ComplaintsforDFW Labrador Retriever Rescue Club, Ibc

• Initial Complaint

  04/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The organization intentionally misled us to believe they would help us find a dog for our son with special need/a developmental disability after the payment of a fee. The organization is using volunteers as employees and therefore those volunteers' instructions and recommendations, no matter how incorrect should be honored by the organization. Only after we paid the organizations fee, the organization changed their mind and decided not to help us find a dog. In fact, they are discriminating against helping ** finding a dog because of the fact my son has developmental disability, as we are seeking to have a dog assist him that the organization decided not to help. As far as I know it is still against federal law to deny services to individuals based on their disability which this organization has done. The organization changing their mind on helping us while very discouraging would have been fine had they been willing to return the money they charged us under false pretenses. However, they have noted twice now in writing in the emails to me, they are not refunding the monies charged. For what it is worth this organization has also broken federal law by denying services to us based on my son developmental disability. Thanks **************************** ************

  Business response

  04/28/2023

  Hi! 

  This applicant was very angry that we would not refund her initial application fee and then turned it into a discrimination case. We do not adopt our second chance dogs for any purpose  other than companions. We are 100% volunteer based rescue, we do not get paid therefore we are not employees.  In addition, I do not know who she spoke to at a public location were many people are engaged in discussing Labrador retrievers. Many people that attend are not even volunteers but they all talk .

  As volunteers we pull dogs into our program based on the requirements of the breed, the history of the dog and the temperament all for a companion basis. We are not equipped to evaluate service dogs, nor train them or match them to needs of the person needing the service dog. It is too complicated which is why we do not adopt them. *************** dogs cost close to $25,000.00 and I feel this family is trying to get a dog at a bargain. If the dog doesn't work out, the dog gets returned due to not being able to " work". This is an unfair expectation on our second chance dogs.  We do not adopt emotional support dogs either. We never adopt support dogs of any kind only companions. 

  As for the $27.00 fee, the applicant checked the box acknowledging the fee is non-refundable.  It is also posted on our website that we have the right to deny any applicant for any reason. The application and adoption fee offset the costs of the medical care we provide and both do not cover the full amount of what we spend on our dogs.

  This person  is acting like a bully because she did not get her way. She waited almost 20 days to respond and when she did, she let ** know she filed complaints with the **** The BBB and wrote a scathing review on Yelp. These are not the actions of someone wo wants to work this out or find any common ground. At this point she is not  going to be eligible to adopt any dog from **.

   

  Sincerely,

  ***********************
  Executive Director
  DFW Lab Rescue
  
  P.O. Box 94002
  ************* 76092
  **************************************************

  Customer response

  04/29/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:  The responding volunteer has never met me and the information implied about my family is very disingenuous and is a fabrication of the ******************** imagination. I can agree it is very costly to have a dog train trained to be a qualified service dog, however the number provided by the organization is highly inflated.  Those training costs are irrelevant to the initial cost of getting the dog that will be trained.  ****************s high and mighty position of ripping off families with disabilities (and discriminating against the persons with disabilities) makes it obvious who the bully is.  **************** is likely very upset now that truth about their 501C3 is out to the *** for making profit.  As a tax paying citizen of *****************, I have a duty to report fraud as does every other tax paying citizen. We are angry.  We were disappointed and discouraged with the situation by this do gooder organization but never angry.  The discrimination against those with disabilities unfortunately very common in our nation and my family is used to such actions, which add further hurt and harm to the community of those with true disability.  However, I am just glad our being deceived by this organization was relatively short lived and we were not drug along and for that I am grateful.  I did not expect any effort to truly resolve the matter from the organization as their position was clear by the emails, I have already submitted that they did not seek resolution. None of the reported attributes of this organization nor their excuses of not being qualified to determine service dog anything, justifies not returning the fee that was directed to be paid under false pretenses. The organization misled ** indicating they could help us find a dog to be a companion for my son, then once the fee was paid, they changed their mind.  They can hold their $27.00 of mine if it helps other families like mine not be further taken advantage of by this organization with a less than pure and genuine agenda. Given families such as mine spend more time and money trying to cope with a family member with disability and support the person with disability, money is always tight.  All we want is a dog which we intended to pay to have trained, elsewhere with experts that take care of that.  The person we spoke at the organization event we attended confirmed they were with the organization.  **************** was provided the details of the event we attended.  We never requested the organization to do anything other than helps is find a dog that was compatible with our son. Their application asked for federally privately protected information along with personal information and we answered honestly when we intended after finding the right dog.  

  Business response

  05/01/2023

  We have been rescuing and rehoming  lost, sick and surrendered labs for over 25 years. We have never adopted out a service dog. The process to find the correct personality on a dog does not work with our process nor are we trained to evaluate  the traits these dogs might need. When we have a dog that will not make a good companion dog we will take the dog to have them evaluated. If the evaluation says they would be a good bomb, drug, cadaver or service dog we transfer the dog to once of those organizations..  Many adopters have the wrong idea about rescue and how it works. We want the best for the dogs we have saved. Our goal has always been to find the best forever home for each every dog we have.  I wish this family good luck in their search for what they need but our organization can't help them.

  Business response

  05/12/2023

  We have been rescuing and rehoming  lost, sick and surrendered labs for over 25 years. We have never adopted out a service dog. The process to find the correct personality on a dog does not work with our process nor are we trained to evaluate  the traits these dogs might need. When we have a dog that will not make a good companion dog we will take the dog to have them evaluated. If the evaluation says they would be a good bomb, drug, cadaver or service dog we transfer the dog to once of those organizations..  Many adopters have the wrong idea about rescue and how it works. We want the best for the dogs we have saved. Our goal has always been to find the best forever home for each every dog we have.  I wish this family good luck in their search for what they need but our organization can't help them.

  Customer response

  05/12/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   The organization was never asked to help us in any other way other than to find a dog that would be a good fit for our son/family as that is the service the organization provides.  It was never a request from myself or my family nor an expectation of ours that this organization have any say on the matter of the service dog issue my family was addressing separately and away from this organization.  ***************** is correct that they are not experts regarding service animals/dogs so we would not be seeking any advice on their part for that issue.  Based on what I do know from internet research, have heard from many families who have gone through this process before and in talking with the people we have picked to train our future dog, a compatible dog with the family and person is required and very crucial and the source of the dog being received is not relevant.  Infact, it was the trainers that encouraged ** to look at rescue organizations and even shelters to find a pet knowing that so many dogs need a good home.  Based on the future trainers advice and online research we chose the Labrador retriever breed as a likely good choice so that is what led ** to the specific organization.  The organization's application asked for private information which was provided concerning why we were seeking a dog.  Based on what we had been told by the staffer, we knew we had to complete the application which could not be submitted until you clicked and ack the nonrefundable application fee button.  Again, we told the organization could help us find a dog and the next step was the requirements of the application completion and payment of fee for any more information/help.  If you view the organization online complaints from other customers, the organization denies applications for many different reasons than other than discriminating against the disabled.  Such as shame that they chose an illegal discrimination reason versus one of the other issues that could have been used decline our application.  My guess is the organization failed to read the complete application and did not even bother to look for other reasons to deny the application as the reason for wanting the dog was at the beginning of the application.  Regardless, the organization never wanted to and still clearly does not want to resolve the matter.  Their comments do not address the issues of the complaint, nor provide any apology for their discrimination or taking in ownership for their part in the circumstances.  Their assumption regarding our expectations has really been unfortunate.  I have volunteered for many an organization that I cared about over my lifetime.  I would gladly have repaid the small amount of money out of my own pocket for an organization that I was commited to help the organization through rough spot such as customer service issue.  But that was not case for this organization.  The resolution opportunity time frame has really passed for this situational event.  I am fine with agreeing to disagree.  My family and I are moving on in our dog finding journey, this organization should move on as well.  

• Initial Complaint

  02/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I obtained a puppy. We trained the puppy in many ways and provided a loving and safe home. We had the puppy for 3 weeks. We scheduled a veterinarian appointment with ***********************, ph ************ , at *************** hospital. They canceled due to the ice storm. They reschedule me the following week and canceled due to the vet being sick. I had planned on asking for recommendations on dealing with my puppies playful bites. I decided to look at dfw lab rescue as an option for a home since I did not have a solution. They never offered advice on what could be done and took her the next day. I asked to take the puppy back. The director, ph ************, said I would not be able to deal with her biting again. I informed her I had training that can occur starting on Monday with a professional, optimal k9 ph ************. Their application doesn't state that I am not able to ask for my puppy back. I was also approved for a puppy a while back. I have the email from them saying I can be next at any time. I just want my own puppy back where she belongs.

  Business response

  04/14/2023

  As a Labrador retriever rescue we accept owner surrender and dogs from the shelter into our program. This lady called or emailed our rescue and she spoke to one of our volunteers ( *******************) who  said we would accept her dog into the rescue.  ************ another volunteer went to their home to pick up the dog, The owner signed all of the required paperwork and gave the dog to our representative. The complainer called back and said she forgot to give us all of her toys, bowls and bedding but we did not need them and gracefully declined her offer.  We took the dog to the vet because it had not been vetted, she told 3 different stories about where/ how she came to have the dog in her possession . After the pup was vaccinated, microchipped etc at the vet we took her directly to a ****** and has been adopted by a wonderful loving family.

  It is not our policy to return any dogs that their owners have gone to great lengths to find us, contact us, sign all of the required legal paperwork and hand off the dog to a stranger. She complained about the energy level, the biting and all of the other things that puppies do. She had submitted n application to adopt from us in 2021 but her application had expired. Two years ago she was approved to adopt from us but again, it has expired 

   

  Feel free to reach out for additional information or question. My email is: ***************************

  Business response

  04/16/2023

  In addition to the previous comments and proof provided, I wanted to give you a time line per say of when these events happened. ************************* completed our paperwork on 2/13/2023, on 2/14/2023 our volunteer picked up her dog, and on 2/17/2023 ************************* reached out via phone and text voicing that she wanted her pup back. I explained to her that we had vetted her and microchipped her and that she sought our organization and signed legal paperwork giving us ownership of her dog. I hope tis helps. If not please contact me at: **************************************************

  Customer response

  04/27/2023

  I contacted the business 3 days after surrendering my dog.  They had a representative come to my home to pick up the dog and the paperwork.  I spoke to them for 15 minutes.  The representative I spoke to extensively came to my home initially as well, and she tried to assist me.  Is the business stating they need additional information from me to come to a resolution?

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩