Heartland Havanese, Kevin McCabe, Sandy McCabe

Paid full price for a labrador retriever puppy, but didn't receive the puppy.

9th of Jul, 2012 by ksjohnson

Kevin and Sandy McCabe (Heartland Labradors, Heartland Havanese), located in Clare, Iowa are NOW breeding Havanese, but they are guilty of unscrupulous business practices in the Labrador Retriever breed.

Heartland Havanese
1111 Hayes Avenue
Clare, IA 50524
515-570-3210 or 515-570-0667
[email protected]
www.heartlandhavanese.com

As a “newbie” to the hobby of dog showing, I am utterly disgusted. This is NOT how the dog show world should operate. What future does the “dog show world” have if the current generation is operating in such unscrupulous manners towards newbies?
It has been over 7 years since I entered an oral contract with the McCabes, and they have not maintained their end of the agreement. If you have any questions, or ideas of how I may recoup my losses please do not hesitate to contact me at 662.684.9019. I also have every email correspondence, receipt, delivery confirmation, certified mail receipt, etc. pertaining to the case.
In February 2004, I purchased a yellow lab bitch from the McCabes. I was on a wait list for several months, and spoke with Kevin numerous times regarding the multi-purpose Labrador my lifestyle required (obedience, hunt tests, conformation showing). I flew from South Carolina to pick up the puppy in Clare, Iowa, in addition to meeting Kevin and touring his kennel. I specifically requested a contract on the day I picked up the puppy, but Kevin assured me he would “take care of me” if the “puppy didn’t turn out.” He also said, “A contract is only as good as the people who sign it.”
In April 2005, I spoke with Kevin over the phone, and he said he did not want me to show the bitch. He explained that their Heartland kennel name was on her, and they did not want her in the ring due to her faults. Kevin asked if I would be willing to return the bitch for a replacement puppy, who would be better suited for the conformation ring. She was prepared to compete in Junior level hunt tests and earn her Companion Dog obedience title.
In December 2005, I received the replacement puppy. She was extremely intelligent and trainable, and with my training, earned the first leg of her Companion Dog title at 6 mos. old. Unfortunately, she also began showing signs of Exercise Induced Collapse at this time. Every time she was exposed to 20 minutes of exercise (retrieving, playing with other dogs, running on the beach, etc.) she would loose coordination in her rear end, collapse, and drag herself around by her front legs. It was impossible to take her swimming due to the concern she would have an episode and drown. It was also very scary and upsetting to watch her have collapse episodes. Her episodes were observed by two field trainers and three veterinarians. I also had her hips radiographed, which ruled out hip problems.
Exercise induced collapse is a GENETIC disorder predominately seen in labradors (there are videos of it on the internet). It is a recessive disorder; therefore carriers (those having 1 copy of mutation) will not show symptoms—however, if they are used for breeding, they will pass on the mutation 50% of the time. If a carrier-to-carrier mating occurs, it is expected that 25% of the offspring will be “EIC affected” (those having 2 copies of the mutation) (http://www.vetdnacenter.com/canine-exercise-induced-collapse.html). Thus, in order for a pup to be EIC affected, BOTH parents MUST be carriers. This meant I would not be able to use her for hunting, hunt tests, conformation showing, moderate daily activity or breeding. She was returned to the McCabes in the summer of 2006.
According to OFA certification records available online, the EIC bitch’s parents were “Heartland’s Charlie Angel” and “Glacier Ridge Heartland Leroy Brown.” This was a repeat breeding, and note that after the McCabes were alerted of the pup’s EIC (early spring 2006), they continued to REPEAT the same breeding with the SAME parents (breeding dates 4/10/06 and 5/26/09). As previously stated, in order for a pup to be EIC affected, both parents must be a carrier. Thus, both of the pup’s parents, “Heartland’s Charlie Angel” and “Glacier Ridge Heartland Leroy Brown” were EIC carriers, and the McCabes continued to repeat the breeding two additional times, knowing 25% of the offspring would be “EIC affected.”
I have NUMEROUS emails from the McCabes. A May 30, 2006 email states they will give me an 8 week old puppy or $300. I elected for a puppy replacement and was told they would contact me in the fall. On August 14, 2007 Sandy sent me an email saying she will refund $500. When I wrote back explaining I raised and TRAINED 2 puppies, and will not accept $500, she replied on August 20, 2007 with:
“We are now going to give you a replacement with no guarantees we are no longer offering the $500. Contact AKC we already have...Contact the Parent club we already have that is most of the breeders that I contacted. Do you think that breeders haven’t spent thousands of dollars with dogs that didn’t turn out? This doesn’t come easy. I can give you a list when we first started of dogs that didn’t turn out and we never got more than 1 dog for replacement.”
I called the McCabes and sent them numerous emails and certified letters (I have all emails & certified letter receipts) between 2007 and present. They refuse to call me, and their emails are nasty. A December 20, 2010 email states:
“...since there is no contract its not good for us or for you. Talking with lab breeders who are still showing most are giving no guarantees. Everyone who has shown dogs for a few years all have, dogs that are not replaced, stud services never took or replaced, semen that was never shipped. I can’t tell you the thousand of thousands of dollars we are out of and the years with dogs that didn’t turn out.”
During my most recent correspondence I kindly reminded Sandy I am still waiting for my replacement puppy, confronted her about the fact I’ve been told by 6 different sources that they are no longer breeding labs, and asked her if this could be handled in a timely manner. Her reply on August 8, 2011:
“I thought I had explained this to you, you need to go and read your contract. ....when we have another litter and that I cannot tell you when (one year, two year, three years or five) ...I will not go over the breeders, who we got a puppy from that weren’t replaced because of eyes, or hips second dog health issues...a few breeders stopped breeding because of one reason or another....we still have stud services own to us we will never be able to get. THIS IS THE DOG SHOW WORLD.”
I reminded Sandy I do not have a contract, and I do not think it is fair to ask a buyer to wait 7, 10 or 15 years for a replacement puppy! She replied, “I’m sorry you don’t have any kind of contract with us. Sandy”
I have a 12 and 13 year old lab, both whom are in excellent health. I put all the titles on my dogs, and they have their CD, CDX, JH, CGC, TDI. I sent one of my girls to a trainer for her SH.
They are super nice people prior to your purchase, but if things do not work out they get nasty. I have several emails from them demonstrating their unprofessional behavior and nastiness. Kevin also made it obvious during my initial meeting with him in Feb. 2004 that "a contract is only as good as the people who sign it." He went on to explain that even if we signed a contract, nothing can make them follow it, thus I was just as well off to "take his word.”
Every time I attempt to contact them it takes a min. of 1 week and several emails to get in touch with them. I have had to email their friends and acquaintances in order to get a reply from the McCabes. When they finally reply it is the same story; they love telling me about how much money they lost in the dog show world & how many people "did them wrong." I explained to them just because people treated them this way, it's not proper for them to treat others unethically. The McCabes are an ethical and moral injustice to the labrador and havanese breed, not to mention the dog show world.
I do not appreciate the lack of respect, morals, values, and ethics the McCabes have demonstrated. The dog show world has a less than perfect reputation due to unethical, money hungry breeders. My goal is to enlighten future prospective buyers so they do not endure the same fiasco, and I will NOT stop until the McCabes have satisfied their original agreement.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions of how I may proceed to ensure this situation is rectified in a timely manner.

This is NOT how the dog show world should operate. The McCabes are wrong for misrepresenting themselves and taking advantage of a long distance, inexperienced buyer. The ‘future’ of the “dog show world” relies on behaviors of the current show generation. I was once an eager newbie, but due to the McCabes scandalous business practices I have lost interest.