I've raised, trained, and showed AKC dogs for over 30 years. I would say that in that time I have had hundreds of happy families and I have continued to keep in contact with most, and I have had some unhappy customers that I can count on both my hands where there was nothing I could do or say in working with them that was going to be good enough.
Each breed has their breed specific communities, and within those communities cliques, and each of the cliques has their own stance on what other owners/breeders in the community should or shouldn't be doing, and great discussions are had between them. Then there are the cliques full of the breed bullies who seek out targets, which are usually the newbies that don't survive the attacks of threats, and harassment and are being bullied out of the breed. The other targets in their words, "you are either with us, or against us".
I have been under attack for five years from this group. It would go in cycles from extreme to nothing for short periods, where they would make up stories accusing me of things that are not true, or taking something I said and twisting it to fit their agenda to harass, meanwhile posting these things all over the community, and building members who would jump on the bandwagon without knowing me, or asking questions to find their own facts.
Back in January, this group went after a newbie into the breed because she got her breeding pair from me, and she also had another dog that had come from one of the members in their clique. They relentlessly went after this new person, and she ended up finding homes for her dogs, and got out of the breed, but the attacks on me from that point were relentless. They created stories that I kill dogs simply because I didn't prefer their color, or they were useless to me. Other stories were that I stole dogs to murder or sell, and that I broker dogs by sending people to buy these peoples dogs because I want their coveted lines.
Over the five years, they have built a large group with hundreds of members, and with the ringleaders who started the slander, libel, harassment, and threats incited others who were reading and believing their stories to make threats of shutting me down, stealing my dogs, making threats of taking me and my dogs out, telling me to watch my back at dog shows, and at home. People were threatening to come to my home and harm me, take my dogs, and making statements that they will be doing prison time after they get done with me, and meanwhile, these ringleaders kept the fuel going with more untrue stories. When I wrote and asked one of the ringleaders why they were doing this, the reply back was that I chose my friendship with a certain person over them (back a couple years ago I was asked to unfriend a person that they were harassing at that time, and I ignored the request).
In March, the threats became real when a person stalked my home, and later, after I left, this person singled out my two top show dogs, and stole them. This person backed a truck up to the fenced area, removed the clip from the latch, threw it on the ground, went inside the run area where they removed the clip and chain around the gate, and left them laying on the ground. This gate was left wide open, and it appears that they walked the dogs through the run, and out the first gate that they shut behind them leaving (the clip on the ground).
It is believed that in the process of trying to load the dogs in the truck that both dogs managed to get away from the dog napper(s), and ran. These two dogs were four and six years old, have never harmed a person in their life, and were my two top Grand Champion AKC show dogs who traveled everywhere. They were touched and handled by hundreds of people. A neighbor with good intentions saw them running and tried to help get a hold of them, where they did bite, and continued on until an officer came along, and managed to contain them in a neighbor's kennel, the neighbor giving permission for the dogs to stay in the kennel until the owner was found.
The officer was going off duty called the town chairperson who came and decided to shoot the dogs, where he wounded them several times before another officer came on the scene was forced to shoot so that the suffering would end.
After the word of the dogs being killed, got out these people stopped harassing me for a few months.
In August, one of the ringleaders found a puppy for sale ad I had posted in a pet facebook group, and immediately started posting under it with the stories that they manufactured, and warning people that I was a puppymill, dog killer, dog stealer, and dog broker.
After years of trying to ignore and hoping by not giving them any fuel by responding that they would eventually quit, it was becoming evident that they are never going to stop. I did then write requesting to have communications where I would answer any questions, but only if they could remain civil. I answered the first question, but was immediately told that it didn't matter what I say to the one ringleader, and it wouldn't make a difference, followed by threats that it was their intention of running me out of business.
From there this individual created four fb groups that contain the stories they had been spreading, people joining in, and the threats starting all over again. Every day this individual makes up another story, posts private financial information, posts my address, post what she calls a puppymill fact, and has made it her mission to call my local sheriff's department a few times making different complaints, and nothing was found to be true.
When that didn't work she called USDA to inspect, but I do not fall into their guidelines for carrying a license through them, and was found to be in the right. After that she called AG Department to have me inspected, they did, and I was found to be in good standing. When that didn't work, she began gathering names of puppy owners that I have on my fb page, and began calling them and telling them I am a puppymill who kills my dogs, I steal dogs trying to sell them, and when I can't sell them I kill them, and I am a dog broker, and then would ask them if they had any stories to give her about me, and would then threaten them if they withheld anything that they would be subpoenaed. She was also telling them that she was going to have me closed down, and the dogs that they got from me were going to be taken away from them and euthanized. This person has gotten others in my area believing her stories and are putting up posters in my area offering a reward for information against me.
There is so much more to mention on the threats of continuing doing this until I am dead, to contacting our banker with their stories and adding that I am running from the law etc.
I have made police reports, I have tried submitting a complaint to CSI. I have been actively looking for an attorney who will take my case, and have found several, but I can't afford $10,000 to $20,000 retainer fee. The police have contacted this person and she was told to stop, but didn't blink and eye at it, and just keeps on.
I did finally find one attorney that comes with good reviews, and only needs $4,000 to begin legal action, however, with all the slander, defamation, and seeming to know who is interested in one of my dogs for sale (contacting them and getting them to back out), they have done great harm to my reputation and business of 30 years.
I have been so depressed, and full of anxiety that it is difficult to get through each and every day, surviving another day.
I don't know where else to go, or what else I can do to stop this continuous bullying.
