Hi,

my name is Annie, I am living on an Orchard in Quebec, Canada. (Sorry for my english, I usually speak french)

I had the chance of owning a beautiful Cane Corso puppy named Macko.

We found Angela / Rustic Kennels via her website. A beautiful website, with beautiful health-tested mutli-champions on it, with a beautiful 5 year warranty! I had find THE breeder!
Unfortunately, that year, I did not know that anybody can advertise anything on their website.... I did not know that anybody could advertise their dogs as champions even if they are not.... I did not know that you could sign a contract, promise the world, and run away.... I did not know...

Macko is the best dog I ever owned. A big and beautiful cuddler! We had a great time together.

We both liked obedience training and trials! Macko won a second place (with leash) at 4.5months old against adult dogs and a first place at 6 months (without leash) against adult dogs again! What a proud momma I was!
Soooo proud! I was taking pictures of Macko's certificates and prizes and was sending them to Angela! So proud!

This dog wanted to please so much! Unbelievable!
A real sweet heart on four legs!

His favorite activities were laying on any member of the family, training, taking a walk in the orchard with his friend Bud and looking at me like I was the most wonderful thing in the world! You should have seen him, this way that he had to look at me... he was making me melt!
Oh I loved him so deeply.

Here he is (also see his story in video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vNb1SOF6-c ADVISED VIEWERS ONLY):



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Unfortunately, Macko started to have epilepsy in February 2005... very bad epilepsy.
He immediately started to take strong medication every day.

After that, in between the seizures, we discovered that he had a bad hip, two bad knees, immune system problems, other neurological problems linked to his EP ... ... yes, in between two seizures, he had those neurological problems; at each occurence, lasting 3 days... he could barely walk like he had lost all his tonus in his legs... Falling at every 6-7 steps...

We really had a hard time (Macko and us)... we passed nights and nights and nights at the emergency vet.
We saw tons of vets and a neurologist to be sure to provide him the best of cares; to be sure to give him the best life he could have.

On June 1st, 2005. Macko unfortunately had cluster seizures. We brougth him in emergency to receive a 48 hours of intraveinous valliums and Phenobarbital to try to save his life.
That night, they discovered a pronounced heart murmur.
That night, we decided that this wonderful dog, so kind, so eager to please, did not deserve to suffer like that anymore.

Macko left us on June 2nd 2005.


I want you all to know that his breeder was aware of the situation since the first day. After that, she changed her email address, moved, moved and moved.... she never sent me an email to see what was happening, she never called, she never helped, she never refund any money as stated in her contract/warranty, nor did she provided us with Macko's registration papers.

Dealing with Rustic Kennels will be my best and worst experience of all my life. The best one: for Macko. The worst one: for Angela.

To finish on a more positive note, here is my favorite tought:
Macko is now upthere, happy and healthy, looking at me like he always did... like I am the most wonderful thing in the world.

Love you Baby,

Annie

Such a heartbreaking story Annie, poor Macko. The pictures of him are wonderful, he was such a handsome guy. I love the picture of him cuddling on your lap.

P.S.
My name is Bonnie Doiron and I live in Moncton, NB Canada. Zoi is from a co-breeding between Rustic and 21St Guardian. She is healthy thank God for that.

So glad u have devoted yourself to this site and to helping others. Macho didnt live in vain...he and u both had/have purpose. U know I am with u and will help in any way I can. Laurie

Laurie, I live in Toronto Ontario. Annie and I have a bond through our understanding of epilepsy and what pain it causes. My CC Diablo is an epi sufferer, but now on proper meds seems to be stabilized. We have had a very hard time getting to this point tho, and even tho he is doing very well right now, I fear his time here with us will be short. We have decided to devote all our time love and energy into giving him the best life we can in the meantime.

My beautiful girl was born March 22/03 of Jewels and Aragorn. At 6 months we discovered a grade 2 heart murmur. At 14 months she started to have seizures. For the last 14 months we have been fighting with genetic epilepsy. Right now she is on very high doses of Pheno and KBR twice a day. She is still having seizures about every 3 weeks. The Neurologist and my Vet want to increase her meds but we will not. She has a lot of side effects. We just found out her liver enzymes are starting to change from the Pheno. So what we do now I don't know.Angela has done nothing for us. No refund, No help and No paperwork. She has never once called or emailed me to see how Arden was. The last contact I had with her was in January 05. I know Arden's life will not be very long but she is already one of the lucky ones to have lived as long as she has. We will continue to love her fight for her and take care of her as long as her good days are far greater than her bad ones. Arden is the sweetest, kindest most loving girl I have ever had. We live in the Niagara Pennisula in Southern Ontario. I wrote this in the hopes that someone who is thinking of getting a Rustic or related dog changes their minds in a hurry. Also I want people to know that they are not alone that there is lots of us to help them out if they need or want help. Thanks for reading Arden's Story.

Poor baby.

Welcome here Kathy. Nice to see you and Arden here. :D

Annie

Thanks for the welcome Annie. I also want to thank you for all that you have done to help stop this awful mess. Kathy

I`m sorry to hear about all of your loses as of now i have no idea where titan is. I took him back due to the fact he had a temper problem and would pee himself all the time that its self was a problem as i have small children.

It got to the point where i didn't feel safe leaving my young ones alone with Ty Ty as my daughter called him. So i called This HEARTLESS BITCH ANGELA and told her this she said no worries we will replace him i saw that she was having litters born and forgot about me i gave her the benefit of the doubt she said no worries i will get you your pup.

Mean while i have to try to explain this to the kids and we all know how that can be then i got fed up and demanded my money back and to this day well you get the just of it.

Titan parents are Kenya and aragorn he was born march 27/2002
I am deeply sadden by all the lives affected by this sick women to see someone hurt people for the mighty dollar and these poor animals i know its wrong for me to say but i wish i could get 2 Min's with her!

The last i heard Ty Ty is very aggressive and has major issues she never even told me who she placed him with even when i asked she would alwys says friend i even asked to visit him she said she would make arrangements well thats my story,

Its been hard cause we still want a dog and just have a hard time with trust

Hi Gary! glad to see you here ...

...the more victims we expose to the public, the more they will realise how Angela's mess is huge.
Your story is new to me... the last time I heard about Titan, he was on Angela's website, good looking guy that seemed to be soo happy.
Now, I know that a picture on her website does not mean anything as we still can see some of Macko's pics on there.
I am sorry that you had to go through this.

Thanks to be there!
Annie

Well im glad i found you all and im sure the mess goes way deeper then we all woud like to see. Titan was a great guy but the the temper and my kids way to big to overlook and he would pee just when people were petting him no matter who no matter when so that to me is a problem.

If i was a single male i might have been able to handle him and angela promised me she would place him in a great home. I asked to know where she said friends so stupid me trusted her.