The Pet Pad

For the sake of transparency, I want to share my experience with Pet Pad because I heavily vouched for them in the past. When they first opened, I truly believed in the compassionate care they provided. I confidently recommended them to others, supported their business, and trusted them with reptiles I cared deeply about. Because I publicly supported them, I also feel it's important to explain why I can no longer recommend them based on my own experience.

As the founder of Leave No Reptile Behind Rescue, I did everything I could to help them succeed. I referred people to them, recommended their services, and supplied them with mealworms, superworms, and dubia roaches. On multiple occasions, I even gave them extra feeders at no charge because I believe in reducing waste and supporting businesses that genuinely care about animals.

A couple of months ago, I brought my verified Emotional Support Animal, Nadia, my bearded dragon, to Pet Pad because she had begun showing symptoms that concerned me. I wanted documentation confirming whether she had metabolic bone disease or whether something else was causing those symptoms.

If it turned out she needed advanced, long-term care beyond what I could provide, I was prepared to begin searching for the right home for her. That was never a decision I wanted to make, but my priority has always been doing what is best for the animals in my care.

Before handing Nadia over, I sat with her and spent time with her, knowing those moments could be among the last we shared if the diagnosis confirmed she needed specialized care. It was heartbreaking because Nadia is more than a pet to me — she is my verified Emotional Support Animal.

When I handed Nadia to Rose, my understanding was that the process was beginning to determine whether she truly had metabolic bone disease or if something else was causing her symptoms. My goal was to receive documentation of that evaluation so I could make an informed decision about her future.

If it was metabolic bone disease, my understanding was that it had been caught very early, and I wanted to make sure she received the appropriate care.

Later, when I contacted Pet Pad to request Nadia's medical documentation, I was told there wasn't any documentation available under my name because, according to Pet Pad, Nadia had been surrendered.

That completely surprised me.

I never believed I had surrendered Nadia. I did not sign paperwork transferring ownership or surrendering her into Pet Pad's custody. I was also shown that there was no signed documentation from me indicating that I was voluntarily surrendering Nadia or transferring ownership.

That documentation has not been provided to me, and I have not been shown any signed agreement from my side authorizing a surrender or permanent transfer of custody.

To the best of my knowledge, I brought Nadia in under my name for evaluation and documentation regarding her condition. My understanding was that she was being assessed so I could make informed decisions about her care and future.

I was never billed directly for veterinary care related to Nadia. Later, when I was trying to understand the situation, I was told by law enforcement that Pet Pad stated they had paid the bill themselves for the care and documentation.

My understanding is that the billing and records may have been placed under Pet Pad's name rather than mine. However, I brought Nadia in under my name with the purpose of having her evaluated and receiving documentation regarding her condition.

That is where my confusion remains. If care was provided and documentation exists, I do not understand why those records cannot be provided to me regarding my own animal and why they are not available under my name.

My request was simply to receive documentation so I could verify the evaluation, understand Nadia's condition, and make informed decisions about her future care.

Before everything reached this point, I made multiple attempts to communicate and resolve the matter. I called Pet Pad several times seeking updates and requesting documentation. I also reached out to Rose using the phone number they had previously given me because we had worked together, and I attempted to make contact through Snapchat as well.

Despite those efforts, I did not receive a response through those channels until weeks later. Throughout that time, I was simply trying to obtain information about Nadia and resolve the situation directly.

After a friend of mine shared that they had experienced similar concerns regarding communication and receiving updates about their own reptile's care, it caused me to take a closer look at my own situation with Nadia.

That prompted me to follow up again and request the paperwork and documentation regarding Nadia's evaluation and care. I wanted to make sure I had the proper records, understand exactly what had been done, and verify the information I had been verbally given.

At that point, I realized that I had only been verbally told that Nadia had metabolic bone disease. I had never received documentation confirming that diagnosis, the severity, the evaluation, or the care provided.

I continued requesting that documentation because I needed to review it and understand exactly what was happening with my animal. If Nadia truly had an advanced condition that required a level of care beyond what I could provide, my goal was to make sure she had the proper placement and the best possible future.

As the founder of Leave No Reptile Behind Rescue, my approach has always been to find the right homes and solutions for animals in need. I do not simply surrender animals and walk away. I work to find appropriate homes and make sure their needs are met.

That is why documentation was so important to me.

After requesting the medical documentation and continuing to seek clarification regarding Nadia's evaluation and care, I was informed that I was no longer allowed on the property and was trespassed.

This was extremely upsetting because my request was for documentation and information regarding my own animal's care. I was trying to understand Nadia's condition, review any records available, and make informed decisions about her future.

To this day, I have not received Nadia back, and I have not received the documentation I have repeatedly requested regarding her evaluation and care.

I was told there would be no documentation provided to me and that if I wished to pursue the matter, I would need to speak with a lawyer.

That was incredibly disappointing after everything I had done to support Pet Pad. I had publicly recommended them, referred customers, supplied feeder insects at reasonable prices, and genuinely wanted to see them succeed because I believed in the care they appeared to provide when they first opened.

I want to be very clear: I am not asking anyone to attack Pet Pad, contact Pet Pad, comment on their pages, confront anyone involved, or engage with them in any way.

This post is not a call for harassment, retaliation, or conflict. This is me sharing my personal experience, my concerns, and why I can no longer recommend them after previously being one of their strongest supporters.

I am asking my community to simply read, understand, and respect that I am sharing my story. Please do not take matters into your own hands, do not reach out on my behalf, and do not create additional conflict.

We have to be the bigger people and do what is right. If there are issues that need to be addressed, they should be handled through the proper channels, policies, procedures, and legal processes.

My goal is not to create chaos. My goal is transparency, accountability, and making sure concerns are handled appropriately.

I had hoped this could be resolved privately and professionally. All I wanted was clear communication and the documentation regarding Nadia's evaluation and care so I could make informed decisions about her future.

This post reflects my personal experience and my understanding of the events as they occurred.

#LeaveNoReptileBehind #ReptileRescue #ReptileAdvocacy #ReptileCommunity #ReptileCare #ResponsibleReptileOwnership #AnimalAdvocacy #AnimalWelfare #ReptileHealth #BeardedDragonCare #BeardedDragonCommunity #NadiasStory #TransparencyMatters #AccountabilityMatters #AdvocateForAnimals #RescueNotRehome #EveryAnimalMatters #ReptileLove #ReptileFamily #DoRightByAnimals

Was told that I was purchasing a pure breed puppy for $1,100 turned out to be a mixed breed puppy.I paid $1,100 for a puppy that was classified as a purebred miniature Australian shepherd. After observing health issues with my puppy, I took him to the vet to get blood drawn for a DNA test. When the results came back, it showed that my puppy was not purebred and in fact mixed breed. I contacted the Pet Pad and they told me that they would not give me a refund for the breach of contract because the owner did not believe the authenticity of the DNA test. I got an attorney and had him send a letter to The Pet Pad owner requesting a refund. My attorney had given him 30 days to respond and we never got a response.Desired SettlementI would like a refund for the $1,100 that I had paid for my puppy and financial assistance for the medical issues that my dog is having. Business Response This is the response letter that we sent Mr. [redacted]'s attorney:June 7, 2016RE: Your letter dated May 26, 2016 on behalf of [redacted]Dear Mr. :Your letter dated May 26, 2016 addressed to Pet Pad on behalf of [redacted] ("Ms. [redacted]") has been forwarded to me for a response. As I understand it, your client is requesting a refund of $1,100.00 for a "non-conforming dog." For reasons below, your client's request for a refund is denied.First, Ms. [redacted] contracted for a miniature Australian Shepherd that is registered by America's Pet Registry, Inc. (the "[redacted]"); that type of dog is exactly what she received. The [redacted] website explains that the genetic makeup of a dog is separate and distinct from the official breed designation. The Pet Pad uses the same standards and practices that breeders use to track the descendants of each registered pet. This lineage system has been recognized by breeders as a basis for determining whether a dog qualifies for being registered as a particular breed. Genetic purity is not used for such a determination. There is no mention of genetic purity in the contract executed by Ms. [redacted]. Additionally, the breed analysis report referenced in your letter indicates that it is intended as a resource to determine the dog's genetic history, and is not intended for use in a judicial proceeding. Finally, the owners of the Pet Pad are willing to work with Ms. [redacted], assist her with the registration process and transfer of the registration of the dog, known as [redacted] as I understand it, with the [redacted]; unfortunately, they are not willing to refund the purchase price for the dog under the present circumstances. For your reference, I have enclosed a copy of the registration documents for [redacted] Ms. [redacted] is welcomed to go by the store to pick up the original documents.Please refer any additional correspondence concerning this matter to my attention at the address above.Sincerely,STORE RESPONSE:Ms. [redacted] purchased this puppy on Jan. 7, 2016. Her father called us the next day wanting to return the puppy because he thought it would get too big. Since then, he has been trying to get his money back and keep the puppy using a variety of reasons including this DNA claim. Ms. [redacted] has told us that her puppy had medical issues. Our puppies do come with a one year health guarantee against problems that are congenital or hereditary. We ask for a letter written by a veterinarian explaining the condition and documenting that the cause is either hereditary or congenital. While Ms. [redacted] has given us copies of veterinary bills for various testing, she has never presented us with a letter from a veterinarian showing that this puppy has a congenital or hereditary problem. Early on, we offered Mr. [redacted] to take the puppy back and let Ms. [redacted] select a different dog. But it seems she wants to keep the one she got from us and get her money back. Consumer Response I have got in contact with [redacted] explaining the situation. I have sent photos, the DNA results, and the contract over to them. Their response was that the [redacted] is not responsible for the Pet Pad for selling me a mixed breed dog. Fortunately the representative I talked to there, actually breeds miniature Australian dogs and she said my dog looks nothing like one but instead a mixture of a Chihuahua of some sort. She explained to me that the Pet Pad has had issues before with puppies being mixed breed and not pure bred. The [redacted] is currently doing an investigation towards the Pet Pad as well as the Breeder [redacted] I have got a panel of vets and miniature Australian breeders ready to explain that the Pet Pad's explanation of the genetic analysis, is nonsense. The pet pad had offered to take the my puppy back because they knew he had health issues and in [redacted]'s words (the pet pad owner), "The puppies don't mean anything to me, they aren't money that comes out of my pocket like the actual money I'd have to pay for these medical bills". I have invested my money and time for my dog. I will still be pursuing a legal case towards the Pet Pad and look forward to seeing them in court. Final Business Response The Customer has made a serious accusation that our store is under investigation by [redacted]. We contacted the [redacted] to ask about this. This letter is the response we received from them:July 5, 2016Dear [redacted],In response to your email of July 1, let me first thank you for bringing this to our attention. As to the matter of Ms. ____, no one in the office has spoken to her about this issue. If any of us had, we would have asked her to put her complaint in writing and send it to us with any supporting documentation. That has not happened. I know she says that we spoke with her after we had looked at pictures, but that is just not so. We have no record in our complaint file of any of her letters, pictures, or allegations of any kind.We have a saying here that we might not always know what someone here said at any given time, but we can be very sure of what they did not say. This is a rare example of what no one here would ever say. We would never suggest to anyone in a phone conversation that she had a mixed breed dog. Neither would we tell any customer that a pet shop or a breeder was "under investigation." First, we do not do those types of investigations; secondly, it is hard to imagine Ms.[redacted] would ever be the target of such a thing. She has been a stellar example of what [redacted] wants to see in the breeders it serves. In addition we have never had any complaints of any sort about The Pet Pad.Whatever Ms.____'s motivation is, we can say with assurance that no one here said the things that she is claiming. We are sorry that you are facing this issue, and we hope this correspondence helps.Sincerely,[redacted] Retail LiaisonThe Customer also attributed a quote to the store owner that "the puppies don't mean anything to me." This is also a total fabrication. Again, we invite The Customer to pick up her [redacted] registration paper and register her dog.