This is a repost from a series I did in August 2016 on my old blog. I am reposting for three reasons. First, I am sending the link to the AKC as I understand that the central figure did not — unfortunately — change her ways.
The second reason I am reposting and keeping it live on the internet is to caution foreign breeders.
Finally, I am reposting to document how we rescued two well-bred, quality Berner puppies from a terrible situation. Please understand this: They were RESCUED puppies, not rescue puppies. Big Difference.
Without further ado, here is The Tale of Two Puppies — all the parts in one place.
You Can't Make This Sh!# Up
(08/16/2016)
The story of the two rescued puppies just gets wackier. I know this is kind of starting at the end but it went like this...
Last Tuesday, Jeremy showed up to retrieve the two puppies in the parking lot of Guy's Farm and Yard -- I kid you not. A parking lot. At night. Like a drug deal -- only fluffier.
The two puppies arrived with the woman who had them -- and another woman who identified herself as an Animal Control Officer. She even passed over her business card (I blotted out contact info, just to be kind):
"Hmmm..." said I. "Why would an Animal Control Officer be there, and second -- where have I heard that name before????!!!"
I remembered why that name sounded familiar -- because I had previously seen it in this article:
"The charges against Angie Sargent, 45, of Alburgh Springs Road are related to a court-ordered search at her residence in December, Sheriff Ray Allen said. The sheriff’s department was asked to assist an Alburgh animal control officer who was investigating a complaint of excessive barking at the house, Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Poquette wrote in court papers. Poquette said he located four dogs in the house and one in the garage barking. He said there were numerous piles of animal feces and holes in the dry wall in the residence. He said he did not see any water or food bowls and some dogs had matted and wet hair. Allen said five dogs were impounded as part of the investigation. A neighbor reported that Sargent had removed about five other dogs from the residence about 15 minutes before the sheriff’s department arrived, Poquette wrote. Joan Krizer (emphasis added), who serves as an animal control officer in Alburgh, told the Burlington Free Press on Tuesday that the five impounded dogs have been placed with a rescue group in Massachusetts" (http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2014/02/18/alburgh-woman-a...).
And that rang a small alarm bell because I had tried to contact Ms. Terzick-Krizer last month and was pretty sure I had been told she did not work for the Town of Alburgh anymore.
I am often wrong and so I called the Town of Alburgh yesterday and confirmed: Joanie Terzick-Krizer is NOT their Animal Control Officer. She once was -- but isn't now and certainly wasn't last Tuesday.
Do you follow that? Joanie Terzick-Krizer was apparently impersonating an Animal Control Officer from the Town of Alburgh during the puppy pick-up, or I suppose it is possible (albeit unlikely given additional info I have learned) that someone was impersonating Joanie Terzick-Krizer.
NEWS FLASH: Photos of Joanie Terzick-Krizer were sent to Jeremy -- he confirmed identity. It *was* Joanie Terzick-Krizer impersonating an Animal Control Officer/"Special Police" at the puppy pick-up.
But it gets even stranger. The person who had the puppies? The one that Joanie Terzick-Krizer was with that evening? Angie Sargent. Read the above newspaper story with new eyes.
Sparkle has this to say about all that...
The Tale of Two Puppies: Introduction
(08/17/2016)
I wasn't going to discuss the Tale of Two Puppies. I thought it was enough to get them back on behalf of their breeder (not me). Everyone makes mistakes -- no need for a public airing. And then two things happened.
On the day the puppies were delivered to Super Hero Jeremy, both reportedly had baths and I had been warned one had coughed. Actually, both puppies had raging Kennel Cough and the veterinarian put them on antibiotics. The puppies were well-fed but lacked muscle tone. But here is the big reason you are reading about this:
Although they had been bathed, the puppies arrived smelling of urine and with yellow-stained coats; they still have yellow after repeated baths. Let me help you get the full effect -- below is Daisy Rey, a Berner puppy of a similar age who has never spent time dyeing her coat with urine....
And so the first reason you are reading The Tale of Two Puppies is because in less than one month, two small puppies turned yellow.
The second reason you are reading this is because a woman claiming to be an Animal Control Officer from the Town of Alburgh was at the puppy exchange, and she insisted the puppies were perfectly fine and healthy. Epic Fail, Joanie Terzick-Krizer.
First, Joanie Terzick-Krizer is not the Animal Control Officer from the Town of Alburgh (see: http://www.alburghvt.org/faces/townofficers.xhtml). Second, if Joanie Terzick-Krizer thought yellow stained puppies who smelled of urine and were coughing up gunk were perfectly fine -- O.M.G. Third, the puppies were not the only thing that smelled bad -- why would a former Animal Control Officer who had witnessed the conditions that convicted Angie Sargent of Animal Cruelty be supporting Angie at the puppy exchange? And apparently breaking the law to boot?! WTF?
So the yellow puppies and the fake Animal Control Officer combined with the incredible story of how the puppies got to Angie in the first place -- and the horrific inaction of so many public agencies/officials while those sweet puppies were turning yellow -- is why I am sharing The Tale of Two Puppies.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
(Edmund Burke)
I assume he also meant women.
The Tale of Two Puppies: Off to America
(08/18/2016)
This post will be tricky because I know the imperfections of human beings make all of us do unfortunate things sometimes. Does our humanity make us monsters? Sometimes -- but usually not. People do what they do for all kinds of reasons that make sense to them in the moment. My work and my life have taught me that human beings should not be defined by the worst things they have ever done, and so I try to tread carefully around the sins of others.
Sometimes we make a dreadful mistake, pay the price, and move forward to sin no more, so to speak. That should be good enough for all of us to simply move on -- nobody is perfect, glass houses, etc. But some people don't stop sinning. Maybe it is a habit. Maybe it is addiction or mental illness or desperation -- and maybe it doesn't matter. But maybe bad behavior continues because because the price paid has not be great enough.
In general, I don't believe in punishment. On the other hand, allowing bad behavior to continue with no consequences means the perpetrator is positively reinforced and therefore the behavior will likely continue -- there *will* be more victims. This blog series is my contribution to justice, and my invitation to you to help. But I am getting ahead of myself -- back to the story...
It started innocently enough via Facebook messaging - an inquiry on June 8 about available puppies...
And just like that, Red Girl's life took an abrupt turn. She was reserved by Angie Sargent, and the games began.
A $300 deposit was required. On June 8, Angie indicated she would do the MoneyGram “in the morning.”
On June 9, Angie asked about another female from the litter and stated she also wanted White Girl. The deposit amount was verified to now be $600. Angie indicated that she would “…do a deposit later this morning…”
On June 10, Angie indicated the money for the deposit was “processing” and then “they are trying to figure out why it it’s pending…” and then she was “…waiting for the transaction number by email…”
On June 11, Angie stated about the deposit, “…it should be done today…” and “…that’s what held up transaction, they question it, and that’s what held it up.”
On June 12, Angie was told, “… if you have not solved the situation with the deposits, I will be forced to reopen the puppies to prospective buyers." Angie responded, “you’ll have it today.”
The deposit of $600 was finally received on June 13. Angie was reminded the balance and shipping costs “…must be sent a week prior to the departure of the puppies.”
Hang on to your hats because it gets even better -- or worse, depending on your perspective.
On July 5, Angie was told, "Price for two puppies 2560 USD. You sent a deposit of $600, the balance is of $1960. The remainder of cost of puppy and shipping costs must be sent a week prior to departure of puppies.”
On July 7: "The puppies fly on Sunday…please don’t forget to transfer the balance.” Angie said her bank opened at 9 a.m.
This goes on and on. Promise after promise, excuse and excuse.
I know, I know -- the alarm bells in your head are deafening and the red flags are frantically flapping in your face.
But this was a novice breeder from Russia who -- in violation of her agreement -- wasn't discussing any of this with her very experienced mentor. She believed what Google Translator Angie was saying about the nice family, the lawn, the wonderful life as companions those two puppies would have, and the beds from LL Bean. The Novice Breeder didn't google Angie Sargent, didn't check BMDCA membership, didn't talk to any reputable folks in America and whether this happened because of language, culture, perception of Americans, inexperience, etc. -- it doesn't really matter. It happened. It was a mistake. A really big mistake and she knows it now, and is paying a heavy price. A lot of people in her part of the world have learned a valuable lesson because of that really big mistake.
Back to the story -- although I bet you can see where this is going.
Blah Blah Blah and Yada Yada Yada and Angie eventually sends this and says it is the receipt for payment...
Our Russian friend was starting to wise up...
And then: “...I’m sorry, I distrust such a document. But anyway, tomorrow I put the puppies on a plane and hope for your honesty.” [...and the crowd yells, "NOOOOOO!!!!!"]
Angie responded: “I understand. I’m in Canada till noon I’ll send another copy when I get back home… they say by Tuesday in your account.” (Tuesday, July 12).
And off they went -- from Russia to Vermont. Two innocent puppies
No payment for the puppies was received, of course, but that quickly became a non-issue. Here is your homework for tomorrow's episode: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2014/02/18/alburgh-woman-a...
Again, we are all human and we make mistakes. If this were not a pattern with Angie -- and if things I mentioned yesterday had not happened -- I would not be writing about this. But Angie -- and maybe also Joanie Terzick-Krizer -- is someone who has had time to learn from her mistakes, and the lessons apparently have not been quite enough.
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." (Albert Einstein)
The Tale of Two Puppies: What Friends Are For
(08/19/2016)
In our last episode, the two puppies had arrived in America -- Vermont, to be more precise. That was July 10. A few days later there was buzz on a Facebook list -- Angie Sargent had managed to get two female puppies from the well-regarded Terra De Bern Kennel in Russia. I had never heard of Angie Sargent before but I sure know of Terra De Bern. My own Sparkle was sired by a Terra De Bern dog...
And so I did what any friend would do -- I contacted Julia of Terra De Bern and asked her about it. She had no idea what I was talking about, and after a bit of back and forth, a light bulb popped and Julia figured out a co-owner/novice breeder might be involved. BINGO. The novice breeder was embarrassed and in tears, and Julia was beyond upset.
You see, Julia was to approve all puppy placements from that litter but Novice Breeder went rogue on her, and placed the two girls by herself. That went well. N.O.T. (see: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2014/02/18/alburgh-woman-a...).
Julia and I went to work. The Novice Breeder was completely forthcoming -- with Julia as the interpreter, the Novice Breeder sent all documents/messages/photos/etc. related to the situation. Further, the Novice Breeder answered all my questions, even the ones that implicated her in the wrongdoing. I have never met the woman, and she made a dreadful mistake -- but she also has tried to make it right. I respect that. Nobody is perfect.
The first thing I did was to try and understand things -- that meant pouring over all the messaging exchanges, asking clarifying questions, talking to folks in New England, and so on -- research is kind of my thing, after all. I consulted friends and family who are attorneys. My husband is retired law enforcement - he helped. And always there was Julia -- praying, hoping, worrying, and supporting my efforts.
The puppies did not belong to Angie -- she had not paid for them, and she was not the registered owner. I had a Berner friend, Alise Burbridge, ready and waiting to take possession of the puppies. Easy Peasy, I thought. Wrong.
The Swanton, Vermont Animal Control Officer wanted to help but his hands were tied. He could not simply go in and remove the two puppies because of a dispute over ownership. Law enforcement weighed in that first weekend -- a civil matter, they said. All were perfectly nice and clearly wanted to help, but just did not see how they could.
Much cursing and praying, which go together better than one would think.
New plan -- we would simply ask Angie to return the puppies. And so I did.
I explained to Angie that Julia was the legal litter owner, had not approved the placements, and wanted the puppies back. All expenses would be reimbursed, I said. Answer: Not just no -- HELL NO. And Angie wanted to hear from Julia.
Julia and Angie communicated, and Julia said the same thing -- she wanted the puppies back. Angie would not budge. We offered more money. Angie was determined to keep the puppies.
We needed a new plan since Plan A (Animal Control Officer) had not worked and Plan B (Be Nice and Ask) was a B for Bust.
Something Angie said triggered Plan C -- if we did not leave her alone, she threatened to tell Customs that the puppies had been shipped underage and with false papers.
Criminals are not usually the brightest bulbs on our communal Christmas Tree, are they?
I was all over that tidbit of information, and on July 20 I sent this to a sergeant at the Swanton Police Department:
In an effort to help a friend from Russia recover two Bernese Mountain Dog puppies, we have uncovered what we believe are at least three criminal offenses that warrant your attention. All of the statements contained in this email can be substantiated -- Derick has a number of documents pertaining to this matter.
1. Angie Sargent of Swanton, VT committed fraud in obtaining two Bernese Mountain puppies valued as $2,560 from XXX XXX of Russia.
Specifically, Angie made false statements of fact (essentially -- I have wired the money), she knew the statements were false (she had not wired the money), her intention was to deceive (she provided a photo of a bogus receipt to induce shipment of puppies), the victim justifiably relied on the false statement (the puppies were shipped), and the victim has suffered injury (loss of puppies and loss of money).
2. Angie Sargent is currently in possession of two Bernese Mountain puppies that she does not own, and obtained through fraud. These puppies, identifiable via photos, microchips, and tattoos, belong to XXX XXX and Julia Polikakhina of Russia. The legal owners have demanded the return of these two puppies but Angie refuses to release the puppies.
3. Angie Sargent -- repeatedly and in writing -- acknowledged that she imported the two puppies in violation of federal law.
Specifically, federal regulations do not allow puppies to be imported before four months of age; the two puppies were born on April 22, 2016 in Russia and arrived via JFK with two sets of documents -- one false and one true -- at eleven weeks of age on July 10, 2016. Angie acknowledged that she has both sets of documents for the puppies, and knew she had imported the puppies in violation of federal law.
For your convenience, here is the link to the relevant Code: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2003-title42-vol1/xml/CFR-2003-title42...
We are hopeful you will see the need to direct Animal Control Officer Derick Billado to immediately take possession of the two puppies because: (1) they are evidence in these criminal matters; (2) we believe the puppies to be in danger; and, (3) federal law requires the puppies to be quarantined due to their illegal importation (see above link to the Code).
Julia worried about whether this would work because in Russia, she said, authorities would do nothing. This is America, I said -- authorities will do something.
And so began my frustrating journey through American and Vermont authorities. If the blog would accept an emoji, this is where a very angry face would go. Instead, we say this to those charged with enforcing laws...
And in the meantime, those two puppies were being dyed yellow with urine.
The Tale of Two Puppies: The (fake) Receipt
(08/20/2016)
The Tale of Two Puppies is -- unfortunately -- not the story of a rapid rescue, which is why the puppies had four weeks and two days to marinate in urine and turn yellow. The relatively slow response was not for lack of effort. There was a quick burst in that first week and while neither Plan A (asking Animal Control to pick up the puppies) nor Plan B (be nice and just ask Angie to give the puppies back) got us the puppies, both helped to establish relationships and so I cannot say the early efforts were failures.
Let me stop here and remind my reader that I am not condemning Angie as a person -- I am disgusted by her choices and behavior. I am disappointed the puppies were sick and discolored when we got them back. I am supremely annoyed about her friend who impersonated an Animal Control Officer at the puppy pick-up. I am, however, also very grateful that Angie returned the puppies.
I believe people can and do change -- my hope is that this experience will encourage Angie to reconsider how she lives her life, and maybe plot a different course going forward. Further, my point in blogging about this is to inform and protect -- just in case none of this is a big enough wake up call to Angie and/or other people who might consider victimizing others (humans and animals). You can't really hide in the Age of the Internet.
Back to the story...
Part of understanding a situation is to listen to input from all directions, and to store that info in case it becomes an important puzzle piece later - such was the case with the receipt.
That photo of a so-called receipt was sent on July 9 to Novice Breeder by Angie Sargent after repeated inquiries about the balance owed. In the context of the communication between the two parties, it was clearly meant to be proof of payment for the balance due.
The receipt puzzled me. The handwritten amount did not exchange to 1960 Euros on that date; 1960 Euros would have been about $2,172. Further, the balance owed was never discussed in Euros -- Angie owed in US dollars and had been told that repeatedly. Not big differences but in the context of the situation, those small differences bothered me. And then I remembered something a law enforcement person said -- that the receipt photo was clearly of multiple documents, and not one document.
Why did any of this matter? Two reasons. First, I was trying to find angles to get somebody to do something -- we wanted the puppies away from Angie. Second, it was important to establish wrongdoing for our own reasons; Angie did not deserve to be bothered if she had done nothing wrong.
And so the receipt became yet another piece in a very complicated puzzle. It seemed as if the photo/receipt had been sent to convince Novice Breeder that payment had been made so that she would send those two puppies from Russia to Angie Sargent in America.
But no money was ever received - we know that, and Angie later acknowledged that she still owed the money. So what was the deal with the receipt? The law enforcement officer's casual observation popped back up in my mind, and I began work on figuring out the receipt.
I discovered the photo showing what Angie Sargent stated is the receipt (for the balance of the two puppies) apparently represents documents from two different financial institutions. The top of the “receipt” has a logo with the word Bank prominently featured, and a company slogan under it; this is only partially obscured and therefore could be traced. This top part of the photo/document is from the Toronto-Dominion Bank.
The bottom portion features the handwritten amount of $2,236, and a partial institution name. The institution appeared to be People’s Trust Company, which has six locations in the state of Vermont.
The photo/receipt was reviewed by a representative of the People’s Trust Company; she verified the bottom portion was from their institution. Further, the representative indicated the document was not a receipt for a money transfer to a person in Russia nor was it a receipt for a wire transfer. Rather, the document is a standard receipt for a customer’s deposit or withdraw from his/her own People’s Trust Company account completed in the Georgia, Vermont branch of the bank at 2:20 p.m. of an unknown date.
That was pretty elaborate, wasn't it? But it worked -- the puppies were shipped.
I am not a lawyer but it seems to me that the fake receipt helps establish the conditions of Fraud, which requires:
"...showing that the defendant's actions involved five separate elements: (1) a false statement of a material fact (2) knowledge on the part of the defendant that the statement is untrue, (3) intent on the part of the defendant to deceive the alleged victim, (4) justifiable reliance by the alleged victim on the statement, and (5) injury to the alleged victim as a result" (source: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fraud).
What do you think about all that?
The Tale of Two Puppies: A String of Strike Outs
(08/22/2016)
I think it should be pretty clear to anyone who has followed the Tale of Two Puppies that wrongdoing swirls around Angie Sargent like the cloud of dust that follows Pig-Pen...
It is a tangled web indeed. If you found it hard to follow at times -- welcome to my world! But strand by strand, the story unraveled. Angie obtained the puppies using fraud and deception. She managed to get the puppies to Vermont without the troublesome step of actually paying for them. The two puppies were imported BY ANGIE at 11 weeks, which is against federal law. She knew their true ages, and used that information as a threat in a vain attempt to get us to leave her alone. When the puppies were returned, Angie brought along a woman named Joanie Terzick-Krizer who impersonated an Animal Control Officer; our fake Animal Control Officer asserted two sick, urine-stained puppies were healthy and well.
WOWZA. One would think a person (i.e., Angie) so recently off probation (for animal cruelty) would want to be a little more careful. But think about it -- what could the Russians do? Nothing -- same as the other foreign breeders that Angie has scammed. Are you even remotely surprised to learn that this is not Angie's first rodeo? If Angie could get puppies to the United States and not fully pay for them, she was untouchable -- until now.
I started with the Animal Control Officer, and at his suggestion, I moved on to a police sergeant. He referred me to Customs -- what a fricking mess that was.
All I wanted was information about who enforced Title 42 - Public Health. CHAPTER I - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. SUBCHAPTER F - QUARANTINE, INSPECTION, LICENSING. PART 71 - FOREIGN QUARANTINE. Subpart F - Importations.
In a nutshell, that law says puppies cannot be imported until four months of age and if a puppy is found to have been imported sooner, s/he has to be quarantined. Certainly the purpose of having such a law is to enforce it -- right?!
Blah Blah Blah and I was finally talking to a real Customs person in Highgate Springs, Vermont. Let's just say the female puppies were not the only bitches involved in the Tale of Two Puppies. When I asked for Ms. Pleasant's (*sarcasm alert*) name, she refused. Just your first name, I said, to help document who I have spoken with in all this -- she refused.
As you might imagine, Customs was not very interested. They said it was the CDC who was in charge of enforcing that law.
Okay -- I called the CDC. Blah Blah Blah and I was sent to the Vermont State Department of Health, where I was on the telephone carousel until I finally reached a very helpful person named Dr. Robert Johnson. Unfortunately, he was not my cousin Robert Johnson -- but he did try to help. He discovered it was the USDA that enforces that law and soon I had an email from one Deirdre Tracy, Regional Enforcement and Compliance Specialist. That sounds promising -- right?! Not so fast.
Ms. Tracy included a variety of links for reporting various issues but she -- and the Vermont Department of Health folks included on the email -- were Radio Silent when I asked this direct question: "I think the fundamental question remains -- and CDC says VT Health Department has authority: Can those puppies be picked up by local authorities/animal control and confined/quarantined per https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2003-title42-vol1/xml/CFR-2003-title42...
I poked and prodded, called and emailed -- and here is my conclusion: Go ahead and lie about the age of imported puppies, all you Evil Doers out there - because apparently nobody cares enough to enforce the law. That is a super sad thing to say, isn't it? And of course I am not really encouraging people to break the law -- rather, I am trying to understand why it is allowed.
And what about the whole fraud thing?! Doesn't anyone care about that???! It is hard not to be disappointed and disillusioned with the authorities -- when they fail to act in meaningful ways, they become part of the problem. Get it together, folks - the moral fabric of a community rips one strand at a time.
While all this was going on, I was in regular contact with an attorney -- I have to give him a BIG Shout Out. He cared, he helped, he listened -- and so if you ever find yourself needing an attorney in Vermont -- he is your guy. Thank you, Matt Borick (http://www.drm.com/team/matthew-borick).
So how did we get the puppies back? That is tomorrow's episode.
The Tale of Two Puppies: The Rest of the Story (so far)
(08/23/2016)
Thank you, Dear Reader, for hanging in with the Tale of Two Puppies, and for sharing their story. Over the past week, I have shared the carefully collected and analyzed data I believe supports a position that Angie Sargent:
1. Committed fraud in obtaining the two puppies;
2. Was in possession of two puppies she did not own against the wishes of their legal owners; and,
3. Violated federal law by importing two underage puppies from Russia to Vermont.
I have detailed why I believe those things are true, using Angie's own words and actions to support my position. Further, I have identified one Joanie Terzick-Krizer as a player in this drama; she impersonated an Animal Control Officer, and asserted the coughing, urine-stained puppies were in good condition. I have shared the agencies and authorities I tried to engage in my efforts to recover the puppies. And now I want to tell you the rest of the story.
My Dear Husband and two of the boys are on a tour of Major League Baseball stadiums/games, and as they were enjoying a visit with the Burbridges before going to a Red Sox game...
...Alise Burbridge and I were in constant communication about the puppies, as we had been for weeks.
Alise was the point person in New England -- she was ready and willing to retrieve the puppies and keep them as we sorted out their future -- if I could get them away from Angie. Alise was my cheerleader and helped sort through info/ideas and provided background and so on -- her role was critical. We had other offers of help but we kept our team small to ensure no missteps, no leaks, no additional drama. I trusted Alise because we are friends, and it was in this capacity that we worked together on behalf of those puppies.
On a Thursday, I sent this to Angie via Facebook Messaging:
I had some perfectly civil and pleasant back and forth with Angie over the next few days, but I think the bottom line is that the evidence -- as you have seen over the past few days -- is pretty damning, and I wasn't going away. And so Angie agreed to give back the puppies.
Alise went to her bank and got a cashier's check to cover Angie's costs, which were shipping plus the deposit (since Angie had not paid for the puppies). And then Alise's sweet nephew, Jeremy, got in her van and drove up to Vermont to exchange the cashier's check for the puppies.
The puppies appeared okay in the evening hours of a parking lot where Jeremy met Angie and her fake Animal Control Officer friend, and they definitely had been fed (the puppies, although there were no identified concerns about the humans' food intake either ;). But the next day revealed two yellow-stained puppies that smelled of urine and who were in the throes of a bad case of Kennel Cough -- and roundworms -- and who lacked muscle tone. My hunch is that the girls spent at least some of their time in a small space without the ability to get away from their own waste.
But Angie gave them back -- and for that, we are grateful. Her reasons aren't really important -- what matters is that puppies are now safe.
The Novice Breeder who sent the puppies to Angie was understandably bumped right out of the picture, and all decisions for the puppies have been made in conjunction with Julia, their legal owner. Together we made the decision to place this girl with a loving couple near Alise's home -- her name is now Francine...
And this girl?
After weeks of intensive work on behalf of these two girls, my heart loves them both as if they were mine; Alise feels the same way. And that girl needs a bit more time and TLC, and so -- for now and maybe for always -- we are hanging on to her; her name is Hope.