Experiences with GADASC Rescue

The dog I got from Melita, fortunately for me, never made it to her house, he came right from the Hamilton pound in a kennel, so he didn't touch any other dog. She never followed up on vetting like she was supposed to, I did it myself, and I never sent her a dime! You will find him on her success stories!
Everyone is always looking for Give a Dog a Second Chance which apparently is now located in Oshawa. NO legitimate rescue would adopt out a pup without it being spayed and up to date on shots.
Here I thought I was just an isolated incident all this time. She told me the vet was away on vacation for the month of January to February. I called a couple of times to set up the vetting and it never happened. I told her I would end up paying only a $50 dollar donation for gas because I would have to do all the vetting myself. I never sent her the money, because for some reason every time I called there was barking dogs.
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No we never did get the dog, after seeing the condition of her house, and hearing her scream at the dogs and even having a run in with one of the other "tenants" shall we call him, and the condition of her residence we decided that any dog that came from her would more and likely have some serious problems. I did state on the post on Craiglist that I would bet my life she is what they call "backyard breeder" as there is no way in hell the dog that we seen was "hot from the heat therfor her teats where extremely swollen" there was no doubt in my mind that the dog was bred and had recently had puppies.We had a female rottie from 6 weeks until her death at 7 yrs and never once did she ever "swell in the heat".
As the more I thought about it, the more I thought I recognized the dog from an ad on Kijiji a while stating it was the mother of some puppies someone was trying to sell. The dog in question was a brindle boxer, named Nikki, beautiful dog awesome personality, but the story kept changing, so we backed out. She is also no longer welcome in Petsmart on Victoria St, the exact reason why they would not state, but a manager did say she would not be back.

Sorry to hear of your unfortunate run in with her, I would pursue legal action if I was in your shoes. Matter of fact if you need to have someone else state the conditions I would be glad to call somewhere and add my name to it, for example the Humane Society.
Hopefully your little babies are in much better health soon as I bet they are in a much better place then they started out in.

It really is disgusting that the animals must suffer they way I am sure they do in her care, what's more disgusting is that by your sisters email there is not much we seem to be able to do about it, other then perhaps warn people the way I have done on Craiglist, and should do it on Kijiji as well as Petfinder too it seems.
The dog she had on Kijiji was a as I stated a female brindle boxer named Nikki, her first statements about the dog was , the owner died, so it came into her care, she had an eye infection which was now cleared up and she was fixed, when we got there to see her, it was an owner surrender, the eye infection was still there (she says there that it was almost gone) and she was not fixed that she was soon to be fixed. We took the dog for a walk, the dog was awesome for the most part a few minor jumping problems but I guess that was to be expected of someone happy to get out! She was extremely well behaved in the car, just sat with her head on my husbands shoulder from the back seat.We fell in love with her, I honestly thought we were going to take her away from that, when we got back , we pounded on the door for a half hour , you could hear her screaming inside at the dogs to "stfu" it was total chaos, the place stunk to high heaven too!

Then Melita started changing the story again , the heat comment came in after I asked her if the dog had been bred for puppies, and we couldn't have her as she was going to get fixed, when I asked her why say she was already fixed, she didn't have an answer. We said we would be in touch , everytime we called after that she wouldn't answer, I guess she was just hoping we would walk in , give her cash and walk out. And when that didn't happen she had no use for us. I wonder if she still has the dog.

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We contacted Melita via the internet, she had a posting on a pet finder website. We were looking for a dog that was no bigger than 20lbs full grown. We had never rescued before and naively believed that any rescue with charity status would be reputable.We drove to Oshawa to pick a puppy from a litter she had of, what we were told us, were 10wk old Pomeranian / Manchester terrier mixes. We were told that the litter had been left on her doorstep in the middle of the night. We were also told that the puppy had been vet checked and okayed for adoption that morning. That she had all her shots, was microchipped, and checked for fleas.The place was a disaster, but we thought "oh she's just a nice lady doing a nice thing", and picked out our puppy.

She had a runny eye and nose, and when we asked about it we were told it was a common side effect from the shots she recieved at the vets that day. She was given her last dose of de-worming mediceine in front of us and we were told she had diareaha from this medicine. We said we understood and happily took her home.48 hours past and we thought our puppy was unusally calm, she was also infested with fleas. She had bad direaha and refused to eat. When she stopped drinking we called the vets and rushed her in to the soonest appointment avaliable.After examination the vet told us "B"was to be immediatally admited, that they thought she had Parvo and had to run tests. They told us that parvo was very expensive to treat. We admited .
That day I called Melita and spoke with her. She told me that B did not have parvo but rather had whipworm and to tell the vet the rescue had a whipworm problem and that whipworm presented symptoms that looked like parvo. She told us to tell the vet not to treat for parvo and gave me the name of a de-worming drug to tell the vet. I asked Melita to help us with 50% of the vet bills since we just spent $300.00 on the puppy and it was sick when she gave it to us. She agreed.I told the vet what Melita said, they told me B did NOT have whipworm, that the tests had come back and that she had a bad case of Parvo. In addition she had a respatory infection, and eye infection, as well as a roundworm infestation severe enough to kill her without all the other problems. They did not expect her to live and told us that treatment would be very expensive. We were also told no vet should have approved this puppy for adoption. We said treat.
I called Melita the next day and told her everything the vet said. I asked her how she would like to cover her 50%, if we should pay upfront and she would reimburse, or if she'd like to pay the vet directly. At this point Melita told me that she never said she would help with vet bills, but rather she would refund 50% of the $300.00 cost of B. She told me there is no way she could afford those bills. We told her we also could not afford the bills and that the puppy she gave us was sick. She cussed me out and told me I only cared about money, and then hung up the phone on me.Devestated, and saddled with $2000.00 worth of vet bills we could not afford we placed an ad on craiglist asking for donations and saying where we recieved the puppy and her story.

I recieved many offensive and vulgar e-mails from Melita about this posting, including rambling information that the entire litter was sick. From what I understand the entire litter that stayed with Melita died with the exception of Bitey, and a male puppy that was adopted the same day.Finally B recovered and we went to the vets to take her home. They had one more suprise for us, they told us B was not 10wks old, as told by Melita, but that she was closer to 5wks, and we were told to be prepared for a large dog, that she was actually a Rotweiller mix. She is now almost 70lbs.
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I'm so sorry to hear the puppies had parvo - thats a painful and an expensive thing to go through I'm glad the pups made it ok.I volunteer with rescue in Ontario, no reputable rescue will work with her or use her. The city of Oshawa has investigated her numerous times but they can't charge her with anything. She is not a rescuer but rather a dog broker - she sells dogs for profit and I know some of the dogs are not altered which is a big issue if you call yourself a rescue.My Aunt went to adopt a shih tzu from her but the dog 'disappeared' when they got their and it was a very weird environment.
One of her dogs in the summer attacked a poor beagle. She posted the beagle, bloody and mangled on petfinder and asked people to donate so the dog could get medical attention. I unfortunately do not have that picture, but it was so disturbing I reported it.
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I don't think there is anyone that DOESN'T know Melitta and her abhorrent practices but there is little any of us in the rescue world can do to stop her. We are located in Hamilton and as far as I know the rescues were able to ban her from getting any more dogs from here.
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Whitby animal control gives her does that are in their facility because they are too lazy to adopt them out themselves. If you check out their website which is Paws in Whitby they never have dogs because they give them to Melita. Whitby animal control is the worst when it comes to Animals. She has to be reported to the head office of the Newmarket SPCA, not the one in Durham.
The animals in her care unfortunately I believe to not get the proper care and exercise and I hate to say this but would rather see these dogs in a humane society or Oshawa Animal Control. Neither one is ideal but at least they will get fed and watered on a daily basis.

A lot of her dogs stay in crates all day and do not get out.

She gets alot of her dogs like we all do from owner surrenders who know longer want her dog. I am shocked that owners who don't want their dog anymore would even leave their dog in her care. You should definitely do something because the dogs in her care are in distress and are suffering.
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One year ago I bought a dog through “Give a Dog a Second Chance” and I had to make three trips back to Petsmart to get my dog his booster shot. The woman kept forgetting the booster shot and his paper work that I was promised. The first week that I had the dog home, I took him to our vet. He had an ear infection and eye infection which I had treated. I ended up paying my vet to give the dog all of his shoots over again to make sure he had been vaccinated because I never did receive the paperwork. Like others that I have seen write into this site, the woman that owns the shelter kept changing her story about the history of the dog. I ended up with a good dog thank goodness.

If you are planning to purchase an animal through this organization, be careful and see your vet first before paying for the animal.
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I caution you - when dealing with Melita there is plenty to be afraid of - some time ago, when I has issues it resulted me in me seeking advise from the police (first time I have ever done that in my life)
Good luck, I hope it works out for you and you are able to make a difference in shutting her down. From what I've heard they have shut her down a couple times, only for her to move and start back up again in a differenct location.
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OMG...I was afraid this was the one! the dog I rescued was with her and it was a terrible experience...not with the dog but with the $$ she wanted. The folks I got him from were "gold" but lived in downtown toronto, I had to go down there for visits with "J" and then back to pick up andshe changed her $ from $100 to $200 after she did absolutely nothing! so after taking J to our vet for a check up ...this is where J had been taken by her and they are owing a huge vet bill and will not do business with her..I paid the vet for J's neuter that was unpaid and have not given her a cent...so if you talk with her I am the bad guy here.
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My dog of 12 1/2 years passed away Feb 2nd. I was terribly lonely so went looking on Petfinders (a colleague told me about the site). I stupidly thought that all the agencies on there were reputable until today. I adopted Margaret on Sunday after meeting her at her foster mom's condo in Toronto. It all was pretty quick - I assume Melita felt I was ripe for the picking given my circumstances. Margaret appeared to be a sweet little 10 month old beagle/lab cross - that is until she got violent twice. Now I am two days into a nightmare. I will not return her to Give a Dog A Second Chance...I really don't know what to do. I have adopted 2 dogs in the last 26 years without incident through the local animal shelter. I am truly sickened by this woman - I think it is time to go the the news channels and expose her that way. I think City would be a good jumping off point.Any thoughts?

Sherri Edwards
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I got a little pom mix from her. He was an adult. His teeth were sticking out all over and really rotted. He needed them removed,(ended up with 18 taken out). She told me I could take him home for a week to see if he fits into my family and if at the end of the week if he worked then I would pay the $300.00 she was charging and she would ensure his teeth were looked after. After a week I went back to her and she said she did not say that and that she would only fix him. Luckely for me I kept the e-mail she sent stating that she would have the teeth looked after for the adoption fee. I also took him to have his shots redone because I worked for Petsmart at that time and saw her administering shots in the bathroom a few times by accident. Scrappy is still a happy part of our lives today. Being the salon manager I knew of a lot of issues people were having with dogs being brought back because they were sick and one man even brought a puppy home and it died a week later, he was in tears and his young daughters were devistated. Also my husbands uncle bought a sheppard mix puppy from her and he was told it was 8 weeks at the time. Once he had it checked at the vet the vet said it was approx. 3 months old by looking at the dental and Rick has had a lot of issues with the dog being sick. This pup was supposedly born at her home and she knew the mother really well and the mom was a healthy dog...so why was the puppy so ill??? Rick still has "socks" today he is now about a year and a half and is still dealing with issues. I was lucky enough to see what she was doing and warn other people, I only wish that she was'nt such a good manipulater because other people are getting screwed all the time and not knowing it. I also know she did get a lot of puppies from the states, not sure where.

I sent a request to join this group to all the employee's at Petsmart so they are all awarebut lots of us already knew there were problems. Yes....feel free to post my letter on your site, I have no problem with it.I hope it helps but the problem is once you adopt from her you see the problems and don't do it again, the people adopting from her and Pauline are not aware of what she is like and therefore become bonded with an animal that is usually ill in some form. I know the man whom I spoke of before who's pup died had the body tested and tried to go after Petsmart because the pup had parvo. But Petsmart donates space to the shelters but is not responsible for the pets the shelter brings in...it is the adoption agencies responsibility to take care of thier animals including the cats. But I know the agencies must follow guidelines and that is why Melita is nolonger there. It is truely a sad situation and that is why when adopting we should be going to proper shelters run by the cities they are in that way everything is on the up and up. But like myself, I saw a dog wanting love for five weeks every weekend in a tiny cage and took him home. It is easy to become a sucker. Her motive unfortunately is money and I am sure she makes lots of it because her average price is $300.00 and she gives the shots herself a lot of the time. I will let everyone I know about this site, the more people in Durham that are reached the better.

Thara Dennis-Kilburn
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Hi there:I'm writing to share my recent experience with the above mentioned rescue.In July of last year I adopted a 6 month old female lab-pointer cross from this organization. I was told I would not receive a copy of the contract until I submitted proof of spay.I paid a $ 100 adoption fee by cheque.When I sent proof of spay from the vet clinic in my townI was told that I'd receive the contract copy when she found it. I never did receive it.At 9 months of age, my dog sustained a hip ligament injury. It did not require surgery, but she did need rehab and 8 weeks of rest. Ath the end of the 8 weeks, she suddenly became aggressive and attacked a dog at the park.I did not know what to do, and I was afraid for my other 2 dogs. I decided to take my dog back to the rescue for assessment. I was subsequently told that she had no aggression problems, but that I could not 'offer her what she needed'.So I said that I wanted my dog back, and was told that I could not have her. The rescue kept her and put her up for adoption. The new ad on petfinder had changed her breed (to Dalmatian) and her birth date, and the new owners were told they had to pay in cash.Thankfully, these new owners are wonderful people, and we have kept in touch, so I know she has a good home. I'd never want her to go back to this organization.I e-mailed Melita the cheque for the adopton fee after I had my dog on trial for 2 weeks, and had decided to keep her.I did not receive a receipt for it. I felt that I had no proof of ownership. When I told my vet about the experience, she offered to go to bat for me and help me in any way she could.Even though I told Melita that Sammie had just recovered from weeks of rehab and rest, and that she should not be allowed to go crazy right away, the first thing she did was to put Sammie out in the yard to play with her other dogs, and she told me that she'd put my dog out every day all day, to let her blow off steam.She reported to me that Sammie was not aggressive at all (well, she wasn't cooped up anymore). I'd told her that I would take Sammie to a dog trainer behavorist to work on the problem if there were any, but she never gave me the chance.I'm OK with you putting my story on Facebook with no name or e-mail
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