IS BURKHART KENNELS IN ONTARIO A PUPPY MILL?

[Daina Kerbel]

I was doing some research into purchasing a labradodle or aussiedoodle and came across this information... does anyone have a comment about this?

"My partner and I just bought a dog from Burkhart Kennels in Wallenstein, ON and we would not recommend them at all!!! The pictures on the website were nothing like the real experience. Most importantly, we did buy a puppy from these people at a hot discount because we were going to walk away at a price of 1500 (800 instead of 1500). Our puppy came home with an awful PARASITE that had him severely ill (intestinal hemorrhaging, vomiting, losing weight) for over a week, and only after a few hundred dollars at the vet did we figure out what was wrong with him. Turns out this parasite is from CONTAMINATED WATER (fecal matter in water). It's no wonder the water was contaminated though given that high number of puppies in such a small area. When we called to let her know that at least one of her puppies were ill (and likely more) the best she could say was "good luck with that". We also had to treat our older dog for this. Despite spending a long time picking a "calm" puppy, our puppy cried and yelped when he was fed....which seemed to go away after a few days of being in our home (you can draw your own conclusion about what this was about).

While at the "Kennel" (aka puppy mill), puppies were being 'temporarily housed' on the lawn in an enclosure without ANY water. We felt pressured the entire time by this scam artist woman who always seemed to have a trick up her sleeve for getting rid of puppies fast (e.g., after being there for 15 mins, she said to us to hurry up and choose one because another family was waiting for us to leave so they could see the puppies at 9pm on a rainy monday night (yah right), etc.). There were probably 20 adult dogs, all of which were housed in this old barn with no room to run or play. As soon as the puppies or the adult dogs saw anyone, they freaked out with panic barking. When we finally agreed on a puppy and were ready to talk pricing, we said we wouldn't pay 1500 for him, she got very angry and left us to 'talk about it' slamming the door behind her.

This woman is very good at making a sale, she has to be because she has so many litters of pups at once. It's no wonder she didn't realize our little guy was so ill, how could you notice with so many dogs? If you want a golden or labradoodle, there are plenty of family homes who breed them. This is where we got our first goldendoodle from, and the experience was 100% better than this one. If you want an Aussiedoodle, there ARE other people who breed them in the area, they just don't advertise as much. Track them down, because this experience has made me wish we had!"

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

to start with, Im always dubious of any breeder who breeds more than 1 type of dog... this one breeds 3. They are breeding f1s and f1bs so they also have poodles, labs, goldens, shepherds, as well as the 3 cross breeds

they state on their website "Many poodle crosses inherit the 'hair' not fur of the poodle." This is not true - there are 3 types of fur, wool, fleece and hair. here is a link explaining them http://www.gemstonelabradoodles.ca/information4.html. Plus because they are breeding f1s and f1bs they can not guarantee what kind of coat type their dogs will have

The puppies appear to be laying in sawdust - im no expert but id be concerned about that

They look like they are in small rooms of concrete with no toys

I see no info on health testing, spay/neuter, food, training, or age the pups go home

I personally wouldnt buy a dog from a place where they are not raised in the home, with people around to socialize them

I conclude they are a mill.... or at least a bad breeder I wouldnt touch with a barge pole!

[Daina Kerbel]

I went up there to visit and she was just so pushy.. She also wouldnt show me any paperwork on the parents or any of the results of the genetic testing ( OVC, CERF etc..)

very strange

[Daina Kerbel]

thank you so much for your input

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

The best you can do right now is make a formal complaint.  Start with the Humane Society and ask where you can go from there.   Call your local and state authorities.   Not only call but write. Write your local papers and anywhere else you can get published.

Next, follow through with your complaints!  Be diligent until you get someone who hears your complaint and can check on the welfare of these animals. 

Don't make life and selling puppies EASY for them.  It is a fight, but most like this, do  not want to fight they just want  money.   Making this type of MONEY IS EASY.   Don't let up on them. 

[Adina P]

Is this your experience or the experience of someone online?  It is not clear given your first sentence vs. the lack of quotes in the body?

[Daina Kerbel]

It was someone elses complaint that i found through google...I was doing research on purchasing an aussiedoodle and there really arent many breeders in Ontario. I visited the kennel and wasnt completely impressed with Lovina but was going to send her a deposit this week.. until i found that complaint

[Daina Kerbel]

I really just dont know what to think

[Adina P]

I have never been there so I can't testify to their practices.  In any case please remember to put quotes around statements made by someone else and add a link to the source when possible to make sure it is clear that this was someone else's reported experience.  Elsewhere you posted this with no explanation as a response to a discussion and that was also very confusing--please edit that too or that will be deleted.

Our Community Guidelines state:
"Reviews of individual breeders do NOT belong in the main forum, blogs or groups or any public area of DK.  If you want to recommend your breeder, you may do so in our Owner Recommended Breeders group or invite your breeder to post an ad in our puppy sales groups (mentioned below) or make the recommendation privately (on a member's profile page or by private message). If you are seeking information on an individual breeder, please ask for private responses."

So this also means good and bad reviews.   But you are welcome to ask for private feedback if others have had a good/bad experience with any breeder.

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

That sounds like a terrible experience! Is your puppy okay now though? At least you can maybe find solace in the fact that you saved him from an evil witch?

[Adina P]

This was not the poster's personal experience but that which she found online from an unknown source. See above.

[F, Calla & Luca]

****This post is extremely misleading/confusing. I'm not sure what would be the best way of handling this but people need to be aware that the material is not the author's own experience.

[Daina Kerbel]

 "I was doing some research into purchasing a labradodle or aussiedoodle and came across this information... does anyone have a comment about this?" was preceded by what i found on the internet       

  What I posted was found on the link below and on kijiji.

http://www.ihav.net/vb/pets/burkhart-kennels-126571.html