# Rude breeders?



## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

So I was referred to this one breeder by Melanie Guimond, who was the founder of Lucky Pics (she is registered, however, she seems to not be breeding anymore).
Anyway, I asked to be put on her waiting list, she failed to keep in contact with me unless I emailed her, didn't tell me which place I was in in her waiting list (first, second, third, etc) and finally when she got a litter, it turned out that i was not one of the people who would be getting a hedgie. Anyway, I started shopping around for another breeder, and I do admit I should have told her this (although I did not want this to deter her from putting me on her waiting list), and so when I finally found a breeder who had the same health guarantees, was giving good food and knew actually how to take care of hedgehogs, I had to tell this other breeder that I was no longer interested and that I wished to be taken off her waiting list.

This breeder emailed me a couple of days before, asking me whether or not I was interested in a male hedgie that the other couple no longer wanted (because he was a boy), but not the color I was looking for. I declined politely and thanked her for her services, but that I no longer want to be on her breeding list.

Basically, the reply I got was that I was an impatient person who is probably going to get an unhealthy hog due to this, and that I have wasted her time asking to be put on her waiting list.

I don't know, I may have done something wrong here?? But I never thought it was not okay to look around for other breeders too? @[email protected]


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## Hedgiepets (Aug 21, 2008)

Each breeder does things differently. I ask for a deposit to be added to the wait list. I used to just have a list, but it became a lot of work to contact lots of people to see if they were still interested in a baby. Sometime, I would have babies ready to go, and still going through the list trying to find someone who had not gone somewhere else, like pet store, or changed their minds.


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

People are people. I've met very sweet and caring dog breeders and very abrupt, rude dog breeders. I don't think it has anything to do with their quality of the animal. Its people being people.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Yes, I would understand, but I was just offended by the way she handled the situation. It wasn't like I had reserved a hedgehog and then backed out you know? :/
I can understand what you mean by that though, Hedgiepets, maybe she should start implementing that rule as well... She was very good (as far as I can tell in her guarantees, etc), despite the fact that she was not registered with the HBA, but her lack of communication and the way she handled things just left a very bad taste in my mouth.
Also, if I'm paying for a hedgehog (and yes they can be good breeders even still), but they fail to keep in contact with me and communicate with me, then I'd rather go find a breeder who is friendly, seems much more interested in the future parents and actually keeps one posted about the hedgies.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Exactly, even though these guys are dealing with living creatures and people who care about them, when you break it down, its still in the end a business. She was rude to you, so I'd make sure not to do business with her, and if anyone else asked you about her, I'd be blunt and tell them that she was rude and recommend not doing business with her. Unfair for the hedgehogs but still, business is business.

For example, I am a truck driver who delivers bagged ice, Memory Weekend is the opening of our season and of course I become really busy. Today I was 'vending' ice to one of our local Walmarts, which requires me to fill up shopping carts with the bags, bring them from the rear of the store out to the front to fill the machines. It was 20 of 11am and they told me that I had to finish up quickly, that they had their lunch break going and if they were late, they basically get in trouble with the higher ups (stupid, right?). They said 11am, so I rush and finish up what I was doing, I get back to the dock area at 10:55 and find that they've locked the gates down and left for lunch. The ladies that run the docks are nice people, but you can bet that someone heard the obscenities I shouted, which includes a rant about how China owns Walmart, and so forth. Had to wait a half an hour of my own time for someone to come unlock the gates, so I could get my melting ice back on the truck and be on my way.

As much as I'd love to just start kicking merchandise around and somehow get revenge on them, I'll show up next week with a smile on my face and polite as I always am, because its not good business to make a customer mad and then lose the customer to another company.

The breeder might be stressed, from all I've seen with people selling/rehoming their own hedgehogs, seems many many people inquire about them, but then never make an actual move, which must get frustrating.


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## nessariel (Mar 3, 2010)

I'm not sure if it's the same breeder, but when I was trying to find a hedgehog I emailed a few of the Quebec breeders, as I was having trouble finding an Ontario breeder who was still breeding. Since they all had their postings in french, I did my best to write my initial email in french. My french isn't great, but I tried, and most people who emailed me back said they had no problem understanding me.
One breeder, however, started her email off by saying that my french was "terrible and barely understandable" and that I "shouldn't have bothered"... Glad I found Winston somewhere else! I would want my breeder to be friendly enough to answer questions that I had.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

nessariel said:


> I'm not sure if it's the same breeder, but when I was trying to find a hedgehog I emailed a few of the Quebec breeders, as I was having trouble finding an Ontario breeder who was still breeding. Since they all had their postings in french, I did my best to write my initial email in french. My french isn't great, but I tried, and most people who emailed me back said they had no problem understanding me.
> One breeder, however, started her email off by saying that my french was "terrible and barely understandable" and that I "shouldn't have bothered"... Glad I found Winston somewhere else! I would want my breeder to be friendly enough to answer questions that I had.


Yeah, that's another thing, you're gonna wanna keep in touch with your breeders... and if they're just being rude then you're not going to want to do that *sigh*
Was her name Melanie Dufour by any chance?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

It is very difficult to tell people where exactly they are on a waiting list. It all depends on the colour and sex that people are looking for and what colour and sex the babies born are. Some people want a specific colour and sex and if someone goes on the list after them with no colour or sex requirements, then that person could get a baby ahead of the person that had been on the list longer. 

Although I've never asked for a deposit to go on the waiting list, but like Deneen it was very frustrating to have a waiting list and find that the people had gone on every other breeders waiting list or bought from a pet store and were no longer waiting.


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## Amy1024 (Mar 18, 2010)

That breeder is not nice to you at all and to hedgehogs in general. I think of my hedgie as my own child so I feel that to any breeder, the bond is even greater because they are the ones who basically brought life to the hedgies. Assuming that the hedgie you're getting from another breeder will turn out to be unhealthy, is just mean and disrespectful to you, to the hedgie and to the other breeder. Sorry that you had such a bad experience with that breeder and hope you'll feel better. I'm sure the hedgie you're getting will be very healthy and beautiful. 

*edit for grammar*


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Another thing that really used to tick me off is those who were on my waiting list, bought elsewhere and then emailed me with questions because the breeder they bought from wouldn't reply to them. 

I even had one person who was in a real rush to get a baby, bought from another breeder then decided after about a month that a hedgehog was not what she wanted. She expected me to buy it off of her because after all, it was from a breeder and I could add it to my breeder herd. UM NO! :lol:


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Nancy said:


> Another thing that really used to tick me off is those who were on my waiting list, bought elsewhere and then emailed me with questions because the breeder they bought from wouldn't reply to them.
> 
> I even had one person who was in a real rush to get a baby, bought from another breeder then decided after about a month that a hedgehog was not what she wanted. She expected me to buy it off of her because after all, it was from a breeder and I could add it to my breeder herd. UM NO! :lol:


LOL well that's just disrespectful to the breeder!
No, I would NEVER ask that of any breeder if I had not adopted from them XD
The only reason why I started looking around for other breeders was because I had been with this one for around 6 months, with no news... and before that another breeder for 3 months, who in the end referred me to her.



Amy1024 said:


> That breeder is not nice to you at all and to hedgehogs in general. I think of my hedgie as my own child so I feel that to any breeder, the bond is even greater because they are the ones who basically brought life to the hedgies. Assuming that the hedgie you're getting from another breeder will turn out to be unhealthy, is just mean and disrespectful to you, to the hedgie and to the other breeder. Sorry that you had such a bad experience with that breeder and hope you'll feel better. I'm sure the hedgie you're getting will be very healthy and beautiful.
> 
> *edit for grammar*


Yes, I agree, and thank you ^-^ I'm pretty sure the hedgie will be fine. This breeder (the one I'm adopting the hedgie from) had the same guarantees as the previous one, so I don't think it would have been any different if I had adopted from the rude breeder.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Nancy said:


> I even had one person who was in a real rush to get a baby, bought from another breeder then decided after about a month that a hedgehog was not what she wanted. She expected me to buy it off of her because after all, it was from a breeder and I could add it to my breeder herd. UM NO! :lol:


You just have to love people that want to dump their unwanted pets and make money at it. I've had a few lately that have contacted me looking to rehome their hedgehog. When I would respond that I have an open cage and the hedgehog would be welcomed, they would respond with a price. Um, sorry I don't pay for rescues. Especially the prices they asked ($150-200).


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

> You just have to love people that want to dump their unwanted pets and make money at it. I've had a few lately that have contacted me looking to rehome their hedgehog. When I would respond that I have an open cage and the hedgehog would be welcomed, they would respond with a price. Um, sorry I don't pay for rescues. Especially the prices they asked ($150-200).


That's awful! If they really cared about the hedgies, then they would try to find it a nice home, and give it away for free, instead of selling it to the highest bidder.


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

shaelikestaquitos said:


> That's awful! If they really cared about the hedgies, then they would try to find it a nice home, and give it away for free, instead of selling it to the highest bidder.


I paid for Quillamina, (actually, Dad did, since she was technically supposed to be his - oops.) but that was because she really needed to be gotten out of there. She was completely ignored for FIVE MONTHS, the entire time her last humans had her, never played with, never given treats, never even removed from her cage. She didn't even have a name. Can you imagine? Five months, and they didn't give her a name. I imagine she was a pet store hedgehog, since the only breeder I know of in London started up in the last month or so, and of course THAT wouldn't have helped her attitude much.

She was the most hateful little thing in the world, balled up whenever you so much as looked at her, hissed constantly, and oh my god, don't get me started on the biting! She bit constantly, she was terrified of people. I've managed to turn her around, and now she's so sweet and snuggly it's almost ridiculous. I still get hissed at every now and then, and a warning nip if I tick her off, but she's a completely different animal now. It's taken the better part of a year to get her like this. Then there was the cancer...how much do you want to bet me that the people who had her before wouldn't even have noticed something was wrong with her, had she still been there when the cancer developed? It amazes and sickens me how stupid some people are.

Seriously, though, I find it ridiculous that people actually expect you to pay to take an animal that THEY are trying to push off on you. They clearly shouldn't have bought the hedgie in the first place.

(Sorry about the rant, I get passionate about this kind of thing. >>)


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Sela said:


> Then there was the cancer...how much do you want to bet me that the people who had her before wouldn't even have noticed something was wrong with her, had she still been there when the cancer developed? It amazes and sickens me how stupid some people are.
> 
> Seriously, though, I find it ridiculous that people actually expect you to pay to take an animal that THEY are trying to push off on you. They clearly shouldn't have bought the hedgie in the first place.
> 
> (Sorry about the rant, I get passionate about this kind of thing. >>)


Awe, Quillamina is so lucky to have such a caring owner like you!
I would rescue a hedgehog (I live in Montreal, and I'm sure you've noticed the ridiculous amount of kijiji and craigslist ads for unwanted hedgies), but I wanted the experience of raising my own, as this hedgehog will be my first (other than my friend's Leela, who I have hedgehog-sat for a few weeks :lol
I don't even want to think about what would have happened to your poor hedgie had she been neglected at that awful place for so long *sigh*
I really wish pet stores would stop selling hedgehogs, or if they did, that they would actually have people knowledgeable about them working at the store at least?!?!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Sela- I know what you mean...I paid for one of my rescues, just because i wanted to get her out of there. She was a year and a half old, had been in 3 homes alread, and had never been named. The people I got her from had her for a year, never named her, had never picked her up and had her in a plastic bin, about 1.5 feet square, with a small mesh wheel and the only ventilation was the opening cut in the lid to fit the wheel in. They had bought her for their two kids...2 and 3 years old, and bought a puppy at the same time. Well guess what?? The kids liked the puppy better...lol


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

@Nikki:

They bought a hedgehog...for their two and three year olds? ExCUSE me?! How the **** could they think that a two and three year old could handle a hedgehog? They are certainly not suitable pets for children that young. And a year without a name? Good god, comparing your hedgie's last home and mine, it's like Quilly lived at some kind of tropical resort for hedgies. ...Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but still. Thank god there are people like us who can take them in and give them good homes.

@Shae:

Quillamina is lucky in many ways. She could well have died if I hadn't reacted fast when I noticed something was wrong. She was bleeding from a place hedgehogs are NOT supposed to bleed from, so I rushed her to the emergency vet with my mom. We found out that night that the emergency vet knows NOTHING about hedgies, and that they send a regular vet to do a pathologist's job...anyway, long story short, the next day, which was Christmas Day, (Yes, you read that right) we went out to Mississauga-Oakville to THEIR emergency clinic because Quilly was bleeding more, referred there by the emergency vet in our town, only to find that not only could they not help us, our emergency vet hadn't even called ahead to say we were coming, when they had told us they had done so. All they could do for us was give us some anti-inflammatories for my poor sick baby and send us home in the rain.

Once the holidays were over, since the only vet that was open until then was the emergency vet, we rushed Quilly to OUR vet to get her checked out. Those wonderful people booked her in to be spayed and within days, my sweet little piggy came home drugged up and dopey from the painkillers, but alive. We found out that it had been cancer, as I suspected, after they sent her uterus to the lab for testing. If she hadn't had her surgery, she wouldn't be alive now. She recovered fast, and though she still has a little bit of a knot on her tummy, she's good as new, and just as spoiled as ever. She's her mommy's little princess, and she knows it. <3


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Sela -
Wowie, you are one awesome mommy!
I hope I can be half as good of a hedgie mom as you!
That's quite a story though, I would've been a mess/panicking for the entire holiday  You must've been worried sick
But your hedgie is well and happy now, that is all that matters ^-^


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

shaelikestaquitos said:


> Sela -
> Wowie, you are one awesome mommy!
> I hope I can be half as good of a hedgie mom as you!
> That's quite a story though, I would've been a mess/panicking for the entire holiday  You must've been worried sick
> But your hedgie is well and happy now, that is all that matters ^-^


Aw, thanks, honey. I'm sure you'll do just fine with your baby, you've been doing all your research and you've gotten things ready, it'll all work out just fine.

I did panic, actually, I was terrified that she wouldn't make it through the operation. She does well with anaesthetic, though, woke up easily afterward, although she was groggy as **** for the first few hours after she came home! x3 I feel badly saying it, but it was kind of funny to watch her stagger around and try to attack my choke chain. (I wear my old collie's collar sometimes, and it's sort of shiny.) Getting her meds into her wasn't fun, though, she just wasn't having any of it. I had to towel her and a lot of the time she got more medicine ON her than in her. The lack of hormones probably had something to do with her becoming nicer, she rarely ever bites anymore, and hissing only really happens when it's time to get her up for cuddles. It still floors me that she's so friendly considering all she's been through, but she's become a real snuggler.

Also, I don't have to worry about any accidental babies if I ever have her and Loki out at the same time. She's much too old for a first litter anyway, but now that's not an issue anymore, thank god.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Sela said:


> @Nikki:
> 
> They bought a hedgehog...for their two and three year olds? ExCUSE me?! How the **** could they think that a two and three year old could handle a hedgehog? They are certainly not suitable pets for children that young. And a year without a name? Good god, comparing your hedgie's last home and mine, it's like Quilly lived at some kind of tropical resort for hedgies. ...Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but still. Thank god there are people like us who can take them in and give them good homes.


I know..I couldn't believe they would be her for two young kids. Her name is Sophie now, and she lives with my Texas Tumbleweed, Boots.


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

No child that young should be near a hedgehog. They just can't understand how to properly handle one, and the second they get spiked, you KNOW they're going to drop the hedgie. They simply aren't old enough to think to fight that instinct.

Regardless, she's in good hands now, and I'm sure she's much happier for it.


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