Donna Roberts owner of Shady Oak Havanese was convicted of Animal Cruelty in Dec. 2007 in Shamong Municipal Court, Shamong NJ. Ms. Roberts sold puppies with contagious and infectious diseases.
We bought a puppy in June 07, our puppy was diagnosed with Coccidia, Giardia (contagious to humans and animals) a Yeast Infection in both ears and an Umbilical Hernia which required surgery. Our puppy was so horribly ill, it was so sad and frightening, it has been a complete nightmare. When contacting Ms. Roberts to inform her of the issues, I found she was nowhere to be found and would not return my phone calls or letters. I called many times only to finally have her return my call (s) on July 20.
When I finally spoke with Ms. Roberts, the puppy had also been diagnosed with Gastritis from the parasitic infection. Ms. Roberts denied any wrong doing and went so far as to say that "all puppies have parasites" and it was "no big deal". NO BIG DEAL? It was more than a big deal, it was horrifying to think that she had let this happen to my puppy and who knows how many other puppies have suffered the same thing, or even worse?
Ms. Roberts dismissed all the facts and said my Vet had no idea what they were talking about... My Vet has been in business for 50 years. I told Ms. Roberts I had an Unfit for Purchase Certificate and that she would be responsible for paying the Vet. Bills. She told me to send all the information and she would "take care of it."
Needless to say, nothing was taken care of... That's why I am here now. Ms. Roberts failed to follow NJ Consumer Law and still disregards her responsibilities. She will not cooperate and refuses to reimburse the Vet. Bills as required by law. Ms. Roberts claims WE did not follow proper procedures, well, that is absolutely untrue, we did everything correctly. We did not know our rights, etc. Because Ms. Roberts failed to notify the consumers of their rights at time of purchase as required by law. Our main concern was to get this puppy well. When we found out our rights, we realized Ms. Roberts had failed to follow NJ Consumer Law regarding the sale of dogs, so, no timeline that she speaks of or anything else she claims we did incorrectly is valid.
Ms. Roberts has several complaints against her (dating back many years) and uses several different names and business locations, including, Medford, Indian Mills, Atco, Lakewood and Howell NJ. Ms. Roberts has changed phone numbers several times, as well.
Ms. Roberts has been completely disrespectful and rude and has written completely false allegations against all buyers that complained, the SPCA and NJCAPSA. It seems the whole world is wrong according to her, everyone is out to get her, apparently. She also has made completely false and derrogatory statements/comments to and about all of the consumers that have complained.
I am asking for help to stop these horrible breeding practices that have gone on entirely too long. I am asking Ms. Roberts to follow proper procedures and own up to her obligations. I have had no contact with her since the Court date in Dec. I suppose I will have to go to Small Claims Court, but, that will not solve the problem, it's not about the money. It's about why the money had to be spent in the first place.
I had a very sick little puppy, he was sick every hour, he would not eat or drink. I had to feed him from my hand and/or off of a spoon. I had to put baby food in his water so he would drink. My puppy is the sweetest dog I have ever owned and has been a complete angel through all of his horrible experiences. We had to give him as many as 4 medications per day and ear drops twice a day. He never knew what it was like to be just a puppy until a few months ago. So, when Ms. Roberts says it's "just Giardia, etc" I have a problem with that, in fact, how would she feel if she had "just Giardia"? It's not pleasant, it's not fair and it's completely uncalled for, this was absolutely unnecesary and these puppies did not deserve that kind of treatment.
I am happy to say, thanks to the love and support of their families, Veterinarians, Libby from NJCAPSA and Theresa from the SPCA. The puppies are doing much better and we feel we rescued them and saved their lives.
There were also puppies sold with Mange and Lice among other things, some from the same so called "Valentine litter" as our puppy. None of the "paperwork" is accurate, no health records were provided which I have requested several times. The AKC papers were either not provided or sent with incorrect information. It's just a vicious cycle that will not end. There is nothing that is right about this, it needs to be made right, once and for all.
Donna is very rude and obnoxious and makes up ridiculous stories about everything. I have no idea how she has been able to get away with this for so long, but, there has to be some justice for these puppies, someday. Believe it or not, there is more to the story and it's as sick and twisted as people that "breed" sick dogs and then claim no responsibility for their actions. Donna even stated (when we paid her the money) "oh good, this will help pay my tax bill." Yes, I had many red flags and I didn't pay attention, once I held this puppy, nothing else mattered.
I have notified many different agencies, etc... Thank you, to all the people that have helped us so far. Please, beware of any Havanese Breeder in NJ, it seems Donna Roberts has a monopoly on it here, as well as other small breeds, be extremely careful. It's a shame for the responsible breeders, but, if they are truly doing it for the right reasons they won't mind at all if you ask a lot of questions, ask for references and check them out. Please, don't be fooled by Donna Roberts or her family and friends that sell puppies on her behalf.
Please see the NJCAPSA web site for further information and for help if you have had a problem with a pet store or "breeder'.
We have complete and accurate documentation, I am in contact with several other families that purchased sick puppies from Donna Roberts/Shady Oak Havanese.
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