S'Wheat Rescues & Adoptions, Inc.
Complaint 349328 Details

  • Date Occurred: 03/24/2013
  • Reported Damages: $0.00
  • Location: 10101 E. Ste. Route 150 Kansas City MO 64149

The complaint is against an online dating profile

The complaint is a listing fraud posted on public forums or sites against an anonymous entity

The complaint is mobile text spam or smishing related against an anonymous entity

The company or person contact no longer exists

International boundaries

I am not seeking financial damages. I only want to warn other prospective adopters or fosters through this organization.

We saw a young Wheaten terrier listed on Facebook and learned that she was about to be rescued by S'Wheat Rescues. The rescue was looking for a home for this pup, so we immediately filled out the proper paperwork to "foster to adopt" - assuming all went well, we would have a new Wheaten in our family. This was on a Thursday.

By Saturday, we'd pretty much figured out that we weren't going to be the lucky foster "parents", when we received a phone call at about 8:45 that evening. Apparently, the people who put in the first application for this dog hadn't answered their phone, so the rescue decided to go to the second name on the list.

"Of course!" we answered, when asked if we were still interested. One catch - she had to be out of where she was ... by noon the next day. (The rescue had a rule at the time where the potential foster or adopter could not meet the original family - but that was waived in this instance.)

I asked about Vet records, and was assured that they would fax them to our vet on Monday. I had two other dogs and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to expose them to anything.

We rushed out to get a crate to transport the pup, and got very little sleep that night preparing for this young puppy. On the road at 5:30 am, we arrived at the owner's home before noon.

It's important to note at this time that so far the only paperwork that I'm aware of regarding this pup is the application that we filled out. I didn't have to give the original owner any paperwork, nor did I have to present any sort of documentation that I was from the rescue.

We were handed the leash to the dog, her treats and toys, and we left with this frightened puppy. We put her in the crate, and made our way home. We all tolerated the 6 hour drive fairly well.

Monday found us at our Vet's office - no records. I emailed, and was told "you can't have them; we need to protect the privacy of the original owner." We had the puppy thoroughly checked out (at our expense.) She was healthy, but undernourished. I was told by the rescue that I was being "difficult" when I asked if the records could be faxed directly to our vet.

The pup was accepted by our other dogs, and we were settling into a routine, so we submitted the formal "adoption" application. At about the same time a friend offered to give the puppy a haircut. We accepted, and the puppy looked wonderful after her grooming. I posted a picture of the puppy, and mentioned that a friend - and Wheaten breeder - had given her a haircut.

I don't think I had taken my fingers from the "enter" key when I received an irate email. I had no right to get the dog groomed. "The rescue cannot absorb unexpected bills." I pointed out that I had not asked to be reimbursed, and I had faithfully kept to the note in the contract "the dog must be groomed as a Wheaten". I was warned that if I didn't "behave", they would take the dog away.

We went through the home check, and I asked about the puppy's spay operation. I was told that an appointment would be made for me at a clinic "that they always use". I could not take her to my vet.

After some heated emails (and more threats), the Rescue backed down, and agreed to pay "the standard rate" for the spay. We could deduct it from our adoption fee. Our vet charged us her standard fee ( more than double the Rescue's "standard" rate... but it did include pain killers, and a follow-up visit.). In later conversations, our vet noted that she has had to "fix" a number of spay jobs by the clinic recommended by the rescue.

The rescue insisted on proof of the spay, so we sent a copy of that receipt. They also insisted that we register her microchip, with the rescue as the second point of contact. Unfortunately, in order to comply with that demand, our other dogs would also be listed with the rescue as their second point of contact. I was unable to change that at the time, so I set everything up, and faxed that - and the other paperwork - to the Rescue. I was again warned that "they could come and take the dog" if I didn't comply.

The final step - after notarizing the contract - was to send the funds to the rescue. They temporarily "forgot" the agreement about the spay, so they originally demanded the full $600 fee. I reminded the group and the fee was reduced by the $125 spay amount that they would cover. I asked again for the original vet records. Those "records" were finally faxed to me - with the original owner's name blacked out - but they did not contain the full vaccination histories, so we paid for the final titers to make sure that we didn't over vaccinate this young dog.

So... the end result was:

- We picked up the dog (after driving 12 hours round trip, and at our expense)
- We did the original vetting of the dog (at our expense)
- We arranged the grooming (at no cost to the rescue)
- We paid for a quality spay (mostly at our own expense)
- We did the de facto behavioral testing - no one from the rescue ever saw this dog in person
- We paid for the chip since the pup didn't have one (at no expense to the rescue).
- We paid for final titers to confirm which vaccinations the pup had been given.

And the rescue earned nearly $500 for granting us this "privilege."








Do You Have a Complaint?

Submit a Complaint

Comments

  • Kate
  • Kate SBID #6d4c8896d0
  • Posted 11/12/2016
  • Hi Diane, Thank you for taking the time to write your story. I have suspected, for a long time, that this particular rescue is actually a business rather than a non-profit.

    I tried to adopt from them about 14 years ago. It is my suspicion that they buy the dogs at auction and sell them for profit. When I was corresponding with them, I had decided to sponsor a pet, or buy Christmas angel keychains or ornaments (can't recall which now). I ended up sending money for the item, and never received it, even though my check was cashed immediately.

    When I called about a bonded pair of dogs, looking to adopt, the person I spoke with was very short with me, and had almost no information about the dogs, which made me think they didn't even have them at the rescue.

    Later, I saw a video on YouTube where the owner/founder was showing off a new batch of Wheatens, in cages stacked on top of each other, in what looked like a basement, with no sunlight. There's no way those dogs were all surrendered at the same time, and dog auctions occur frequently in that area. If she saves dogs that way, that's fine, but she should say that up front.

    Also, her lifestyle has improved exponentially since she started "rescuing". I could be completely wrong, but things don't add up there. As far as I know, there isn't much regulation for rescues, especially in that state, with many funding constraints, so it's not likely anyone will check it out.

    Btw, did you see the other Scambook complaint, where the employees were so hostile and actually called the complainant mentally unstable and made fun of her English? That's one more red flag that it's not a legitimate, professional operation. I'm so sorry for your experience. I hope you have been able to bond with your Wheatie, and are happy no matter how she came into your life. Wishing you all the best!
  • Was this helpful?

Do You Have a Complaint?

Add a complaint and spread the word. High volume complaints have a better chance to get their money back. Submit a report and join forces with others like you!

Submit a Complaint Now

Business Profile Summary

  • S'Wheat Rescues & Adoptions, Inc. logo

Company Statistics

  • Complaint Against S'Wheat Rescues & Adoptions, Inc.
  • Complaints Filed: 2
  • Reported Damages: $2,000.00
Visit Complete Company Profile

What is SBID?

SBID is a unique id code that identifies the user's computer and location. SBID is used to prevent fraudulent postings and help our community find users who create duplicate user accounts.