Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Attention big dog lovers!

This is Dylan, a Standard Poodle/Irish Wolfhound cross. He is one of the many big dogs available at the Gentle Giants Rescue of Norco, California. They are one of the largest "big dog" rescues around. Even though they are large-scale, each of the dogs gets individualized attention and training. If a dog is not trained, it will be by the time it is available for adoption (unless in the case of puppies, but training is half the fun, IMO). So visit today if you have room in your heart and on your lap for another big dog.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

please know a rescue personally before you put it on your website. Gentle Giants is actually a front for some mean spirited dog hoarders. They might look good on the surface, but please go to http://www.gentlegiantnews.com/index.php it should be eyeopening.... I know quite a few people who have personally seen the horror of this place

mommyof3 said...

I too know several people who have adopted dogs from this so called rescue, absolute horror stories. These dogs are definitely NOT getting one on one training, the owner actually hits them with a empty paper towel roll, that's what she calls training. Plus, they keep people there all day long, parading one dog after another after another, and finally demand that they pay several hundred dollars more than they originally say for certain dogs. They are also known to adopt out unaltered pets, and even have litters of puppies on their property, which are thought to be bred there also. It's not a good place, please check out the gentle giants news page. I think you will change your mind when you read some stories of what these people have gone through.

Carol :) said...

Wow.. those stories are really BAD!! I wonder what will happen to all those dogs should the be shut down? What a mess!!!

You can see even in the picture how filthy the floor is.

Poor things..

LegendsLiveOn said...

To all readers:

This is quite a tochy subject, I see. However, I find that there are far more positive experiences documented about GG Rescue, and to be honest, the only way I will know for sure what kind of rescue they are is to visit them personally. I will be visiting them sometime in the future, with a camera equipped.

I can honestly say I take no stance on the side of Gentle Giants - I have also seen documented proof of their tax returns as well as vet exams and documentations of people claiming to have paid hundreds of dollars when no money was ever exchanged.

Also, as read in their adoption policy, there is a RECCOMENDATION to feed their dog food, not a requirement, and share very crucial information to prospective owners of large breed dogs.

Also, in their pictures of dogs, I have not seen on unaltered male. For the females, I cannot say.

I think, at the moment, it is rather a speak-on-speak issue, there is no real relevant proof that GG is a neglectful or illegitimate rescue. I do agree the construction is a bit odd, but then again (to show my skepticism towards damn near everything), not all people have to work for their money; some are born into it. With such a large-scale operation going on, surely they had to have money from the onset to start it up?

I will leave this post up for now until I can go check out their rescue for myself. It's about a 45 minute drive from my house, but the mater is getting someone to take me there... :P

LegendsLiveOn said...

please excuse my horrible typing... very rushed right now.

mommyof3 said...

Please do check on this rescue personally, I believe you will change your mind when you see what it actually is. And maybe pose as someone looking to adopt a dog, then you will get the full experience of what some of my close friends have gone through. Disgusting. As for the food issue, they make their own food, and then make the adoptors agree to feed they're food for the life of the dog, its crappy food, first of all, and is certainly not the best food out there for giant breed dogs. Their contracts are ridiculous, and basically threaten the adoptors with lawsuits if they dont follow the rules to the T. I know personally of two female Danes that were adopted out unspayed, which as a rescue is a huge no no. Another Dane was adopted into a family with small children, was said to be great with cats, dogs, kids, etc... Ended up attacking the families cats, one ran away, the other was badly injured. When they contacted the rescue, they were told that they needed to come back for training. The family insisted on returning the dog, there was alot of issues they were not equipped to handle. On the trip back down there, the dog killed the family rabbit that they had brought on the trip, since it was going to be a week long trip. The rescue took back the dog, but only in exchange for another one. So they ended up with what was labeled a Dane puppy, grew up to be no bigger than 75 lbs and looked like a smaller Pyranees mix. Anyways, let us know what you find out.

Carol :) said...

HOLY CRAP BATMAN, do you all realize that the Burt Ward from this rescue is Robin from Batman & Robin (the TV show from the 70's)?

Ekk.. this just gets creepier.

Carol :) said...

Whoops.. sorry wrong decade.. the 60's. Time for me to go to bed!

DogsDeserveFreedom said...

I have heard snippets about this place, but not much and not often. It would be interesting to see footage of this place - the facilities, etc.

From the sounds of it, the dogs are not kept in good condition - which would be a cause for an investigation from the local SPCA or equivalent. If it looks like the conditions are as deplorable as reports suggest then get an investigations team there.

Could be that they are crazy fanatics ... I know a fair amount of dog people who are borderline crazy with no people skills whatsoever (which is the sounds of some of the "News"). However, usually these sorts of fanatic people will rush to remove a dog from a bad situation immediately. It doesn't sound like GGR is doing that.

The story about the cats and rabbit - though unfortunate, could've happened to anyone adopting a dog. Many dogs I've seen go through rescue seem ok with the foster family's cats, birds, rabbits ... but then when they go into the new family home, intros are not done properly and disaster soon follows.

That being said, the owners of GG should have taken steps when they heard of the status of the adoption with the Dane, Cats, and Rabbit.

Drumm said...

I only echo all of this. This place is a HOARDER!!!!!!

Have you not seen the posts at Gentle Giants News . com??? Talk to Barbara Laird!!!!!

Rescue Borzoi my ass... Rescue Saluki my ass. Email the NATIONAL BORZOI RESCUE FOUNDATION or SALUKI TREE OF LIFE ASSOCIATION - they are the OFFICIAL BREED RESCUES and they can tell you enough about this horrid place. They DO NOT AND WILL ******NEVER******* have Silken Windhouns either. They are a HUGE plaig to the Sighthound world.

Thier Borzoi come from a HUGE puppy miller in TX, Shefaro. Too many stories to even begin there. STAY AWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! PUPPY MILLER!!!!!!!!! They are NOT rescued Borzoi, they are PUPPY MILLED.

In addition to being a fake rescue, they BREED THE DOGS there and sell them. Those dogs are in HORRENDOUS condition. GGR needs to be SHUT DOWN!!!!!!!!!

They need to be shut down as do thier SUPPLIERS.

The Arc said...

Note their dogs are un fixed & many of their "mixes" are dogs on their sight that conveniently were NOT pregnant when they arrived.

Gentle Giant News said...

legendsliveon ... Yes, GGR has lots and lots of "wonderful" adoption testimonies on their website. They even have my "happy story". Unfortunately, when things start to go wrong a week or so into the adoption, and when GGR turns UGLY on you... they refuse to take your "happy story" down.

They have even sued me and LOST, yet they still have my "happy story" on their website.

So, please don't believe what you are reading or seeing on their website.

The testimonies on Gentle Giant News are from real adopters. I will agree that in comparison to the 10,000 adoptions that GGR have done over the past 14 years to the 30 plus testimonies that are on Gentle Giant News seems like small beans ... but compare that with every rescue organization that you know. It is very common for some folks to not be treated right, or to adopt a "bad" dog and the rescue group not stand behind it... but this is a repeated pattern with GGR. There are way too many people that are singing the same song. And NONE of these people even know each other.

There are many, many more testimonies that have not gone on the Gentle Giant News website due to confidentiality so what you are seeing on the website is just a percentage of them.

Read their testimonies, listen to your inner instincts... they won't lie.

In regards to getting "inside coverage" of their compound ... that will NEVER happen. Nobody is allowed past the front yard ... not even volunteers. So all you are ever going to see what they want you to see.

Please follow your gut ... if it still tells you that it's the most wonderful place on earth, then by all means ... go adopt from them. Maybe you'll luck out and get a good dog and be able to tell a good story. But maybe not. If you adopt a sick or aggressive dog, then you just saved it from a horrible existence.

Good luck in your decision.

Oh ... but please don't tell folks how wonderful they are until you have experienced it yourself.

I have experience, so I can give first hand knowledge.

Sincerely,
Barbara Laird
Gentle Giant News
www.gentlegiantnews.com

Miss M said...

Okay, I'm in Australia and have no experience with these people. But I HATE people breeding unnecessary poodle crosses. As a poodle owner I am getting INCREDIBLY sick of these 'designer' woodles and doodles and caboodles. The dog pictured is very cute but a proper poodle is a lot better. Frequently these crosses don't end up hypoallergenic, they don't end up curly, they do shed and do smell. There is no point to the poodle in the cross.

Gentle Giant News said...

Quote by Legendsliveon:
"Also, as read in their adoption policy, there is a RECOMMENDATION to feed their dog food, not a requirement"


When the food was first made available to the public (without a field trial mind you) it WAS a requirement that the adopters feed their food only. I can provide proof for those skeptics out there. So there are quite a few adopters that are under contract. When GGR realized that it is ILLEGAL to force that on the adopters, they changed their requirement to "Recommended".




Quote by Legendsliveon:
"I do agree the construction is a bit odd, but then again (to show my skepticism towards damn near everything), not all people have to work for their money; some are born into it. "

In the case of GGR, neither of them had inherited ANY money. Tracy's deceased father was a very wealthy man. Prior to him passing away a couple of years ago, he had re-written his will to give his ENTIRE estate to his business partner. The will was contested and was not overturned. Tracy inherited NOTHING... although she likes to tell everyone that she received quite a bundle. Burt only claim to fame with wearing tights back in the 60s. He no longer fits in those tights, and that money is long gone.

To my knowledge, neither of them have any money or any income other than what they bring in through rescue.

Sincerely,
Barbara Laird
Gentle Giant News
www.gentlegiantnews.com

Kim said...

I would like to point out that in our experience with GGR their website is FAR from realistic. I do believe that these people started with good intentions and in the beginning had a decent facility. When we researched GGR before going down there everything looked very nice. In the pictures lawns were well kept, the out buildings were in good repair, the fences were new and nice looking. The pictures of adopters looked promising. And the dogs looked healthy and well cared for. There were radio interviews and TV interviews available on their website as well. Everything looked good.

After going there ourselves and going through our terrible experience I had to go back to those sources and analyze them myself. I wanted to know if I had dreamed this up or what!? What I noticed is that all of the 'good' publicity Burt and Tracy Ward seemed to have was old. When examining pictures and recording dates for interviews etc., it was obvious to me that Burt has not updated certain parts of his website in years (on purpose I am sure).

Another great evidence of this was the listing of dogs available. When we went there was not one, NOT ONE, dog available that had been listed on their website. During our first visit I had thought they just had a quick turn over and these dogs had been fortunate enough to find homes quickly. But on our second visit another family had actually printed the list to bring and inquire about specific dogs. Tracy couldn't even remember half of them and it dawned on me that it was because the list had not been updated in eons. Burt manages that website to portray the image that he wants the public to believe. DON'T BUY INTO THE LIES!

A previous post mentioned the "no looky loos" policy. We experienced this first hand as well. So if you want to see what is really happening there you must pose as an adopter. But beware, Burt and Tracy can be a bit nasty when you don't choose one of their dogs. And you will not be allowed back on the property without buying a dog. This is first hand knowledge.

Any time I hear GGR I feel sick and my heart rate goes through the roof. I know the dogs there are in terrible need and I believe they deserve loving forever homes. But I would never recommend someone risk being hurt by the Wards to accomplish that goal. Someone is going to get hurt, and I don't want to hear of a family loosing a child because these people weren't stopped soon enough. Accidents do happen, but they can certainly be avoided by staying away from dangerous people. I believe Burt and Tracy Ward are dangerous people.