UPDATE: while negotiations were underway to resolve this - the content of this diary was removed.
the negotiations failed. the diary is now restored in full, complete with the discussion at that time. i will be publishing much more information on this topic in the coming days!
you may note that many of the links no longer work as sanderbeck attempted to scrub the internet of all traces of her comments and negative comments - INCLUDING trying to force dailykos to remove this specific diary. i removed it as an attempt to help the negotiators resolve this situation with the caveat that should those negotiations fail, the diary would be restored.
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i am livid! another of these stories has crossed the wire and it is time for all of us to stand up and stop what is happening in the name of rescue.
UPDATE: 4/28 - 1:05pm: here is more information on this situation. IF piper is not returned to the rightful owner, veronica covatch, by the end of day, i will be doing a more comprehensive diary on this situation and the rescue in question. for the current information and discussion (which is huge in the dog world), please go to this facebook page set up to bring piper home!
a purebred Sheltie being babysat while the owner was at the Nationals got out of that friend's yard and was picked up by animal control. three days later, piper (the pup) was snatched up by one of the "purebred rescue" groups, Central Ohio Sheltie Rescue. despite being given ample proof of the dog's owners, the Central Ohio Sheltie Rescue (who collected the dog from Franklin Shelter after three days) has refused to return the sheltie. the pup was picked up and held three days, the rescue grabbed her on the fourth, was contacted by the owners on the fifth day. then, this ugly story takes a very unhappy turn.
i'm not condemning all rescue organizations here - some are sincere and work hard to place dogs in danger. what i AM condemning are these so-called "rescues" that have close ties to shelters to go in and grab any purebred dog that is found, will quickly change the name of the dog (even if they are able to trace the owner) and "sell" that dog for a hefty "adoption" fee (which, btw, is illegal under the terms of the 501(c)3's they operate within).
this particular case is very disturbing - the dog's owners have provided ample proof to this rescue - however, this self-appointed "dog rescuer" has "decided" the best place for the dog is where it is!
i am posting the response visible on their facebook page for all to read (please hold onto your hats, it is absolutely UNFRIGGINBELIEVEABLE!!!)
Central Ohio Sheltie Rescue
5 hours ago
On Monday of last week we picked up a dog from the shelter that no one claimed after it had served it's legal three days stray hold (thank God it wasn't killed). We vetted it and placed into foster care as we normally do. Please remember by law a dog that is unlicensed even if it has an UNREGISTERED microchip only has to be held for three days and can be placed or euthanized after that.
Suddenly on Tuesday (Fifth day...we picked up on fourth) I had six people trying to claim a particular black and white dog that they heard we had. I called each person and told them the same thing....I asked each person to allow me the time to discern what was going on and that IF this was the dog in question, it was safe and well cared for. I told each person this would not be a priority since the dog was now safe and I was caring for a friend with cancer in addition to working daily but due diligence would be given to each and every claim. With six in question...this does take time.
By Thursday afternoon, I had volunteers and veterinarians receiving threats, friends being called and harrassed, threats of withholding donations, email slander campaigns going on, facebook slamming, lies and childish behavior with demands being posted to facebook pages. My requests for time to discern truth from fiction was ignored and our lives were made into a living hell with the constant barrage. I requested on Tuesday that it be halted...I was ignored.
Our volunteers work hard to save these lives and such behaviors of others that do not even know what rescue is about is appalling. How many of you have sat in the rain on a cold morning in a lawn chair in front of a shelter waiting on it to open just to save a dog's life? How many of you even have in your contracts to return the dog to you?
I sat quietly and watched as these behaviors, harrassment and threats continued to escalate. I have no reason to defend a thing. It quickly became apparent that the best place for any dog...whether the one in question was indeed the one they wanted or not...was to stay right where it was. Here this dog will be adopted into a loving, safe, calm environment permanently and not into three homes in one year.
We exercised our legal and moral right to uphold our promises to every dog that comes into our care to continue our care of it for life. Each post, each private message, each email, each falsehood and cry for mislead actions (and so much of the half truths being shared) only solidifies that this was the correct decision for the dog that legally resides with us.
I do not have to explain a thing...I do not choose to give fuel to your fires by going into any further detail at this time. Understand that we are fully within our legal rights and keep the best interest of this and every dog dog that comes into our care in mind. I asked for a amicable solution but was hit with more childish behavior and threats to our volunteers. The line was crossed.
Please go ahead and withhold or "unfriend" as you please...we would rather you do that if you truly don't have the best interest of these dogs in mind anyway. We will continue to help the shelties in need that come along and withholding your support financially will only hurt the dogs in need. If you can live with that, do what you must.
Do not explain a thing: your enemies won't believe you and your friends won't require it!
8:35 PM PT: this is a statement made approx. 8pm tonite (pst) by piper's owner, veronica covatch on her facebook page (linked at the top):
Veronica Wagner Covatch
To clear the record yet again Bethany Watkins, Piper was being cared for by a friend who told Penny I owned the dog, her father had a heart attack and Piper and her two dogs got out of a fenced yard over Easter weekend. I did not know anything about this situation until 2:32 pm on Tuesday and immediately contacted the shelter and rescue and sent proof of ownership as did the co-owner! Penny refused to respond and when she finally did she threatened me with her lawyer (I have the e-mails) and said with all the campaigning she was being tired out and would not make this a priority. She NEVER told me my dog was safe. The shelter did find out who inserted the microchip (a vet) but never bothered to check further...call the vet that inserted it! Instead the turned the dog over to the rescue. Piper was born here...I have her dam. I can prove that through DNA. She has not lived in 3 places in the past year! Penny is not stating the facts at ll. I have nothing to hide. I did threatened to sue her vet IF they spayed my dog! Not because she will be bred...she's sterile, but because research now shows a dog is healthier when left intact! I do NOT work so m home with my dogs every day/all day. They live free in my house, sleep on my bed every night, and have been better cared for than most children! I have a dog door so they can come in and out at will to three fenced acres. I have a call in to a lawyer and the police have been called also. Why would I do all this if I didn't love my dog? We even sent vet records to Penny only to receive NO response. A rescue is suppose to rescue abused and neglected pets NOT steal someone's well cared for and loved pet!
23 mins · Like · 5
for more in this story, please come below the fold...
i have taken screen shots since the "rescue" deleted my comment and blocked me from further commenting (because i called them out for the behavior) - so i feel that a record is needed since a lawsuit by the owners is forthcoming.
why am i writing about this?
because it isn't the first time and won't be the last that some goody-two-shoes who makes a profit off grabbing dogs from the shelter refuses to return the dog to the rightful owner.
we need laws to stop this - we need regulation over these "non-profits" that run massive fundraisers, web pages begging for financial support, all to "support" their stealing dogs and re-selling them.
these groups do damage to the real people who are trying to help dogs and owners in need.
well, i now have a cause - a specific one. i'll be requesting the financial records for this 501(c)3 and will be doing some monitoring to see Penny Sanderbeck (Central Ohio Sheltie Rescue) does what is legal AND moral and returns Piper to her family.
NO one is above the law - and, from the comments on the Central Ohio Sheltie Rescue's excuse thread, they also lied to cover up knowing who the legitimate owners are. The dog is registered, the chip is registered, the akc papers are registered - all provided to this woman who DECIDED that SHE has the authority to keep the dog.
the microchip company confirmed that they could trace the number and that the vet AND owner were readily available - yet, sanderbeck or someone on her facebook page lied.
let's see if she does the right thing by returning the legal property (if one has to go that direction) or if she wants to see more articles like this spread across the internet!
let the legal battle begin!
i hope this becomes the test case for EVERY rescue that steals dogs and re-sells them.
why does this disturb me so much? well, watch the pbs documentary on Katrina's Dogs and see the anguish in the faces of those whose dogs were "rescued" and sent to other parts of the country - whose owners never stopped searching for the one thing left after the storm only to have their dogs hidden again and kept from them.
any dog can be let loose, any dog can be stolen, any dog can slip away even in the best of circumstances. who gives the penny sanderbeck's of the world the arrogance to decide what is "best" for that beloved pet.
please give them a piece of your mind! i can't. the site blocked me from even sending them a message - privately. guess they don't like being called out for being wrong!
3:36 PM PT: i left out the link to the documentary "katrina's lost dogs" - seems it is an indy film called "mine" - i linked the page here but haven't watched the entire clip - don't know if it is a preview or the whole film - but please forgive me if i can't watch it right now. this film tears me to pieces.
8:35 PM PT: this is a statement made approx. 8pm tonite (pst) by piper's owner, veronica covatch on her facebook page (linked at the top):
Veronica Wagner Covatch To clear the record yet again Bethany Watkins, Piper was being cared for by a friend who told Penny I owned the dog, her father had a heart attack and Piper and her two dogs got out of a fenced yard over Easter weekend. I did not know anything about this situation until 2:32 pm on Tuesday and immediately contacted the shelter and rescue and sent proof of ownership as did the co-owner! Penny refused to respond and when she finally did she threatened me with her lawyer (I have the e-mails) and said with all the campaigning she was being tired out and would not make this a priority. She NEVER told me my dog was safe. The shelter did find out who inserted the microchip (a vet) but never bothered to check further...call the vet that inserted it! Instead the turned the dog over to the rescue. Piper was born here...I have her dam. I can prove that through DNA. She has not lived in 3 places in the past year! Penny is not stating the facts at ll. I have nothing to hide. I did threatened to sue her vet IF they spayed my dog! Not because she will be bred...she's sterile, but because research now shows a dog is healthier when left intact! I do NOT work so m home with my dogs every day/all day. They live free in my house, sleep on my bed every night, and have been better cared for than most children! I have a dog door so they can come in and out at will to three fenced acres. I have a call in to a lawyer and the police have been called also. Why would I do all this if I didn't love my dog? We even sent vet records to Penny only to receive NO response. A rescue is suppose to rescue abused and neglected pets NOT steal someone's well cared for and loved pet!
23 mins · Like · 5
i have put the quote in both the intro and at the end, as well as the comments, so that all might read it for clarification on this matter!
