Since the original post about bogus dog breeding in New Jersey, I received several comments from the alleged breeder(s)" who sold us our dogs Moose and Sandy. I invite you to read them---they are very interesting to say to least.
A person who became involved with our little doggy drama sent me a link to a company that does genetic testing verify or refute canine breed or pedigree claims. We are going to have both of our dogs tested. We suspect that Moose is not a havanese as billed but a maltese/bichon or maybe a maltese/havanese mix . As luck would have it, we met both a maltese and bichon during our trip to Moosehead Lake in Maine and learned alot about both breeds. Moose looks alot like a maltese but unlike pure malteses who are all white, he has quite a bit of cream coloring in his coat.
The jury is still out on Sandy (who we bought as a 10 week old puppy) is suppose to be a full-blooded havanese female. She looks like havanese that we have seen in photos, but given the circumstances we are not certain that she is really what she is supposed to be!
If either or both of the dogs are not what they were claimed to be in the pedigree papers that we received, it is our belief that we have a good case of fraud or at the very least misrepresentation on our hands. As most of us know, DNA doesn't lie! Who says that Cary Mullis didn't deserve to win the Nobel Prize for developing PCR!!!!!!!!!
Please read the back story (see below) about our journey into the underbelly of bogus dog breeding in the Garden State!!!
Original Post
Several months ago, my wife and daughter saw a “really adorable” dog at a school fundraising event. My wife asked the owner what type of dog it was and she was told “it is a Havanese.” Neither my wife nor I had heard of the breed before but, after doing some Internet research we learned that it is related to the Bichon and is called Havanese because the breed originated in Cuba. As former residents of Miami (we met there) and familiar with all things Cuban my wife and I decided to buy a Havanese puppy for our daughter and two sons (they had been vigorously campaigning for a dog for the past few years).
The first step in our search was to Google the breed and see whether there were any Havanese breeders in New Jersey. Much to our delight, we found five Havanese breeders in New Jersey and no fewer than three were in driving distance from our home. To make a long story short, we purchased a wonderful 10-week old Havanese puppy called Sandy from a private breeder named Grace Abrams who runs Havanese 4Ever in Vincentown, NJ. A couple of days after we brought Sandy home, my wife took her to her first veterinary appointment and disappointed to learn that Sandy had serious case of ear mites and a round worm infestation. While we concerned, we didn’t think much of this (although Grace had certified that the puppy was healthy and disease free) and went on with our newly-minted Havanese existence.
After living with Sandy for several months (and spending way too much money to build a fence for one dog), my wife and I decided that Sandy needed a companion to play with. Imagine our delight, when we saw that Grace was looking for a home for a young, Havanese male that she had recently acquired “from a couple relocating from North Carolina to New York City.” After seeing the ad on Grace’s website, my wife, Sandy and I drove back to Vincentown examine the “9 month old healthy Havanese male” that was dumped on Grace’s door step. Grace informed us that she had been caring for the dog for two weeks and that he was filthy and in very bad condition when she first got him. Without any hesitation, we adopted the dog (Moose) for $400 (after Grace knocked off $150 because of the ear mites and worms with Sandy) and thought all was right with the world. We also received some nominal paperwork including Moose’s veterinary records, his pedigree papers and a receipt.
A couple of days after we brought Moose home, my wife took him to the vet for a physical examination. Much to her dismay, the veterinarian told my wife that Moose was not 9 months old but closer to 3 years, had a bad case of gingivitis (and 4 loose teeth that needed to be pulled) and an ear and urinary tract infections. After receiving three frantic phone calls from my wife who was in tears, I contacted Grace and informed her that things were not right with Moose and that we wanted our money back. Again, to make a long story short, Grace refused to give us a refund unless we brought Moose back to her. Of course, we didn’t comply and Moose (who is a wonderful, loyal and sweet dog) is now an official member of the family. That said, with the help of a pet advocacy organization, NJCAPSA which has been investigating puppy mill fraud in NJ, we learned that Grace Abrams is a member of a notorious ring of South Jersey dog grifters run by her mother Donna Roberts who in 2007 was found guilty under NJ Statute 4:22-26L on three of five counts of animal cruelty.
Grace aka Dawn Abrams and her mother Donna Roberts purportedly purchases puppies from Pennsylvania Amish and Mennonite puppy mills (allegedly run by a nefarious character named David Zimmerman) and sell them from Boston to Washington DC as well as locally in New Jersey. Although never convicted of fraud, numerous complaints have been filed against Donna and Grace claiming that they supplied customers with falsified veterinary certificates and bogus AKC or other registration papers. Sometimes, Robert Cohen, an odious licensed New Jersey veterinarian, issues “health certificates” for Donna/Dawn’s puppies and so-called “rescue animals”. Not surprisingly, Cohen’s name appeared in court documents in several cases of fraud brought against Donna Roberts.
Because of her convictions, Donna Roberts keeps a low profile. Grace/Dawn Abrams is the front person but her mother Donna Roberts actually calls all the shots. Over the years, Donna and Grace/Dawn have sold dogs under the following kennel names: 1) Dark Moon Havanese, Shamong, NJ, 2) Shady Oaks Havanese, Howell NJ, 3) Kissy Face Havanese, Lakewood NJ, 4) Havanese Breeze, Medford NJ, 4) Havanese 4U, Indian Mills, NJ and 5) Havanese 4ever, Vincentown, NJ. Be warned that they also advertise Havanese and other breeds on PetFinder, Craig’s List, Breeders.net, Doggie.com and others pet sites where there are no ad listing charges.
Also, be aware that they are alleged to sell dogs under the following names or aliases:
Dee Woods
Dee Roberts
Gloria Anderson
Donna Anderson
Rachel Anderson
Donna Marie Dueben
Donna Truex
Robin Lewis
Robin Anderson (Donna Robert’s sister)
Marci Jean - advertises under the same phone number as Shady Oak
Carol Lang
Grace Abrams - Havanese4ever
Paul - Shady Oak Havanese
Marci Dueben - Havana Breeze Havanese
After we learned about Donna and her co-conspirators, my wife and I (who is an attorney) thoroughly examined the papers that we received for Sandy and Moose from Grace Abrams. Sure enough, no fewer than five of their aliases appeared in various capacities (e.g., owner, seller, breeder etc) throughout our documents. Further, Robert Cohen was the veterinarian of record who signed all of Sandy’s veterinary certificates. Although Moose was billed as a 9 month Havanese we now believe that he is a 2 year old Bichon, Shih Tzu or a mix. We think that he was probably a former breeder dog in a PA puppy mill (since he was not neutered). Sandy is likely a true Havanese but I wouldn’t be surprised that turns out not to be the case.
I wrote this piece because the emotional and gut-wrenching experience that my family and I have gone through has had a profound effect on me. To that end, I am going to do everything possibly to shut down the operations run by Donna Roberts, Grace/Dawn Abrams and their co-conspirators. Any suggestions, ideas, help (especially Internet/technology-wise) on how to put these people and their ilk out of business would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to repost this piece on any appropriate pet and dog breeder sites or blogs.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Puppy Hunting!!!!
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Because I subscribe to transparency, full disclosure and the notion that most stories have two sides, I felt that it was only appropriate to post a comment sent to me by a an ardent Donna Roberts supporter who believes that she and her ring of dog-grifting associates are innocent and have been unduly harmed and wronged by my blog posts. 