because it was more than a civil problem this was a health hazard. I was informed however that there was an upcoming meeting and that the contract for the Animal Control services would be discussed at that time. I told the contact at the county that I was not going to stop calling and that I had just begun.
So since then I have talked to members of the Richland County Board of Supervisors, the Richland County District Attorney's Office, the Ochooch Mountain Humane Society, Dane County Humane Society, and Dr. Yvonne Belay from the Department of Agriculture.
Some need take their own advice, as listed above, and be careful with the information they feel the need to question. Do you know the original poster? What gives you the right to question their knowledge about puppies? I have one small dog that is 12 years old and was cleared medically after routine dental work three weeks before I got the puppy and have since adopted another small breed puppy that is now 10 months old. Both are happy, healthy animals. The difference they were properly vetted and I verified that information prior to adoption. It appears that you are using the same verbiage that Jennifer uses to try to intimidate those that are the unfortunate ones to adopt a sick animal from her and call her hoping that she will be responsible for the animal.
Yes, I was the person that adopted Kasey May 31, 2008 only to have her die without being in my home for more than a week. I have been blamed by her for the death of Kasey even though at 1.5 pounds we were still able to get an IV in her little paw because she had been hydrated as much as possible by myself. Did you actually read the entire post? She was not dehydrated but died from the damage caused by the Parvo virus to her heart. My vet has sent that verification and I then forwarded it to the sheriff's department.
Everyone I have talked to has told me that Jennifer blames them for not caring for the puppy right and causing stress. Why have all the puppies been exposed to Giardia and Coccidia if her business is clean? If she properly vets her animals and follows recommendations made by good care providers? If you get a report of one case that was around other animals then it is recommended that they ALL be treated and quarantined. Shouldn't that stop it from occurring on her property again? There were two dogs, including Kasey, that I know died that weekend. It was reported to Jennifer and yet dogs are still dying that come from her "rescue".
You were quick to point out what one can be responsible for when they tell their stories and relate the TRUTH. Yes it is all true and there are many, many more that have been where I am still today. Jennifer is not the only one that can threaten slander and liable. She herself is not immune to prosecution.
As I told someone today, for every one bad story I am sure there are many good ones but if you adopt an animal that is guaranteed to be properly vaccinated and handled prior to adoption and we can prove that they have been in a healthy environment but died from Parvo within days after adoption, who is responsible? Not the people Jennifer keeps blaming. I was never offered a refund but simply blamed for the death of my beloved puppy. One dead puppy is too many but how many need to die before someone pays attention to this problem? Get your facts straight before you post or you may be sitting next to Jennifer when the truth finally prevails.
And I GUARANTEE you the truth will prevail.
I don't hide behind any screen names and only wish the best for each and every animal that Jennifer may eventually have contact with. I can thank Jennifer for bringing this situation so close to home for me. I will continue to fight for legislation that governs the regulation of any business listed as a "rescue". I now volunteer for a local rescue and will do my very best for those furry little ones that cannot speak for themselves.
If you believe that she is doing a good job then fight for legislation that will allow unscheduled inspections and she can show those naysayers differently. If we all put all our efforts towards the right reason and not accusing others of lying we might have fewer states without proper laws to keep ALL our animals safe.
I would like to address the comment that alluded to barnyards normally have dirt, mud and feces and thats it should be considered normal... WRONG!
I know nothing about this rescue farm or the people involved, but while reading the comments, I can assure you that filty stinky conditions are not unavoidable in a farm or dog kennel setting.
I raised champion quarter horses and a couple of litters. My barn stalls were not only cleaned thoroughly each morning, but throughout the day into manure buckets that were emptied each evening. Aisleways swept and blown out twice a day as well. My paddocks as well as pastures were pitchfork picked daily as well to discourage accumulation of manure and flies. Stalls were stripped once a month and disinfected, walls and rubber matted floors. The manure pile was maintained at some distance from the barn, turned and treated to often to accelerate decomposition. All of this resulted in practical no flies or insects or rodents, and my barn smelled sweet as hay. Outside was only the fresh crisp smell of nature and cut grass.
Having a good heart and intentions to help animals is all well and good IF you also have the means and energy to do the work required to maintain a healthy and clean environment. This is a fact.
Parvo virus can live in dirty surroundings so that all animals that are introduced and come into contact with it will be exposed. So regardless of all the other accusations, whether true or not, if her place is a pig sty, and she is truly motivated to rescue animals, she will not bring any more animals on to that property until it is cleaned up and stays that way. There should be absolutely no unpleasant odors, and the absense of any evidence of feces and manure, in any area of a true rescue facility.
My puppy just died today. i got her 10days ago. she has beem at the vet in cirtical condition pretty much since i got her. and when i called her she was once again accusing us of bringing her to the vet saying it puts tomuch stress on her. well after trying to get her to eat and keep warm she started to have seizures. wtf. and jennifer told me that what im posting on here can be used against me because she is getting a lawsuit together. good stuff. if i had the money i would have one too. but after close to 1000 dollars to try and keep my baby alive...that kinda tapped the wallet... happy holidays right!?
I just wanted to give an update about our lil puppy Kobe. He is now 15 weeks, and 4 lbs. When we got him he was 1.2 lbs, and 10 weeks. He is the greatest lil thing in the world. Even though we went thru alot to get him healthy, we are thankful we got him.
Ok-
I was going to stay off of here-but was alarmed at what I found out.
Penny-did you know your puppy was fostered by the sister of the person who posted under Annette. It was her dog that killed the mother of your puppy. Further-Jennifer's vet tried to save her and when she died-her vet fostered your puppies. They went straight from the vet to you. They were nursed w/ care for 4 weeks by a vet. They were never w/ Jennifer. The other three thrived-why did you lose yours? Perhaps it was improper puppy care-you yourself put it down to run around the ranch w/ the geese. You admit it would not eat...hmmmm...
Also-
Annette-your puppy was given to you for 1/3 the adoption fee. It became sick and you brought it back for Jennifer and her vet to tx because of cost. She further advised me that this puppy was bounced around to different family homes because you did not have approval from your husband?
It seems like several people post half the story. Jennifer is too busy w/ adoptions and caring for animals to feel the need to take any defense.
Further-Animal Lover-
Can you post your name as her attorney for a libel case would like to know this information. Afterall-
you posted your thoughts as facts-that is libel.
What happened to you is horrid. I feel so bad for your family and I can't understand how a person could lie outright about the health of a puppy or any other animal or pet. It did give me an education though. I guess I was lucky when I made my one and only purchase from a person who breeds puppies btw it wasn't this person.
I hope things are made right but that won't bring your puppy back...
A spy I am not.
I can certainly attest to the fact that I dearly wanted to adopt a puppy from Jennifer. All of my references would have attested to that as well, as would my vet. I have been searching for a very long time and based on her website, I had only great things to say about Jennifer and her rescue.
Why on earth would you call me a liar or a spy? Ridiculous.
It deeply concerns me that there is so much of a defensive nature associated with this rescue. I feel badly that you called me a liar, when in fact YOU LIED TO ME about this dog.
Whether the dog is dead or alive at this point in time is not the issue. Either way, you acted without moral principle.
This is NOT the right way to conduct an ETHICAL organization.
I came across this thread while searching for the rescue's address and was surprised to read such negative comments. I adpoted a 7 week old cocker spaniel mix puppy in July and had no problems at all. Had her checked out when I got home and found out I had a very healthy little girl. Last weekend we made the 8+ hour roundtrip from Chicago back to the ranch to adopt another puppy for the lady-friend. Again, the new one seems to be doing really well.
Shameless photo plug for the pup: http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=44363578&l=7291f&id=12459112
The area where the pups stay is a work in progress, but I certainly feel the environment was adequate. Remember, it's a rescue, not a pet store. The adoption fee is half as much as most other similar facilities--I can't imagine anyone profiting from this. After observing the number of dogs that were adopted during our short visit, I'd say the few of you that are complaining represent a very small minority. As for the "puppy broker for the Amish" accusation, I have no knowledge nor did I see any evidence to prove or disprove this statement. However, for the person that made this accusation, what is your basis for such a comment? When you say such things without backing it up with any sort of proof, it makes it appear that you simply have a bitter grudge against the owner of this operation and you are trying to destroy her reputation based on lies. If you have proof, let's see it. If its true, I'd be all for shutting the place down...
I adopted two dogs from Jennifer within the past year. I live in CA and flew to Wisconsin to pick them both up at different times. I had some minor health problems with them at first. I was prepared for this knowing the environment that they were coming from. Our two dogs are such wonderful additions to our family. Our puggle Fred sleeps with our small daughter at night. Before Fred came along she was always too scared, now she feels she has a protector. Our other dog Bernie a Chi-pap is a small loving spirit. I would definitely adopt from Jennifer again if we had more space. My experience with her was wonderful. I think that she is doing fantastic work, and it takes a special person to take on such a big task.
OMG...How DARE YOU to call me a liar. I am not hiding behind any screen names Sigler is my maiden last name. YES I AM DESTINY CARTER, and I was just posting my story. I do feel that I was lied to and I dont care if you were there with Jennifer when I called her or not. FIRST, of all she told me that she only had one puppy left from the litter, so please tell me how the other littermates went out the next day after we picked up ours.
And to say that we didnt use common sense...Jennifer was supposed to bathe dog befoe she delivered and she didnt so yes we had to take it and get it bathed because it ### all over our car and rolled in it. SO would you rather me just let the tiny little puppy stay covered in poop.
HOW DARE you say we wanted a premium puppy for cheap, by no means are we in need of money my husband is a professional football player and we could have afforded what ever dog we wanted, before we seen the pics of the multi-poos we were going to drive to chicago and spend $750 so please do not assume that we wanted a "cheap" puppy. If that was the case we would not have spent the $900+ dollars we spent at VET.
I called in to work to nurse the puppy to health literally hand feeding it piece by piece of dog food. I laid with it for 2 days straight toileting it and loving it. Please do not questions our caring loving hearts of our puppy. I would like to say that it is a great asset to our family, he is not lethargic any longer, no more diarreah, plays and loves us. It was worth all the money and all the vet visits in the world.
So anyways, I have never said that what Jennifer does is not important, all i said was that when adopting a puppy out BE HONEST...it is expected to have vet costs but please if the dog could be possibly sick let the famiy know, because honestly we were scared and did not want to lose our little one.
FYI_it is all about education...
The first thing that has to be considered is that coccidosis is very common. It is likely that 30 to
50% of puppies have coccidia in their stools at some time during their first few months of life. This can be induced by stress such as rehoming, travel, and new environments.
These may be coccidia from another species that the puppy or kitten has in the digestive tract
due to ingestion of stool, such as rabbit feces, squirrel feces or cat feces (in the case of
puppies). If this is the case it is unlikely that the puppy or kitten will actually have any clinical
disease as a result of ingesting the coccidia. In other cases, a puppy or kitten becomes infected
with coccidiosis, produces lots of oocysts of coccidia but never has clinical signs of disease
such as diarrhea, loss of appetite, vomiting or failure to thrive. These pets may never show any
clinical signs and without signs it is questionable whether they should be treated or not, although
I think that almost all veterinary practitioners go ahead and treat for the infection. Isospora
species can also be transmitted through ingestion of intermediate hosts, such as infected mice.
Isospora species that affect dogs include Isospora canis, I. ohioensis, I. neorivolta and I.
burrowsi. The species that affect cats include Isospora felis and Isospora rivolta. These
coccidia tend to be pretty species specific, so infection of a puppy or kitten is not thought to be
a risk to humans and puppies are not a risk to cats or infected kittens a risk to dogs. It is very
likely that if one puppy in a litter has coccidiosis that all puppies are affected. It is extremely
difficult to prevent coccidia infections, especially in group situations, so puppies coming from a
breeder with coccidia is not an indication of poor sanitation or poor health care practices. It is
simply a very common problem.
Coccidia spread when oocysts are shed in the stool of infected pets and then the oocysts are
consumed later by another susceptible dog or cat. Since incredible numbers of oocysts are shed
from infected pets, the environmental contamination with coccidia oocysts is severe. Puppies
and kittens often show signs of illness, usually watery diarrhea, before there are oocysts in their
stools, so it sometimes takes several fecal samples to know if a puppy or kitten is infected. In
addition, lots of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are infected and are shedding oocysts despite
having no clinical signs of infection.
Coccidia are easy to find using standard fecal floatation methods for fecal exams and are often
present in sufficient numbers to show up if a small amount of stool is smeared on a glass slide,
mixed with a small amount of saline and examined.
When Isospora species cause disease the most common form is watery diarrhea that is very
profuse. Many kittens and puppies seem to just leak watery stools as if they have no control at
all over their bowel movements, while others have a more "normal" diarrhea. Without treatment,
the diarrhea might last for several weeks. With treatment the diarrhea might last several weeks,
too --- but it does seem to cut down some on the duration of the diarrhea to treat affected
puppies and kittens. The most commonly used medications are sulfonamide antiseptics, such as
sulfadimethoxine (Albon Rx, Bactrovet Rx) given at 55mg/kg of body weight initially and then
27.5mg/kg per day for 4 to 7 days. The medication should be given until two days after
symptoms of illness have disappeared. Lots of vets substitute trimethoprim/sulfa combination
medications (Ditrim Rx, Tribrissen Rx, Bactrim RX) for this sulfadimethoxine, using a dosage of
15mg/lb of the combined product and this seems to work, too. While it is probably impossible
to kill all the coccidia in a puppy with clinical disease using medications, it may help reduce the
numbers of organisms that littermates and housemates are subjected to and to shorten the
duration of clinical signs.
In some cases it does seem like there is resistance to the sulfanomides. I am not sure if this is
actually the case, since it is difficult to tell if the medication is working in the first place.
However, if this is suspected, alternative medications include ampolium (Corid Rx) and
furozolidin (Furoxone Rx).
General cleanliness does not ensure that infections will not occur, but removal of contaminated
stool reduces the potential for infection. The oocysts are supposed to be pretty resistant to most
disinfectants and things like steam cleaning or flame guns may be necessary to actually kill the
oocysts, which is impractical for most situations. Keeping access to mice down (especially for
cats) is also a good idea.
So the direct answers to your questions are that most of the time all littermates are infected. It is
not likely that other species will be affected. The organism is spread in the stool, so keeping
non-infected pets away from the stool of infected pets is helpful but if they share a common
environment it is highly likely that infection will occur. The infection may or may not cause
clinical disease and treatment is generally considered to be necessary only for pets showing
clinical signs.
I hope this information is helpful.
Mike Richards, DVM
8/20/2001
I would like to start by thanking Jennifer at Thyme and Sage Ranch. Most rescues would not even look at my adoption, because I was 60 years of age. I'm a retired Coast Guard veteran and disabled, Jennifer let me open my home to a 5 year old Cockapoo named Annie and a 8 week old Cockapoo named CoCo. They have brought happiness back into my life after losing my Siberian Husky after almost 20 Years. I wake up every morning with a smile on my face. I live in Tacoma, WA. and Jennifer does not ship. So my daughter in law (T. Falkey) took a flight from Washingtpn to Madison to pick up my two adoptions. She adopted 4 dogs of her own. I have nothing to say but THANK YOU for giving me Annie and Coco and for giving them a second chance at a real life. Keep up the good work. Sincerly R. Falkey
Dear Animal Lover, although I am sorry for your loss please have some compassion for another human being and limit your answers regarding the dogs and their health care. It does not help the problem or further your arguement by insulting someone you do not know and it shows a lack of education and maturity! Thanks
The most common form of parvovirus infection is a sudden (acute) inflammation of the small intestine or enteritis. This is characterized by depression, vomiting, diarrhea and profound dehydration. Bloody stools and a drop in white blood cell numbers are common. Some puppies die as soon as diarrhea occurs but many linger on for 4-6 days. Those that survive eight days usually recover. The lack of white blood cells and ulceration of the lining of the small intestine lead to secondary bacterial infections. There are many other virus and bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea in dogs. This leads to misdiagnosis where not all cases of “Parvo” in puppies and adults are actually due to this virus
How is parvovirus infection diagnosed?
Not all cases of bloody diarrhea with or without vomiting are caused by parvovirus and many sick puppies are misdiagnosed as having 'parvo.' The only way to know if a dog has parvovirus is through a positive diagnostic test. In addition to the more time consuming and expensive traditional testing of the blood for titers, a simpler test of the feces with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay antigen test (ELISA), commonly called the CITE test, is also available through most veterinary clinics. Testing of all suspect cases of parvo is the only way to correctly diagnose and treat this disease. A complete physical exam and additional laboratory tests such as a CBC and chemistry panel help to determine the severity of the disease.
Some vaccinated dogs may have a false-positive test, i.e. the virus in their feces is vaccine strain. The vaccine-positive result can happen within about 3-14 days of vaccination. A study in kittens suggests this is uncommon with some tests - only 1/64 recently vaccinated kittens tested weakly positive on the Idexx brand test. However, 13/64 kittens tested positive, some strongly positive, on the Synbiotics brand test. (Levy, J. K. (2006). Impact of Vaccination on Parvovirus Testing in Kittens. International Veterinary Vaccines and Diagnostic Conference, Oslo, Norway.) Equivalent data is not available for puppies, however all puppies testing positive should be carefully isolated regardless of recent vaccine history.
Conclusion
In summary, parvovirus is a very common problem that is a huge killer of puppies. Due to its ability to be transmitted through hands, clothes, and most likely rodents and insects, it is virtually impossible to have a kennel that will not eventually be exposed to the disease. Modified live vaccines are safe and effective, but despite the best vaccination protocol, all puppies will have a window of susceptibility of at least several days where they will be at risk. In addition, the newer CPV-2c strain presents new challenges since it is less detectable in laboratory tests and current vaccines may not be as effective in providing protection against it. Prompt treatment by a veterinarian will increase survivability in infected puppies and working with your veterinarian on a vaccination program that is best for your puppy is important.
Hey Sue-or is it Elizabeth-who knows you are all about lies.
HOPPER is in a new home-just not yours, there was a better home and Jennifer knew you were just a spy...she was right. How quickly you posted false information...you lose!
She actually decided not to adopt to you and set you up...your loss and next time-adopt as an honest person wanting an animal. And by the way---her vet is a she not he and is at a conference. Hopper was on medical hold-observed and adopted. Please get your facts correct. I cannot believe she was right about you. You too are now libel for your post...
I recently had planned to adopt a puppy from Jennifer. The same day I was to pick it up, it mysteriously came down with a disease, leaving him lethargic. When I asked her if her veterinarian had seen the dog, she told me that he was at a "vet conference" and was unavailable. She seemed unconcerned, but hesitant to let me adopt him. With the recent discoveries of fatally sick dogs, there is no doubt that she was feeling gun shy, and with good reason:
Within two days the dog was dead.
After reading all of these emails, it was no surprise. I had contacted my veterinarian to get her opinion. Had that dog been vaccinated with the proper medicines, he would have been alive today. For an unprotected pet, once a rampant disease such as Parvo infects an area EVERYTHING needs to be sterilized and the infected pet needs to be quarantined from the others and needs to see the veterinarian IMMEDIATELY.
More than likely, many of the other pets in this facility have been infected with the same disease and will be dying soon, too.
DO NOT TAKE THE CHANCE AND ADOPT FROM THIS FACILITY. IT IS NOT A PLACE WHERE PETS ARE BEING TAKEN GOOD CARE OF!
I didn't read some of the posts, but to the person who posted about defamation--Its not considered defamation if its true. This woman was posting about what her experiences were with Jennifer; just because they were negative doesn't mean its defamation. If Jennifer had been running a spotless perfect rescue and the poster was saying this, THEN it would be defamation; but as even supporters of Jennifer say, the poster's statements (the majority of them) are true. Conditions are poor. Animals are sick. Its not defamation. Get over yourself.
Probally because we don't want you idiots contacting us directly. If a puppy has parvo it is in the best interest of the pup to be at the vet. 90% of the time it's fatal.
If these stories where so true! Why are these people hiding behind screen names... AKA Lab Lady, Animal lover, Bz, Dog lover, and most recent Ms. Sigler - aka Ms. Carter. Why don't you put your real name out there if you have nothing to hide...
To Ms. Sigler-aka Ms. Carter
HOW DARE YOU!
I was at Jennifer's when you called her Friday night. I heard her tell you to bring the puppy back or she could meet you in Madison and that she felt the puppy was stressing. She offered you a FULL refund and you declined. She also asked for your vet to call her and she recvd no call. Puppies are not immune from Parvo ever and are most likely vulnerable until 10 days post their 3rd shot. What EXACTLY did she lie to you about? I helped w/ adoptions this weekend and all three littermates went home and callbacks were wonderful as I heard her disclose about your situation. DID you ever consider that just gettinga puppy that small-already stressed w/ travel-taking it to get bathed right away (stressing it out further), and then leaving it at a vet clinic the first night was NOT in best interest of this puppy. I think common sense was not done. You are indeed not telling the truth on your post and SHAME ON YOU! You are a prime example of wanting a top knotch puppy cheap.
I did alittle more thinking about all that has been said about the PUPPIES. First off I know Jennifer's policy is to adopt puppies after they are 8 weeks of age. So with that said. Most vet's do not do rabbies shots until the puppies are 16 weeks of age. Second most vet recommend that you have your puppy spayed or neuter done at 5 to 6 months of age, but not earlier than that. Some pounds will do it earlier, but thats the guide lines on some of the things. I know thats my adoptions had all the age appropriate vaccinations and de worming done at the time I adopted my 4 dogs. With the Parisates they can lay dormint in a puppy or an adult dog until they are subjected to stress and if you don't think that going through the rescue process is not stressful on them you are fooling your self.
So I'm guessing that all the puppies that we are talking about where less than 12 weeks of age. So again with all that said I'm not sure what you are looking for except to try and hurt Jennifer for caring enough to put the rest of her live on hold to help god gifts...
Jennifer keep up the good work. I support you 100% from Seattle, WA.
My journey started back in December of 2007. I adopted a 17 week old puppy from Jennifer. Unlike most of the adoptions. I took a flight from Seattle Washington to Madison and had to spend the night at a hotel in Madison to adopt from Jennifer and her rescue. She does not ship her animals, because she does not want anything to happen. I was very happy in my treatment and all the information that I recieved on my new addition. Yes I had to get additional vet care and have my little one fixed, but I know that up front. I was so happy with my adoption. I went back 4 more times to adopt from her rescue. So I have a total of 4 dogs, they range from 17 weeks old to 5 years of age. They all needed additional vet care and I knew that up front. I also picked up 2 dogs for my father - in-law that he adopted from her rescue. If I could I would adopt more from her, but since I'm at my limit. I decided to sponser 10 older dogs to get professional groomed to help get them into a forever home. When Jennifer rescues from the mills the older dogs do not look like they have ever had a bath or been groomed. I wish there were more people like her in this world it would be a better place to live! One last word, if any of you have a true complaint than quit slandering her because you are libel and can be sued, furthermore quit hiding behind e-mails and post your real name and info and take legal action show some inner fortitude. Lastly if it was such horrid conditions at her place why did you adopt the puppy?
If you could walk in her shoes for one week. I think you could not or would not do the things she does to take care of gods gifts.
I'm sorry about your lost, but there are on guarantee in life. Especially when it comes to these little one's that she is trying to save. A lot of these puppies come straigh from the mills and are put up for adoptions. So its the mills that have shipped these puppies off in this condition. I have notice most of these complaints are about puppies. It appears to me that you where looking for a puppies, but not wanting to pay breeder prices. If you where looking for a guarantees you should of gone to a breeder or our local pet store...
Please be advised that this is not slander. I really truely in my heart believe that the Jennifer lady is on one hand doing a great deed by even taking in dogs. On the other hand though my husband and I and child just bought a dog TODAY...YES TODAY...and we were lied to. We immediately went to Vet Hospital to have the dog checked out and got it bathed. Well this is reality NO LIES and if anyone wants to prove I would be happy to get any emails requesting scanned medical reports, and invoices and the contract all dated TODAY. Anyways, we take our little teacup in today to have a check-up and VERY VERY BAD NEWS. The dog has ear mites, yeast infection level 4...parasties in feces, GIARDIA, and YES PROVO...or however you spell it. So please tell me how as owners for 1/2 day with no other animals around us caused this puppy to have provo, and etc. So after paying $300 adoption fee, and writing a check for $945 to vet clinic, and our dog laying up in there hoping and praying for survival, am I not supposed to be upset. Like I said no slander or libel JUST TRUTH, I have to proof to show it. I will be contacting local, and federal agencies and the Vet I took our puppy to is more than willing to cooperate. I am not saying that she is a evil person, but at least be honest, if you think these dogs are sick, or have not had vaccines let the new owners know that way they are than able to make the decision if they still want to take on the responsibility for them. A obvious lie is that the dogs come vaccined because if they did my new little puppy would not be laying in a vet hospital clinging on for dear life, after literally just getting her 12 hours ago. If anyone has any contact numbers please email me as my father is an attorney and he is more than willing to try and help all of us who have been LIED to.
Sorry-
Last posting from me...as I cannot get involved with this too much because then I sink to your level of having nothing to do.
I find it odd that you call her a puppy broker-It looks like more adults have been saved vs. puppies.
Common sense prevails all...
I invite all to go visit her and adopt a forever friend. This will also prove TWO SIDES TO EVERY TAIL-no pun intended!
How are these above statements not libel? These are being presented as facts-not opinions.
Also-it appears the same person is posting under different emails. Very sad-
By the way-she has started filing a litigation suit...all above will be named if factual statements have been posted and are proven incorrect. I hope you stand behind your postings now...
Jennifers is a broker for the Amish
Jennifer breeds dogs
Jennifer dumps animals on other shelters
I for one no all this to be opinion as it is definatly not fact and can be proven in the courts.
Happy Posting now!
Jennifer is a broker for the amish. She supports there puppy mills. How is that being a saint. The animals at her place are not fixed. She lets them breed and when she thinks she has to many she tries dumping them on local humane societies. She should be banned from owning or housing any animals.
I work at an animal shelter and yes it is great that she cares about animals but, she also has to take responsibilty for the condition of the animals that come from her rescue. You can't blame a shelter or rescue for heartworm. It can't be passed dog to dog. Parvo is HIGHLY contagious. She is continuing to do nothing about the problem and keep adopting out sick animals. Also blaming the adopters for causing this condition when clearly it is because these puppies were kept in poor conditions. This has happend to several people that adopted puppies from her. One of my friends adopted from her and the puppy died of parvo. So if she claims that ALL these different sets of puppies were never at her facility and were at foster care, she really needs to re-think who she has fostering. It takes a lot of disinfecting and time to get rid of that. Im sure no one think all these animals should be shot or put down. She can't handle the amount of animals she takes in. I'm sure she means well but horders think they mean well too! There should be strict regulations on people who call themselves a rescue. All these people and there vets can't be wrong! So the truth will prevail and I hope the community steps up to help the animals that are in her ?care?
I hope she sues you-you are soooo wrong. She is aware of all your banter-just more prossional in nature. There are many ways to rescue-it sounds like you would rather these dogs just be shot and ignored? If she is so rich and making so much "profit"-why does she work full time? Why did she make a shelter since this county does not have one-What is your goal or motive? Shut her down-are you going to take in all these dogs?...
That is what I thought. It sounds like alot of madeup garbage because someone did not know how to care for a puppy and is full of guilt. Hopfully with all her profit she can sue you-...It is hard when she has adopted out hundreds of dogs that you can only round up a handful on complaints...you sure are trying though...too bad it is back firing on you because the truth prevails.
Jennifer Petkus doesn't rescue, she BUYS puppies from the Amish, then SELLS them. If you think that she is doing all she can, think again! These dogs NEVER see a vet. Parvo, distemper, parasites are all preventable! You have to vaccinate and keep clean conditions. She does neither. She has a full time job in Madison, but buys and buys and buys more puppies that simply can't be cared for. The place is a horrible mess.
A reputable rescue spays/neuters and vaccinates ALL dogs/cats before releasing them for adoption. The adoption fee includes vet care. With Jennifer, the adoption fee includes NOTHING. NO SPAY NO NEUTER, NO RABIES, NOTHING!
You have to be lying to be accused of slander or libel. Go out there and see for yourself, the complaints about her are nothing compared to what you will see. Most of the people who see it and adopt a puppy say that they took a puppy only to save it from the hell hole it was in at Jennifer's.
You think she is a Saint? You think she is closing down puppymills? Dream on. I would say that it's a blatant abuse of her 501(c)(3) status. Let's see what the federal government has to say about her operation. Last I checked, buying puppies, then selling them was a "For Profit" business.
Also: Just an FYI to all:
Email Defamation
Lawyers.comsm
Email has become a part of our everyday life. Things you might never say face to face, or even over the telephone, are easily communicated to others through email. Often times an email received by one person is forwarded to a host of other parties in a sender's email address book without regards to how the receiver may feel about the message being sent.
Emails can be Defamatory
Can you be liable for a defamatory statement you made in an email? Yes you can.
Defamation is defined as communication to third parties of false statements about a person that injure the reputation of or deter others from associating with that person. Defamation can take one of two forms: slander or libel. Slander covers oral defamatory statements while libel addresses the written version. Defamation is an abusive attack on a person's character or good name. If a person is harmed in any way by your statement(s), you can be held accountable in a court of law for your actions.
Defamation requires "publication." When you send a defamatory statement about another person to others than the one you are defaming, that constitutes publication. Any every time an email is sent, it is considered a new publication. Every one who has a role in the publication of that email may be liable.
FOREVER FRIEND OF THYME AND SAGE RANCH******************
I have adopted three dogs from This facility. It is soooo sad that such people are attacking this wonderful facility. You should all be ashamed. She is a RESCUE!What part of that is not understood? You all claim you got sick puppies...News flash...puppies get sick w/ out proper care. PARVO is everywhere and not uncommon and puppies are born w/ worms. Most of these animals come from terrible places and she should be commended. I would love to see the person who started this board take on all these dogs and animals-I sure hope you have a place as Jennifer has opened-up her home and made space. All I can say is it sounds like alot of talk for no reason. Your banter is only harming the animals that need homes. I believe that she has adopted about 400 dogs this year-so it seems like a small percent are unhappy. Good for her! You are minority. These sort of issues should be taken up w/ the facility itself...not in a childish fashion by posting on the internet. AS MY MOTHER TOLD ME_THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY! I recommend everyone to check her and this facility out. I cannot praise her enough. It sounds to me like the original post did not know how to take care of apuppy!
May 2008 I got a puppy from her . A beautiful white pekingese, schnauzer mix [female] . Got her on monday and sunday, my puppy was gone, from parvo . How do you replace something you love ? She was going to give back the body but Jennifer had the body cemated . I want her sick also !
I came across your complaint while looking for the Thyme & Sage Ranch website. Sorry for the loss of your puppy; however, I have a very different view of how Jennifer's rescue is run.
My partner and I adopted a kitten from Jennifer about two years ago. Poor little guy. He and two other kittens had been left alone in a box in Jennifer's driveway while she was at work the day before. It is my understanding that this kind of thing happens to her on a regular basis. Maybe you could try putting yourself in someone else's shoes and see the good she is doing for the animals of Wisconsin. You must have ridiculously high expectations for someone who is doing everything in her power to help whatever animals she can. Jennifer is taking in animals--any animals--who need a safe place, whether it is for a couple of days or for the rest of their lives. Many of the dogs at Thyme & Sage Ranch are dogs that would have been put down--they are often ill, neglected, abused. I really don't know what you could possibly expect to see when this set of facts is the reality. She is not a breeder or a pet store--she is a rescue!
Manure and dirt and mud are a constant part of every farm I have ever been to. Jennifer has a huge pasture with rescued horses (along with other rescued farm animals)--why would you expect to not smell or see any manure?
From my experience with animals, they are always under some amount of stress when being moved, even when going to their wonderful new home. It may have been naive of you to think that your puppy would not have any stress in your home. Also, if your puppy weighed only 1.3 lbs, 5 1/2 days of not eating well is much too long to wait for veterinary care. Even with a larger animal, 5 1/2 days is far too long to wait. I'm not trying to pass blame. I just think you are pushing too much blame Jennifer's way and not taking into account your own actions or in-actions. She is a rescue facility!
Since adopting the kitten from Jennifer, my partner and I have been back to Thyme & Sage Ranch several times to help out with various chores around the farm. Farm life is not pretty and it doesn't smell good. There are never enough hours in the day. But I have learned that Jennifer is providing an invaluable service to the animals of Wisconsin who have no where else to go. She is a caring person who does her very best to care for all of the animals she can.
I have adopted 3 dogs, all rescues, from various parts of the state of Wisconsin. Granted, all facilities are different and you never know what to expect. The majority of these facilities are consumed with volunteers that do everything in their best interest to give these dogs the best homes possible. I have had bad experiences and good ones and time has told me to do my research before choosing a dog.
I can tell you or anyone that is considering rescuing a dog from Thyme and Sage that Jennifer, the owner, is a SAINT and for what she does, she deserves the utmost recognition for saving hundreds of animals that would have otherwised been euthuanized or disregarded by their owners who don't quite understand the relationship that a pet and a owner have...a bond that is only formed by the love and devotion that dogs show their masters. Not only myself but many other people I know have rescued dogs from Jennifer and have nothing but a good experience. I have never met a more passionate person as Jennifer, who does whatever she can do to save a dying or pushed aside dog and give it the best possible home she can.
The only travesdy I can tell you is that your need to publish your comments about a facility that is only trying to find homes for animals. Myself, personally, my first dog I rescued was taken to the vet following the day after I rescued him. He was to be neutered and be given a complete check for his health. I got a call during his "neutering" session that their was an issue and was told that my dog was heartworm positive. Over $1, 000 and many tears later Scrappy is in great health and a happy dog. I did whatever I could for him and I'd do the same for my others, but the one thing I didn't do was to post a forum and slander the humane society where I rescued him, preventing others from potentially going there. Honestly, it was not their fault that a mosquito have bitten him. I took full responsibility for rescuing him and doing what I could to care for him.
When you rescue an animal that has been neglected or from a puppy mill, you never know what to expect. I am not going to tell you what I would have done differently if I were you, but like you've I've had experiences both good and bad, and because of the actions I have made I have three healthy puppies because I made decisions at critical times of their health.
For anyone considering to rescue a dog I cannot tell you enough positive things about Jennifer, a highly professional caring individual who has a heart of gold for what she does. Thyme and Sage has a dog for everyone willing to give it a home and the best thing for anyone to do who is considering from adopting is check it out and hopefully you'll have as good as luck as I did.
We had the same thing happen...exact dates and all! Too sad...
No and I don't know who posted my story here...I didn't put it here...Wow...Incredible...
I just sent you a private email too...
Have you heard anything back if she was charged with anything or if her contract was taken away?
I also adopted my puppy from there... Such HORRID conditions and I spent almost 600 dollars on getting my puppy healthy again...
We should form some group or something... I saw on Craigslist that there are MANY other people out there with sick and malnourished animals from this "shelter"