Buyer Beware purchasing puppies from King Kennels of Florida - Page 1

Because we were misled about the  breeding of our dog, I feel it is my responsiblity to write a review where ever the breeder has placed an ad to warn others that they may have the same problem that we had with them.

Yvette Fernandez and Jorge Gonzalez of King Kennels of Florida (formerly Lowrider Bullies) sold us a puppy they said was a Miniature Bull Terrier.  When her papers arrived we discovered she was really a standard Bull Terrier.  When we asked Yvette about this she said that all her dogs papers said Bull Terrier and tried to tell us they are not registered as separate breeds with AKC.  We knew this was not true.  When we questioned the puppy exceeding the AKC standards for a Miniature Bull Terrier she said we were measuring her wrong.   We wrote to AKC and had them confirm that the puppy is a Bull Terrier and that the Miniature Bull Terrier breed is a separate registry with AKC.  We forwarded the AKC response to her and she finally admitted the puppy is not a miniature.    Here is her response:

admin edit: removed email.
  The puppies they currently have advertised look just like the puppy we purchased from them and I am concerned that they are continuing to sell standard Bull Terriers as Miniatures.  We have documentation to prove this claim and are persuing legal action.  Please careful when considering purchasing a puppy from them.


 

WOW !

I might be missing the whole point here, but I think this breeder has done a pretty gone job of admitting their mistake and what they did wrong.  She also states what she plans to do to correct her issues. She admitts to her wrong doing although it was through her lack of knowledge.  I think she kinda exposed herself with this letter to you, before you posted it here.  At least this breeder did not deny your accusations and did not just try to ignore it.  

I see this a whole different way than probably many will see it. I always try to find the good intentions in a person, not just the bad.
 I say Kudos to the breeder for trying to right her wrong.  JMO

I believe she was aware of what she was doing and in the email offers nothing to us to fix the problem.  She only says she doesn't know what she can do at this point.  If she knew all about the AKC standards for the Miniature Bull Terrier breed then she should also have known that there were two separate registries.   An ethical breeder would know such a basic fact about the dogs they are selling.

How would you react if you paid a higher amount for a Miniature Bull Terrier, considered to be a rare breed, only to find out that the breeder misrepresented the puppy you bought?  

All I am doing is providing a personal experience and advising others to request proof that the puppies are Miniatures before they buy one. 

Even though she's admitting to a mistake, it just seems a bit hard to believe that someone who has been breeding these kinds of dogs for 'x' amount of years would miss an important detail like that. But even if you give her the benefit of the doubt, it would be good practice to at least offer -something- in return for the mistake instead of saying "Well, I'm just not sure what to do. Tough luck."

The least she could do is offer a partial refund or let you have first pick of her new minis if you wanted a mini. I'm not a breeder, but as someone who has worked in the client services field (involving animals), we not only owned up to mistakes but offered something else in return. Just my two c anyway.

I am not here to defend the breeder.  You are right, she did not offer her anything IN WRITING!! I am sure the buyer and breeder has had MANY verbal conversations.  The buyer here did not say the breeder DID NOT offer her anything verbally.  Alot of unknown details to past judgment on her as an unethical breeder.  Just because she has been breeding that breed for x amount of years doesn't mean she knows everything.  AKC has a tendency to change breed standards,requirements and rules and regulations quite often.  I must admit, I do not go to AKC's website unless I am registering a litter or a puppy.  I am not saying what she did is ok, I am just saying that, there is alot that probably has transpired between buyer and seller we do not know.  JMO

Reinrider, yes I would be very upset if I had been "taken" as you claim you have been.  But I have to say, I would NOT wait for any breeder to offer me anything. I would ask straight up, what they planned to do to make my situation right.  If you feel so strongly you were wronged, and I am not saying you weren't, its up to you to take control.  I would give them reasonable amount of time to correct it or at least have a plan to correct it. If that can not be decided, THAN I would take legal action.  But I would give them a chance. You have not said that you even discussed that with them..  

Like I said, ALOT of details we do not know on here..

Good Luck and I truly hope you get it worked out and there is no need for legal action.  

I understand where Hutchins is coming from - the buyer should have done more research into the breeder.  The breeder advertises on Puppyfind which would have been the first of many red flags.  With that said, this breeder says that she has been breeding mini bulls for eight years.  Bull terriers were recognized by the AKC in 1885 and Mini Bulls were recognized as a seperate breed in 1991 after spending nearly 30 years in the Miscellaneous Class.  So for the entire time she has been breeding they have been two seperate breeds.  

 My understanding is the average mini bull puppy price is between 2000 and 2500.  This breeder has puppies listed for 3300 and is a bit misleading in that she advertises her 2 year old stud as a CH Victory Style Richman who was imported from Latvia at the age of 6 months. A simple AKC search that this dog has no points in the AKC so he must be a Latvian CH who acquired his CH before the age of 6 months....  At the end of the day though it is caveat emptor for the buyer - the more research one does the less likely you are to get into a raw deal with a breeder.  With a breed like the Mini Bull Terrier I would recommend going to the breeder referral for the Mini Bull Terrier Club of America: http://www.minibull.org/Breeder_Directory.html and use that as a launching point for breeder research. 

cannot agree more with what Psycht has stated above.

Psycht,

You have many valid points and good advice.   We thought we had done our research.  The sales receipt and the sales contract both said she was a Miniature Bull Terrier.  We did not have her shipped to us but met them in Orlando to pick her up.    Talking to them on the phone and in person they, of course, seemed polite and trustworthy.   After speaking to the officals at the MBTCA, I would certainly recommend anyone seeking to purchase a Miniature Bull Terrier consult with them.  Because the MBTs are a rare breed there are many trying to cash in on them.  We even encountered someone taking pictures from one of the MBTCA breeders sites and posting the puppies for sale as if they had them.

We have not had verbal conversations with the breeder since we received the AKC papers, only written.   We offered what I thought was a reasonable resolution to refund half the purchase price given that we have the puppy.   The sales receipt and contract say that she was supposed to be a Miniature Bull Terrier.  The AKC registration  says Bull Terrier.   We have the documentation to show the puppy was misrepresented.   The breeder did not write back to us.   I finally wrote another email, on the advice of an attorney, giving her 7 days to respond.  She finally responded saying she would refund all the money when we return the puppy to her.   

We of course objected to that offer.   When we bring a dog into our home they become one of our family and we love them.  They are not relagated to a kennel in the back yard.  She lives in our house with us.  She sleeps in our bedroom at night.   We take excellent care to make sure she is healthy and well trained and have spent many hours training her.   It is not right to punish the buyer and the puppy to insist on her return.    Were we heartless people, we would have returned her to them but we love her and do not want her to suffer for the actions of the breeder.  Who knows what would happen to her if they got her back.  Some breeders put the puppies down if they are returned.   I thought it was a very reasonable solution to ask for  half of her purchase price back so that we could continue with our plans and purchase a MBT from a breeder, this time through the MBTCA..  

In my last email, I advised them that I am filing a complaint with the AKC and the Attorney General's Office, Division of Consumer Affairs.   They have not responded to my last email.

There are too many stories of these kinds of things happening with breeders.    I don't want this to happen to anyone else or any innocent puppies.


Admn delete TOS

I think half returning half the purchase price would be great, if you do not wish to return the dog, which I totally understand why you wouldn't want to do that. However, as the breeder, I would also require that the dog be spayed or neutured and written proof by a licensed vet be given to me, BEFORE any money would be refunded.

Just as you said, too many people trying to cash in on those "RARE BREEDS".  So sad what is happening to the original breed of many different breeds, all for the greed of the almighty dollar.  JMO