Dallas-Ft. Worth Metro Golden Retriever Club Lawsuit

April 20,2008

Ellen

I went to Plano to pick up a lawn mower.  When I rang the bell 2 very nice Goldens came running to the door which made me  laugh.  I said to the man that answered the door what a coincidence I too have Goldens and that I have been raising them for many yrs.  He asked me if I belonged to the DFW golden club.  I told him that up til a few yrs ago I was a member but I didn’t renew my membership.  He asked if I had heard of the drama of the big lawsuit that happened.  I looked at him and said “don’t tell me you are the man that bought the puppy that had the umbilical hernia”!  He looked shocked and asked me how did I know.  I told him that the Meyer family are very good friends of mine for years and that the reason I did not renew my membership was due to the bogus crap they pulled on the Meyers, that I felt it was nothing more than a witch hunt and an opportunity to discredit them as reputable and curtail their exposure to the coveted golden market. I was supposed to give testimony at the hearing, and the only way he could have known about that lawsuit was if he was in some way involved. I told him that I saw that litter and went over the pups and I did not notice the hernia, and that I am usually the one that picks up the slightest difference from the norm.

I am relaying the conversation I had with him in my words and I do not quote him to the exact verbiage I am giving you, but the tone of the conversation is evident regardless.  I told him that the hearing was a formality walking thru the steps but not utilizing the hearing to gather info from all sides just the info that was justification for sanctions.  They made up and interpreted the rules for puppy referral by twisting words that made the Meyers appear to have violated those rules.  I served on Puppy Referral and nowhere in my instructions were there provisions close to what they were claiming. I told him that you were hit with 5 yrs in sanctions from using the referral as were any dogs co owned by any family member and that in turn affected me as I co owned dogs with them and the sanctions applied to me as well.  He was very surprised at the severity of the sanctions. 

He asked me why did the board make such a big deal out of a non issue.  He explained that after speaking with you and Alan about his options pertaining to the puppy he opted to return it and accepted the refund.  He felt it was handled fairly and amicably and the only reason he re-phoned the puppy referral line was to locate another puppy as you had no others available, and he was still wanting a puppy.  He told me he did not call to form a complaint nor did he ever imply he was dissatisfied with any part of his transaction with you. The person he spoke to which happened to be Judy Word was persistent in getting him to disclose the name of the breeder and the cause for the return and insisted he needed to submit a letter explaining the details of the transaction to referral.  From the way it sounded to me Judy gave BJ the impression that it was a formality documenting a returned puppy and the reasons for the return.  Not once did BJ tell her he had a complaint, they just needed to locate a pup from another breeder that had pups available.  He asked me my opinion of the motives behind the actions taken by the board.   I didn’t mince any words as to my observations over the last 10 yrs I attended shows or meetings.  I told him that for starters your family is Jewish and the prejudice was evident.  I also told him that you pull no punches or candy coat your point of view and come across abrasive at times and have chapped a few butts along the way.  I also explained that from the very beginning of your Golden career you had been successful in a very competitive breed and made yourself a name in your days as a newbie.  That I felt it was sour grapes that you didn’t seem to pay your dues coming up the ranks slowly but rather kicked butt with your first Bitch doing very well at your first National and a fast trip to her CH.  I told him that you don’t compromise your integrity or close your eyes to issues others may over look for the goal of breeding to the flavor of the week and you didn’t compromise the quality or health for politics or flash or titled names.  I felt some people read into your determination and expectations as arrogant and resented the recognition and reputation you were gaining in a very short time, and the fact that you were also doing very well in Brittanys. 

I am relaying his thoughts in my words not his that sum up his feelings on the entire situation.  He gave me the impression he was not happy with the way the whole thing escalated to such levels nor did he appreciate becoming a pawn in some ones game especially since it was not his intention to start anything more than the hunt for a new puppy.  I got the impression he regretted submitting the letter that they insisted on.  He told me he stated to both you and Judy Word he wanted no part in any of it he just wanted to find a quality puppy for his family and the politics from within the club had no bearing on him. He gave me the impression he sensed there was more beneath the surface than what was being fed to him.

He did tell me that he totally understood the purpose of the website that is dedicated to presenting all the facts and events that occurred from the time he contacted referral thru to today and the need to clear up any false impressions that were made over it.   

Bern