CONSUMER ALERTS

Below is a partial list of puppy dealers (breeders, brokers and pet stores) on whom we’ve received complaints.  Complaints as filed indicate one or more violations of the NJ Pet Purchase Protection Act.

In addition, some of the pet dealers are operating as unlicensed kennels and barred from selling animals in their respective municipalities.  If you purchased or “adopted” a puppy from any of the following individuals and feel your consumer rights were ignored, please contact us. You may be entitled to reimbursement under the NJ Consumer Fraud Act. 

BARBARA and TED BACK - d/b/a/ Pups Rescue.net and P.E.T.S. Rescue
Alabama, New Jersey and Pennsylvania

Theirwebsitestates they regularly head up the East Coast to deliver puppies, with NJ as their final destination. They use Johnstown, PA cell phone numbers 814-410-3013 or 814-243-7079.  The Backs also advertise puppies for sale onPuppyFind.com More info on this pair can be found under Rescue Watch.

KIM DESLONDE, Kearney, d/b/a Pets for Keeps

If you've adopted a dog from Kim Deslonde and/or Pets for Keeps, please contact us or the Lyndhurst Health Dept at 201-804-2421. Deslonde is under a cease and desist order but “delivers” dogs to adopters/purchasers at a local public park or pet supply stores. Complainants report they have to pay in cash (big red flag) and, worse, received no or incomplete health records on the dogs they "adopted" from Kim Deslonde.

UPDATE FEBRUARY 17, 2010: Puppy adopted from Deslonde/John Dagala/Pets for Keeps DIED within one week of PARVO & DISTEMPER. Puppy's price was $300 cash, vet bills exceeded $3,000. Another individual reported her dog was diagnosed with heartworm. In all cases reported to us, NO vet records were provided and dogs/puppies were quite ill and required extensive vet care.  More info to be posted soon. 

JIM & BARBARA HUTTON, Flemington, d/b/a Hutton’s Precious Puppies

The Huttons were informed by Readington Township on September 3, 2008 that they were in violation of the Township’s Land Use Ordinance and ordered to stop selling dogs. The letter, obtained under the Open Public Records Act, states that “failure to comply will result in the issuance of summonses and fines of $500 per day per offense.” The Huttons admitted to one complainant that they transport puppies (bred by “a cousin in TN”) to Flemington for resale. Other buyers have come forward to say they also purchased puppies from them in 2009. Not only are the Huttons operating in defiance of a township ordinance, they refused to comply under the puppy lemon law when a puppy sold by them was certified unfit for purchase, stating on their purchase agreement that they “do not pay for veterinarian bills or reimburse for them.”

We also learned that the TN breeder (listed at the same address on Hutton’s website), was suspended for six months by the AKC in October 2006, and “imposed a $500 fine for having submitted or caused to be submitted two litter registration applications that he knew, should have known, or had a duty to know contained false certifications (a DNA exclusion) for Golden Retrievers.”
 

ALLAN LEVINE, MILLSTONE (also Clarksburg and Freehold)

Numerous complaints; three puppies Levine sold died shortly after purchase. Previously issued no paperwork, health certificates or guarantee and did not comply under the puppy lemon law. Says he is not a pet dealer and money collected is called a 'donation'. Levine is alleged to acquire puppies from PA puppy mills for resale. Buyers report he dispenses unmarked veterinary medications at the time of sale and offers to treat sick puppies at his house. Under a newly amended township ordinance, Levine is not allowed to sell puppies from his Monmouth Road location. 

VICKI PATTERSON, Whitehouse

See Rescue Watch

ANN MARIE RICE, West New York, d/b/a Guardian Angels Rescue

See Rescue Watch

DENISE RHODES, Whitehall Road, Williamstown

Kennel licensed was revoked by Monroe Township and although Rhodes is barred from selling dogs, she is advertising Great Dane puppies on the internet.
 

DONNA MARIE TRUEX ROBERTS, Oak Shade Road, Shamong (also Indian Mills, Vincentown, Medford)

Sells puppies under various names. For more info about this dealer, her aliases and the 'rescue' Groomers United of Vincentown, clickhere

WILLIAM 'BILL' ROBERTS, Franklinville & Woodbury, Gloucester County 

This unlicensed pet dealer buys puppies exclusively from PA puppy mills and delivers them to buyers for a fee. Roberts also medicates the puppies himself (routinely inserting a pill in the puppy's mouth right before he leaves) and most likely is purchasing prescription veterinary medications from a known Ephrata, PA puppy miller who is not a veterinarian.  Roberts also tells buyers to contact him if the puppy becomes sick and says he will treat the puppy with additional medication. Not only is this activity illegal, but the medications could be expired, further subjecting puppies to medical complications. Puppy buyers are not told about the NJ puppy lemon law or given correct paperwork as required by law.

If you have already purchased a “cute ball of fluff” or “cute little dust mop” from Bill Roberts, and your puppy is sick, please call the NJ SPCA at 1-800-582-5979 and file a complaint. 

PET STORE ALERTS

BARK AVENUE, Red Bank

Several consumers have reported that soon after purchase their puppies were diagnosed with Giardia and/or Coccidia by Little Silver Animal Hospital yet were not issued “certificates of unfitness for  purchase” for  the diseases.  Without this certification, stores are not legally obligated to reimburse buyers for vet expenses, which can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, to treat and cure the diseases.

Little Silver Animal Hospital also serves as the store’s “supervising veterinarian” and it was confirmed by the animal hospital that it doesn’t issue certificates of unfitness for conditions and illnesses such as Giardia, Coccidia or kennel cough “because all puppies have Giardia.”  This is not entirely true although all three are commonly found in puppies coming from puppy mills. Giardia and Coccidia are "transmitted through direct contact with contaminated water, food, or fecal material from an infected animal” and can cause serious health problems (and even death) in puppies.  SeeGiardia in Dogs.comandCompanion Animal Parasite Council.com

Bark Avenue, in addition to issuing a copy of the NJ Notification of Consumer Rights to buyers, also handed out a 3 page “Pet Purchase Agreement” that states “your pet must be examined by a licensed veterinarian within 72 hours.”  NOT TRUE – NJ law allows 14 days! The agreement also says the “veterinary certification must be faxed back to the store within 48 hours.”  Consumers should know that the incubation period for contagious canine diseases can be up to 2 weeks and may not be found within 72 hours.
 
The most glaring statement in the ‘agreement’ (and one that customers must initial) is that “a finding by a veterinarian of intestinal or external parasites such as giardia, coccidea (sic), pin, tape or ringworm, shall NOT be grounds for declaring a puppy unfit for purchase. DOGS HAVE WORMS! THEY MUST BE WORMED ON A REGULAR BASIS!  (Store’s emphasis)

Ringwormis NOT a parasite. It is a highly contagious fungal disease that is transmittable to humans - a ZOONOTIC disease!

And there’s more reason for profound concern: Bark Avenue states its guarantee "does not include kennel cough, luxating patella, hernia, light heart murmurs, hyperglycemia, diarrhea, coccidian, parasites, giardia, cherry eye, elongated palette (sic), etropian of the eyelid, demodetic mange, loose hips, internal parasites, bacterial or viral illnesses, or any other non-life threatening problems.”

ALL of the above-mentioned illnesses and defects are serious and certainly grounds for certification of unfitness for purchase! Expenditures for vet medical treatment can cost consumer upwards of many thousands of dollars.

If you feel your rights were violated and/or the store circumvented the puppy lemon law, contact the Monmouth County Consumer Affairs at 732-431-7900 or feel free to contact us and we’ll walk you through the complaint process. 

PUPPY PALACE