Our experience with Glory Ridge Shih Tzu

This is our story:

In 2004, I took our tiny Shih Tzu, Lizzie (born January 2003 out of Glory Ridge Shih Tzu's Riley and Lafemmina) for a checkup with our regular NC vet. (We have homes in both NC and SC.) Routine blood work showed elevated liver enzymes and the vet suspected a liver disorder. The vet also told me that Lizzie has bowed upper tibias and lateral luxation of the patella which she considers congenital.

She retested and when that blood work also showed elevated numbers, she ordered an ultrasound of the liver by a specialist. I chose to have a vet who specializes in internal veterinary medicine in Charleston, SC, do the procedure since I was leaving NC to go to our home there and because we think highly of her. After an examination, more extensive blood work, and an ultrasound, she put her on medication and re-tested several more times over a period of a few months. When there was no improvement, she referred me to a surgeon for a liver biopsy and dye radiology. He was also in Charleston, SC. He and the independent lab pathologist determined that Lizzie has a congenital liver disorder, hepatic microvascular dysplasia. These are also known as liver shunts.

Later, at another annual checkup, Lizzie was diagnosed by the first, our regular NC vet, as having mild hip dysplasia...also genetic, she said. Lizzie's X rays were sent to both a surgeon the NC vet uses and to the surgeon who did the liver biopsy in SC. One concluded congenital mild hip displasia; the other suspects that there may also a spinal problem and suggested that if her condition worsens, we have a dye Xray under anesthesia that would cost $1200. Surgery was not recommended at this time but may be necessary in the future. Lizzie is treated with glucosamine and also with pain medication when it appears she needs it.

I continue to see the SC internal specialist twice a year as ordered for feeding/fasting liver bile tests to keep an eye on Lizzie's condition. The SC internal medicine vet faxes copies of the results to our regular vet in NC who we continue to see for annual checkups. We've spent thousands of dollars on Lizzie, her vet visits, biopsies, X-rays, testing, medications and special diet. We have been told that Lizzie's life span will most likely be shortened. Lizzie suffers from mild spasms/seizures and due to brain chemistry from the liver disorder, there are some things she just doesn't get. Her knees and hip have prevented her from jumping.

When the liver shunts were diagnosed, I wrote to the breeder, Karen DeAngelo of Glory Ridge Shih Tzu in Richmond, Missouri. I pointed no fingers; I do know that things like this can happen even in the best of breeding programs. I just wanted her to know.

She, at first, tried to place the blame on me and my vet. She told me to send my dog back! Though I found her very abrasive and abrupt in email, I refrained from pointing fingers and rudeness. She calmed down, acted concerned; we corresponded about the disease and treatment, she told me to keep in touch and she offered me another puppy for the price of shipping (around $175.).

I want to make it clear that I never asked for another puppy, my money back or any type of reimbursement. When she did offer, I was very pleased and felt that this was a sign of a caring and reputable breeder/person.

However, I told her that I was not ready for another puppy at that time, and would never return Lizzie for a "replacement." Here are some of her email comments at that time:

8-23-2004: "No one else has this problem. I am not breeding her anymore and have her up for sale. I will replace your dog any time in the future. This is one of those freak anomalies that a breeder cannot foresee. Karen"

8-24-2004: "I will replace her anytime you want. I will send you another pup, but you must pay the shipping. OK? Karen "

8-24-2004: "You don't have to give her up. IF and WHEN you want another puppy, you let me know. I wouldn't take a sick dog from the people who love her.... "

Then, in May of 2006, when I wanted a companion for Lizzie, I approached her about taking her up on her offer; she back-peddled and said she would not send one saying:

5-8-2006: "Upon discussing replacing a 3 year old dog with my husband, he feels I am under no obligation to replace her since you have had her so long. I am sorry. I will discount you a dog $300. That is the best I can do at this point. Obviously, the dog isn't as sick as you toild me or she would have died by now. Karen"

After I sent her copies of her previous emails, including those above , she wrote:

5-9-2006: "I am going to replace this dog, because I gave you my word. Karen"

Since then she has put me through a six month roller coaster ride!

I chose a newborn puppy pictured on her site and asked for him (I had asked for other puppies which she refused me as they were better quality pups and worth more money to her) She responded:

5-13-2006: "You can have him if you want. "

I accepted and told her that I felt her offer of my paying only shipping was more than fair and that I would go further and also pay for the neutering and micro chipping that usually is included in her price. When I asked how much that would be, she wrote that it would be $300. I sent her the money via PayPal. She requested an additional $9 for the service charge which I sent. She marked him sold to me on her site.

As I watched him grow through photo updates, I fell in love with him. I named him "Jack," bought for him, visited his pictures often; my husband even printed them and stuck them about our house and I sent them to my family and friends, including my little five year old granddaughter. We were so excited to be getting a new puppy and a companion for Lizzie.

As it neared time to ship "Jack," she wrote:

7-17-2006: "He is fine. I will take pictures tommarrow.
It is too hot to ship and the heat wave must break.I will check Continential flights."

Next I received the following email:

8-2-2006: "The pup did not pass the health exam today. He has a weak leg.
You may pick another or wait until Christmas. I will refund your money."

I was devastated! We corresponded and she wrote:

8-3-2006: "You can call my vet if you want. He has an extended leg that is weak at the joint and needs exercise. I do not want to send you a pup that is weak. He alos had a hernia (umbilical) repair done.
If you want the cream male, I want additioanl money for him. $600. total. The Tara males $500.
I am sorry that this happened. There was 2 others who were weak also (females). Sometimes it happens when genes don't "click" right. I cannot tell at birth. "

When I wrote that I would talk to her vet and implied that I might take him anyway, she replied:

8-3-2006: "Don't take him. The hernia is a common thing and fixed.His leg is bad. No skirting around the issue. There will be other pups."

She refunded my money and though broken hearted and worried about this little puppy, I appreciated that she told me about him rather than passing him off on me unaware.

She also sent me the following:

8-15-2006: I bought a pair of beautiful dogs from the vet assistant. I bought the whole litter too. I will send you one of these pups if you want one. I don't have them yet, but will soon.

Instead, I requested a puppy from her site born 7-19-2006 (from Tara and Reilly) that she was calling "Tom." She responded:

8-22-2006: "I will mark him sold."

And she did.

Still, I was worried about "Jack." I wrote and told her so and asked what would happen to him and she replied:

8-23-2006: "Sorry about Jack. He is still here and walking fine, but goes back to the vet to see how he is next week. I have found 2 little girls who really want a dog."

But what did she do? She put him up for sale on her web site, calling him "Henry" for $750!

Then I received the following:

8-30-2006: "Your Tom is a GIRL. I feel so dumb....I think you will be happier.....tinyand adorable... let me know if you don't want HER!!!"

Of course I wanted her! I was already in love with this puppy! I accepted and we named her "Annabel Lee."

The next email:

9-5-2006:"I have to ship on a Thursday or Tuesday. She will not be ready the 19th. She is very tiny."

And then:

9-7-2006: "I need your phone number to ship pup."

Another:

9-12-2006: "Pup was too small to spay this week. It may be a few more weeks."

And then:

9-22-2006: "She is still too little. I will see about Tuesday."

A few days later:

9-25-2006: "My vet is moving and i have to wait until next week to take the pups to getfixed. they are still very small, but very healthy. Thanks for your patience."

And then heartbreak again:

10-4-2006: "The dog has bad knees. I will not be sending her."

But what did she do? She put my puppy up for sale on her website for $795!

Stunned, I called her on the phone. She was easier to talk to in person than she had been in email and I thought it went well. She told me that she has grade one luxation of the patella (bad knees). We discussed the condition and she told me it might improve, it could get worse, or stay at that level and not really cause problems. She told me that $795 is cheap for a spayed puppy, that pet stores sell puppy mill puppies for far more and people would pay that, bad knees and all. She told me that due to Lizzie's condition and the expenses I've incurred, and yet face, that she wanted me to have "the perfect puppy." However, after the call, she pulled Annabel Lee as being for sale from her web site and emailed me:

10-6-2006: "I am going to have her rechecked in a few weeks. We have the pups on wire and 75% have grade 1 knees the first check-up, but improve when we move them. It won't hurt her to be here a few more weeks. Karen"

By now I began to have doubts. What are the chances that three of the three puppies I had chosen from her had physical problems? If so, surely this is more than coincidence but speaks to her breeding program. If not, then was she lying to me in order to drive me away and/or sell the pups out from under me? First Lizzie with her liver, knee and hip problems, then Jack with a bad leg and now Annabel Lee with bad knees? 75% have grade 1 luxation of the patella at their first check-up? Two others weak? Wire damaging little puppies knees who are kept on it up to a first checkup at 7, 8 or 9 weeks? I wondered, "What's going on here?" Is this really a puppy mill after all? Next I received this from her:

10-17-2006: "My vet moved 102 miles from me. I am not going until I have too. No more trip for 1 pup.I have nothing to send you, unless you want a male. I lost 6 pups last week due to my helpturning up heating pads and I have nothing coming, that I know of foir sure. The next deposit I getI will refund your money. If you want an older dog, I will send you that. karen"

Now six puppies have been killed in her kennel by someone turning up a heating pad too high? What happened to puppies snuggling up to their mother in order to keep warm? What's going on here?

This followed:

10-23-2006: "The pups knees are unchanged.I am refunding your money."

I received a refund from PayPal.

Then, on 11-8-2006, my puppy with the "bad knees" was put up for sale on her web site again. This time the price was RAISED to $1200!

I felt horrible. This was MY puppy! I sent three emails saying that I wanted her to send her to me the following week. She ignored them.

The next day, 11-9-2006, I called her once again. She seemed surprised, denied having received my emails but was cordial. I told her that I wanted the puppy and that I will do what is necessary to take good care of her. In retrospect, this was perhaps not wise of me. We don't need another dog with defects. We don't need the expense. We shouldn't support a breeding program that produces puppies like this on a regular basis. I admit that I was emotionally attached to that puppy and felt panic that she would not be mine.

She agreed to send her to me and told me to resend my payment and shipping instructions via PayPal. I did so immediately. That made three times that I had sent her the money for the pups she had promised me.

The next morning, 11-10-2006, there was a refund email from Pay Pal. At the bottom was this message from the seller:

"My husband is furious over this. He will not let me send the dog. He says you have your dog 3 years and we cannot afford to give you another dog. He says he wants your dog back or no deal. Sorry. Please don't write me again."

I alternate between sadness, frustration and anger. I have been jerked around for six months. Mrs. DeAngelo pastes her Christian witness all over her web site yet through her dealings with me she witnesses that she "talks the talk but does not walk the walk." At that time she had a slogan on her site which read "Our word is our bond." In her dealings with me, her word has not been her bond.

And as a friend of mine wrote to me, " I think it's very convenient that the husband pokes in at the "point of sale," I'm think'in that's a bit hinky right there. She uses his ire like a screen door."

Prior to 11-10-2006, I had only told this to a few of my friends and family because I had already determined that once I began telling my story that I would no longer accept a dog from Glory Ridge as I would consider it as having come about finally due to threats or bribery. That is not my purpose. I will no longer accept, nor want, a pup from this kennel.

Yesterday, I sent this account to a larger circle of friends. Some of them were outraged and have emailed Karen DeAngelo. Her response was to remove her slogan "Our word is our bond" and much of her Christian testimony from her website and to post this:

Karen's Blog
11/13/06 ...

...AND A "special" note TO all you WHO MOCK my faith below... SUBJECT 3

Subject 2:Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy FOR DOGS

Some people have a disorder that usually occurs between an adult and their child. This disorder is as follows, the adult has a need for attention and deliberately makes the child sick or injured in order to have a cause to take the child to a doctor and gets their need for attention met by the doctor and others who praise them for taking care of their sick child.

I wonder if this also occurs in the caring for dogs. I see some people that just insist there is something wrong and blame breeders. They go from vet to vet until they get one to say.. "Your dog has slight ...bla,bla, bla. It's probably congenital."

Then go they after the breeder. There is a fight for a refund or replacement. The dog is several years old. Just like a hypochondriac person looking for a sympathetic doctor and it always comes BACK to the BREEDER.

People need to stop replacing CHILDREN with DOGS.

These are DOGS. DOGS> DOGS> DOGS!!!!

I have had people calling me explaining how sick their dog is and furious with the breeder and then I ask a simple question: "HOW OLD IS THIS DOG?"They tell me , "12". I explain to them, to blame the breeder for OLD AGE AILMENTS is redicioulous!

Do they blame their parents for the ailments THEY HAVE at age 84?The math is the same for a dogs life!GET A GRIP ON REALITY!Be careful WHO you LISTEN to BASH people.

DO YOU REALLY KNOW ALL THE FACTS?

SUBJECT 3 My Faith

I will no longer tolerate MANIPULATIVE people hurling stones at my testimony and faith in Christ by e-mail because they are mad they don't get their way.. including FREE DOGS, FREE ADVICE to go after another breeder, or anything else to satisfy their their selfish desires.

If you don't LIKE my testimony, STAY OFF MY SITE.

If you don't LIKE my BUSINESS DECISIONS:Stay OFF My Site.

I don't CARE WHAT you THINK or SAY or DO.My tolerance is now ZERO for your attacks.

SATAN ADVOCATES is the CATEGORY I place YOU.

And all I have to say to YOU is "WAAAAA, WAAAAA, WAAAAA. Go cry elsewhere!

And you who accuse me of using my testimony to sell dogscan also TAKE A HIKE to ANOTHER SITE. My life is NOT about DOGS!

To imply that I have "Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy FOR DOGS" and deliberately made sick or hurt my dog is outrageous. To imply that I went from vet to vet trying to find one who would say Lizzie's disorder is genetic and seeking attention and praise is blatantly untrue.

At her request, Karen was sent a statement by my NC vet, Lizzie's records, as well as the pathologist's report from the liver biopsy and dye radiology. EACH concurred that these disorders are congenital.

To state or imply that those who have emailed her...who care about the condition of dogs, how someone has been treated, and how another uses Christian testimony in business dealings are "Satan's advocates" is way over the top.

I have recently discovered that there are other accounts of this sort of response, some worse, which can be found on the Internet, so we are not alone.

I certainly don't question Karen's testimony as to faith in Christ. What I do now see is the evidence of how she exhibits that faith in her dealings with me.

It has finally become obvious to me that I am better off not having another puppy from Glory Ridge and it is my personal opinion that this woman is better left alone. Yet, I will not let her get away with this so easily. I will seek to present my story to others. I believe it to be a fair accounting. As well, I have filed complaints with The Better Business Bureau, The Chamber of Commerce, The Missouri Department of Agriculture and The Humane Society.

Still, my heart breaks for "Jack" and "Annabel Lee."

If you got this far, thanks for "listening."