Legend Animal Rescue

November 01, 2014Legend Animal Rescue17045 El Sol RdRamona, CA 92.065[redacted]To Whom it May Concern;Please accept this letter in response to your letter dated October 28, 2014 regarding the complaint submittedby [redacted] on October 10, 2014, ID...

[redacted].I personally spoke to [redacted] on September 16th when she inquired about adopting one of ouravailable dogs, [redacted], a Sib Pomeranian puppy. She was very interested and insistent on adopting [redacted]. Iexplained to her that we do not do out of state adoptions, that it was generally cost and time prohibitive for bothus and the potential adopter and if there was a problem with the new dog in the new home, we would have nofe·asible way of reeovering the dog. I had 'tolc:f her that she shouldc check with the airlines, specifleally [redacted] .since they have the Pets First" program, to find out about cost since no rescue would be responsible for thosecosts. I told her that it would probably cost around $800 to fly a dog commercially AND that did not include, thecrate, and the health certificate, vetting, adoption fee or airport transportation .... all things that one shouldconsider when contacting out of state rescues. I also explained to her that even if she found a dog at a rescuethat was willing to ship a dog across the continental united states, it would not happen anytime soon since ALLairlines are under a heat embargo for most of the summer and will not ship any animal if the temperature isabove 85 degrees at any point along the route. Most airlines lift that embargo by the end of October and mostrescues will not and cannot, hold dogs that long. [redacted] had told me that she had never dealt with a 'rescue'before and that she didn't know how it all worked so I tried to explain it to her as best I could. I told her severaltimes during the initial conversation that we could not change our policy and we would not adopt out ofreasonable driving· distance.Approximately 4 days after I had talked to [redacted], we had a huge wildfire break out near the ranch and I singlehandedly evacuated our 2 young children and all of the animals from our ranch... ,30 dogs, 11 horses, 14goats, 22 chickens, 7 cats, a giant tortoise and 1 macaw. As you can imagine, it was chaotic and Iina~vertently left my phone in my in my husband's patrol vehicle as he was leavjng for work. [redacted] hadapparently been texting ·and calling during this time and my husband responded' to those 'texts not knowingwho [redacted] was. We all remained evacuated and the animals at separate locations for over a week. Duringthat week and the following week, while we were cleaning up the mess and getting our animals re-settled atthe ranch, [redacted] called and texted no less than 10-20 times per day insisting that she be able to "purchasethe dog. It got to the point that I blocked her number because she would not take 'no' for an answer.I sympathize with her recent loss and I am sorry that we could not help her find a dog during this difficult time.However, we are a small rescue and we cannot change our adoption policies or endanger any animal we workso hard to save.Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The ONLY thing that I agree with that [redacted] has mentioned; and is true is that the dog's name was [redacted]. 
Considering the fact that I called [redacted] & they told me it would be less than $400 to ship the rescue, I had no problem with moving forward. Neither did [redacted]- she wanted; & did mention $800 for the dog. That was not at all a problem. For either of us; if it were, she would not have mentioned [redacted] in the first place. Nor would she have sent this battery of texts to follow; after our initial 6 minute conversation. During which; I mentioned the fact that I have a Pomeranian,  & she is aging. My mom, who has cancer, I told her, wanted us both to have another, because we are/were so close to my dog. 
Tuesday Sept. 16 @ 6pm Hi [redacted] again, I'd like to go on & get [redacted] !  I'm on the phone right now w [redacted] & am awaiting a rep to advise me about the time she would be flight-ready. Please give me a call back tonight as soon as you can. I'd love giving my mom the exciting news !  Thanks volumes !  My number is 770.898.[redacted] h
& 770.402.[redacted] c 
[redacted]'s response-Ok...with pitbull adopters now...will call you shortly
My response - =) yea !  Okay !
Wed Sept 17 @ 11:36am -
(After NO response) my response - I hope to hear from you today...
9/17 @ 3:07pm 
Hi [redacted],
Just called you about [redacted] again & left message. 9.17.14@3pm...  
I do hope to hear from you &. soon.  Thank you. 
9/17@7:33p- Are you alright ?
Resp- This is [redacted]'s husband [redacted]...there is a fire by the ranch and they evacuated animals this morning. I have her phone because she left it in the truck.  I am at work, but will see them later tonight 
My resp-Oh my !  Sorry to hear that. Was wondering why she didn't message me back Tuesday like she said she would. JUST getting this message. At hospital now. Headed home. Again, I hope to speak with her tomorrow if she still wants to discuss a sale. Thanks. G'night. 
9/18@12:08p [redacted]/[redacted] are you there ?  Were any animals affected ?  
Resp they are still evacuated and the animals are at a few different locations.  I couldn't get in to see them last night because the roads are blocked and the fire is still bad.  30 square miles
My resp- Sheesh! That is frightening. I hate to hear this.
Will you please keep me posted. I'm still interested in [redacted]. Thank you. 
Their resp - yes
My resp -Thank you. Praying for all of you. Take care. Talk soon. 
This was the last "conversation" that was shared. All other texts/calls that followed (from 9/19-10/9) were simply me attempting to check on all involved. [redacted]/[redacted]/[redacted]/& other animals- however, I was specifically concerned about [redacted]. So much so that I spoke with my vet, at The Atlanta Humane Society about her & sent her a link from Petfinder. 
I was so upset that word was promised; yet none came. I waited a week & messaged Petfinder of my discouragement. They encouraged me to try to continue a discourse with "Legend", & they advised me not to lose faith in the rescue process because of a bad egg. So did my vet. Who, I might add, was at both my parents funerals. My father passed 4/12 & my mom 9/27. She attended because we ALL love animals. The Humane Society is where my extra time, effort, & money is spent. She also knows how much I cared for them (my folks) & considering she has herself kept my dog when I had surgery, is my dog's doctor; she is also a longtime friend. That is a testament as to how I treat people. 
I asked those questions about the fire out of concern (I had watched the news) & was genuinely worried, about something I had no control over; and considering how quickly the dog was sold, I also had no stake in. I was simply baited, lied to, and then according to [redacted], "blocked" out of concern & the lackluster desire she had to ship the dog.   
My girlfriend breeds sphinx cats- she told me she ([redacted]) most likely didn't want to do, " all that work." She said, "I do it all the time; it's not hard, but that's what you get yourself into in this business."  That it is- a lucrative business, that fronts as a rescue. I'm certain this is not the first; nor will it be the last time [redacted]/[redacted]/Legend treats a potential client like this. Lies are never necessary, unless you have something to hide. I just wish I'd gotten the clue after the first one- the initial "promise" to, "call me when she got off the phone with pit bull adopters".  
This has greatly colored the way I view rescues. One bad, rotten, lie filled apple has indeed spoiled the entire barrel. How sad that it took the Revdex.com to get a reply from some woman (& her husband) that bases her business on her word. Good to hear, finally after 2+ months that ALL those animals are just fine. I never should have doubted they weren't. 
Should you, The Revdex.com, need to contact me for anything further, please do not hesitate. Thanking you for your action and assistance in this matter. 
[redacted]

December 15, 2014Legend Animal Rescue17045 El Sol RdRamona, CA 92.065[redacted]
To Whom it May Concern;Please accept this letter in response to your letter dated November 25, 2014 regarding the complaint submittedby [redacted] on October 10, 2014, 10 [redacted].I am personally at a loss here as to what [redacted] or the Revdex.com feel will "resolve" this complaint?? It hasNEVER been our policy to adopt any dog out of state and [redacted] was told verbally that we could not,nor would we, ship a dog all the way across the country. We are not a breeder, we do not 'sell' animals, ouradoption fees are minimal... between $[redacted] and $[redacted] depending on the size and breed of the animal. Ourfees include spay/neuter. all shots. microchip and any other vetting the animal might need before being placed into a new home.
We barely cover costs on most animals so I'm not sure how any part of this is lucrative or what we could possibly be benefitting from 'lying' about shipping a dog as [redacted] stated?
[redacted] never filled out an adoption application or sent us any money for the dog so I'm unclear whatrecourse she would like us to take to resolve this?? We are small non-profrt organization and we require anadoption application, home check and controlled introductions with the potential adopters other animals. Wealso require a contract be executed at the time of adoption that ensures that we can check on the welfare of said animalin person, from time to time, and should the animal EVER have to be given up for any reason, theanimal is returned to our organization. As I explained to [redacted], we could not facilitate any of the abovefrom 3000 miles away. I also tried to explain to her what goes into shipping  an animal and told her to call Delta tofind out for herself which has apparently been misconstrued as an agreement to 'sell' and ship a dog. Ourpetfinder.com page clearly states that we DO NOT adopt our animals out of state. We invest a lot of time andmoney into each one of our rescues and would never endanger their lives by putting them on a plane tosomeone that has not been adequately, personally vetted by our organization. [redacted] might be awonderful dog owner, but we don't know that and have no way to verify that from the other side of the country.We have never been willing to take that risk with any of our animals and we never will. There are Pomeranianrescue organizations in her area and they can be found by simply googling '[redacted]'.I will say again that I am sorry for the recent loss of her parents, but perhaps her emotional state at the time ledher to believe that our organization was willing to do something that we have never done before "and would notever do with one of our animals.I have attached copies of our petfinder.com page, our adoption application and our contract for your records.Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Review: Greetings,I first inquired about [redacted], a female potty trained roughly $800 (incld shipping) Pomerainian I was told I could adopt on September 16 @ 6pm- EST. I called and emailed LAR to discover what needed to be done to get her. [redacted] answered the phone, telling me I'd have to call [redacted] to confirm she could get a pets first flight. We talked price then. Post speaking, [redacted] immediately text me back, "Ok...with pitbull adopters now...will call you shortly". She never did. My mother, saw the dog prior to & encouraged me to get her. She had cancer, and has since passed away. I initially spoke with a [redacted] about her, then, for no real reason; was told by her husband [redacted] by text after calling all day that day & the next; "This is [redacted]'s husband [redacted]...there is a fire by the ranch and they evacuated animals this morning. I have her phone because she left it in the truck. I am at work, but will see them later tonight". To which I responded, "Oh my ! Sorry to hear that. Was wondering why she didn't message me back Tuesday like she said she would. JUST getting this message. At hospital now. Headed home. Again, I hope to speak with her tomorrow if she still wants to discuss a sale. Thanks. G'night." That was at 1am Thursday morning. @ 12:08p/same day, I said, "[redacted] are you there ? Were any animals affected ? " & was given, "They are still evacuated and the animals are at a few different locations. I couldn't get in to see them last night because the roads are blocked and the fire is still bad. 30 square miles" as a reply. I said it hated to hear it, & expressed concern & upset about it because the fires in CA were serious at that time. I did ask "Will you please keep me posted. I'm still interested in [redacted]. Thank you." Thursday, Sept. 28 @ 12:08pm, one of them responded, "yes." I have not heard ANYTHING from [redacted]/ANYONE from "Legends" since. I've called & text most everyday, even the day of my mother's funeral. The manner we were handled was deplorable, disappointing, & wrong !Desired Settlement: I'd appreciate something better than another lie from [redacted]. I am willing to move forward in telling everyone I know of about such disgusting treatment by "an animal rescue". The behavior expressed by both parties is simply unforgettable & upsetting. I actually believed the fire story; told them, "Hey, just called you...I'm praying & hoping things are better for you all. I've not heard good things- have you all been evacuated ? Are you safe ? Is there anything I can do ?" To NO REPLY.

Business

Response:

November 01, 2014Legend Animal Rescue17045 El Sol RdRamona, CA 92.065[redacted]To Whom it May Concern;Please accept this letter in response to your letter dated October 28, 2014 regarding the complaint submittedby [redacted] on October 10, 2014, ID [redacted].I personally spoke to [redacted] on September 16th when she inquired about adopting one of ouravailable dogs, [redacted], a Sib Pomeranian puppy. She was very interested and insistent on adopting [redacted]. Iexplained to her that we do not do out of state adoptions, that it was generally cost and time prohibitive for bothus and the potential adopter and if there was a problem with the new dog in the new home, we would have nofe·asible way of reeovering the dog. I had 'tolc:f her that she shouldc check with the airlines, specifleally [redacted] .since they have the Pets First" program, to find out about cost since no rescue would be responsible for thosecosts. I told her that it would probably cost around $800 to fly a dog commercially AND that did not include, thecrate, and the health certificate, vetting, adoption fee or airport transportation .... all things that one shouldconsider when contacting out of state rescues. I also explained to her that even if she found a dog at a rescuethat was willing to ship a dog across the continental united states, it would not happen anytime soon since ALLairlines are under a heat embargo for most of the summer and will not ship any animal if the temperature isabove 85 degrees at any point along the route. Most airlines lift that embargo by the end of October and mostrescues will not and cannot, hold dogs that long. [redacted] had told me that she had never dealt with a 'rescue'before and that she didn't know how it all worked so I tried to explain it to her as best I could. I told her severaltimes during the initial conversation that we could not change our policy and we would not adopt out ofreasonable driving· distance.Approximately 4 days after I had talked to [redacted], we had a huge wildfire break out near the ranch and I singlehandedly evacuated our 2 young children and all of the animals from our ranch... ,30 dogs, 11 horses, 14goats, 22 chickens, 7 cats, a giant tortoise and 1 macaw. As you can imagine, it was chaotic and Iina~vertently left my phone in my in my husband's patrol vehicle as he was leavjng for work. [redacted] hadapparently been texting ·and calling during this time and my husband responded' to those 'texts not knowingwho [redacted] was. We all remained evacuated and the animals at separate locations for over a week. Duringthat week and the following week, while we were cleaning up the mess and getting our animals re-settled atthe ranch, [redacted] called and texted no less than 10-20 times per day insisting that she be able to "purchasethe dog. It got to the point that I blocked her number because she would not take 'no' for an answer.I sympathize with her recent loss and I am sorry that we could not help her find a dog during this difficult time.However, we are a small rescue and we cannot change our adoption policies or endanger any animal we workso hard to save.Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.Sincerely,[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.