Nichii Gakkan medical services company has bought out Sunset Hills Australian Labradoodle Puppy Farm. The last vestiges of any doubt we might have nurtured that their dogs were bred with any real care and concern has gone. It’s been an open secret for some time that Melinda Radus was looking for a buyer for her huge numbers of breeding dogs in the sheds at Sunset Hills and she has now announced the sale here
I’ll give her this , Melinda is making a strong case for selling out to the Japanese giant but the case made is purely business.
So what’s the plan? Nichii has over 600 medical facilities and they intend to have multiple therapy/assistance/companion dogs resident in each facility. They intend to track, monitor and record the success of their program and publish medical papers on a large scale to the government and medical communities to the benefits the Australian Labradoodle dogs have on the aged and ailing.
There is no voice for the dogs but then there never was. Just how”productive” can a dog be? The most fortunate can be sold as adored pets, some can be trained to be companions for the elderly (until of course they are too old themselves), and of course they can be passed on on to the subsidiary Pet Shop chain or even disappear forever as research animals.
The truth is we don’t know what will happen to the dogs and all their puppies sold to this uncertain future, but they will have to make money for Nichii Gakkan or the shareholders will want to know why. Don’t believe the hype about “sharing a vision”, this is ALL about PROFIT.
Did you know that Cloudcatcher has also sold out? The ex owners are not even in Australia, so much for ongoing care and concern
The rumour is they got out while the getting out was good
We have a magnificent labradoodle from Cloudcatcher. He is now 5 years old with absolutely no health problems. Kathy was just so helpful and caring. I am mortified that she sold to a medical “research” organisation. The Japanese are not known for their kindness to animals at the best of times, and I hate to think of what may happen to some of the gorgeous dogs that they will produce. How can anyone sell to this kind of organisation? They are well aware that all will not go on as before. Kathy, I thought you were truly different and loved your animals. Now I am most certainly not so sure. I could never put my animals at risk, no matter what the price offered.
The picture painted is lovely. We all know that the Japanese business world is very efficient. I can see that those that don’t cut the mustard will be ‘efficiently dealt with’ and since this conglomerate is medical based, I can only imagine what that will be.
What is very interesting is that RM and TP have fallen so far into the ditches that they could not be even considered for this kind of ‘professional buy out’. I believe had this happened during their ‘heyday’, every one of those doodles would have been sacrificed for the almighty dollar. Money moves mountains, life dreams, visions, ethics and responsibility. I can’t say that I blame them for their choice to ‘grab an opportunity of a lifetime’ but I am disappointed that it was to such a huge corporation.
In another post elsewhere, the Family Care Homes are under obligation for 6 years. That means those girls will more than likely be bred at a year old at every cycle. That could be 12 litters. The end result is a dog with a ruined uterus that hangs down to the ground. Let’s hope this is not the scenario, but it is a corporation and they ONLY look at the profit margin. :+(
Joyce, you have a good grasp of the main issues.
Of course its a lovely picture. Any statements made by Melinda Radus are made by a woman who is now an employee of Nichii Gakkan. She posts for and on their behalf. Her (or is it their? ) posts on the Doodle Breeders Discussion Forum are coming from beside Lake Washington. Kathy Young (ex Cloudcatcher) now lives in considerable comfort in Hawaii. Kathy isn’t talking
I agree, from what I have been reading if this truly is ‘a wonderful opportunity for the Labradoodle’ breed, why the heck was this not outlined and ‘the vision’ exposed all over the world? Had this been something I was becoming a part of, I would have been pleased as punch to invite people to celebrate what this means for the breed in general. Instead it has been over a year in the making and NONE of it was shared publically by either breeder – not even to the breeders who have their lines were told! The cat was out of the bag and had it not happened, no one would have been the wiser except for a non-response from both sites. Actions speak much louder than words. Back-peddling now to make it seem like a wondrous thing just shows ‘backlash management’.
I realize there is nothing we can do but watch and see. Most USA breeders are now aware of this negotiation. Perhaps the associations will be able to accept them into their folds, but I think that is going to be difficult given that it appears interpreters will be needed and the Japanese company has a total lack of knowledge with breeding in general. It is not up to the associations to hold their hands, but the people who sold the dogs to direct and steer. One is already gone and the other may not be far behind. Yes, a kennel manager can help – I hope that person speaks Japanese and understands English. I hope they will take care of the doodles, I hope this whole philosophy is a huge success and other countries follow the path. And, I pray to God, these furry babies don’t end up in some medical laboratory.
my mother lives next door to sunset hills labradoodles and have been fighting mallala council for 7yrs in regards to it being a puppy farm.The noise from these dogs goes on day and night. Its hard to understand how this place can have a dog lic for only 20 dogs but has 80 pups and 70 dog on property today. Why do we have rules , nobody obeys them .How can this many dogs get the attention they need. this property needs to be shut down
they do not bark all day and when i was working there it was ur mothers dogs that barked all the time and when melinda owned it was run kindly and all the dogs got love and attention and it wasnt a puppy farm at all as they all got medical care and there were breaks between the breedings as it is outlined by dogs sa she folloewed all their guidelines and a puppy farm is when the female dogs constantly produce litters each season
You don’t live near Sunset Hills, Cassie, alison2 does and so do the other neighbours who just want a peaceful life without a Puppy Farm next door .
Your mother is right. No one living near Sunset Hills believes that most of the dogs are in Guardian Homes. Its just a dirty puppy farm with all the dogs packed into sheds and kennels with the puppies all outside the house barking ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT for attention food and water.
And its getting worse.
OMG. Am I glad I saved my boy from those conditions. Judging by her website you would have never thought, what it was really like.
it wasnt like that they always have the best dog food and constant water supply
We bought a dog off Melinda Radus with Genetic inherited Epilepsy, known to her for 4 years, but always denied. Well, her actions now are no surprise to us. Due to our dog’s mother being sold as a breeding dog to Scotland, this horrible disease will continue to spread all over Europe. She was in it for the money, not the love for animals – that’s for sure!
The reason for the poor health is simple… any good breeder keeps the best pup from the litter to breed, a puppy farm keeps the pup they CAN’T sell and breeds that.. ill health is absolutely guaranteed and each generation the situation gets worse. Then they breed just for colour and ignore temperament and health, it’s all about what will sell quickest. It’s a recipe for disaster and the loving owners of the sick dogs have to pick up the pieces.
I am horrified to see epilepsy as described as common in poodles,…. it isn’t…. its just common in puppy farm breeding stock,a puppy has fits so they don’t sell it but they do breed it..
What is common knowledge amongst the breeders is that Valley View Teddy Bear passed through several hands, spreading epilepsy in his wake.. for all we know he is still being bred, epilepsy doesn’t prevent a dog from siring litters. There is reason to believe that the bitches he was mated to came from equally tainted stock, puppies do have two parents and it is unwise to just “blame” one of them. Yes Jaspi, his daughter Sunsethills Lace Teddy also produced epilepsy when she was in Australia. Sold by Sunset Hills straight after the problem was known. I am told the Scottish breeders have been informed but Sunsethills Lace Teddy is stll listed as a breeding bitch. I hope the breeders will NOW do the right thing.
That is correct Carole. My dog’s mother Sunsethills Lace Teddy, was sold to a Scottish breeder just after his litter.
The sad thing is:
Firstly, that Melinda knew for 4 years PRIOR to my dog’s litter about the Epilepsy issues of Valley View Teddy Bear blood line and should NEVER have used any of his offspring for breeding.
Secondly, once I informed the Scottish breeder of the problem, she was shocked at first, but later on “remembered”, that she was aware of the seizure history of the breeding dog’s father!!!!!! How can that be? Why would you even consider buying and BREEDING with a dog with such a history??
I believe there was at one time ethics in breeding dogs but in reading this thread I now see that, that has now gone. all i can say is i feel sorry for the puppies and the mothers.
But in the end as long as people buy the puppies they will continue to be bred by these type of people.
It would surprise me if the puppies are born outside in the cold, and they never tell you how many puppies die within the first few weeks.
I could just imagine the noise coming from the property with that many dogs on the property and I feel for the neighbours but if this is true why are the neighbours not doing anything about it? why are they not complaining to the councils or to the RSPCA?
if there is a neighbour that could see what was happening at this place then why is the RSPCA not already involved?
unfortunatly RSPCA and Animal welfare when called would not come out it is up to councils to inforce dog laws first
I have inside information from both sides of the spectrum. Firstly Melinda did run Sunset Hills like a ‘puppy farm’, money & profit her foremost interest, it is common knowledge in the community here. Secondly council has intervened & Sunset Hills is now under re-development to improve the conditions of the property for all puppies & dogs kept there. Nichii Gakkan is trying to standardise Sunset Hills to the the very high standards of Cloudcatchers. Puppies are now very much cared for & looked after, as are their dogs. The putrid, disgusting conditions the puppies/dogs lived in (conditions that Melinda had bred her dogs in) have changed, the yards have been turfed, fenced & new housing, heating, toys & nutrition are in place to ensure adequate care & health of all puppies/dogs on the property. If a puppy is found to have any abnormalities, no matter how small (ie; red bottom, runny poo’s, sore eyes), it is seen to immediately, by the compassionate staff who’s first priority is the care of these beautiful animals, the vet is also consulted in such an instance. Conditions have changed for the better & any talk of ‘puppy farming’ is now dismissed. The yards used by Melinda before Nichii bought the business are either un-used or the materials used to build these disgraceful ‘puppy farm pits’ have been re-cycled to upgrade the new yards. Proper dog care facilities are now in place that had never been there before. There has been no sickness in any puppy or dog on the property for the last few months, it has become a Class A faciltiy, i have witnessed the progress. There is no complaints from neighbours, no further concerns with council & the facility is on the up. The Management & staff there are disgraced at past Management & well as past ownership & although the future of Sunset Hills & its uses are unknown, the care of the puppies & dogs are of the highest priority, ethically there is no other way to be
Following on from that comment, there is only allowed to be a maximum of 20 adult dogs kept on the property at any one time, on average at present Sunset Hills has no more than 10 adult dogs, they do not enforce the behaviour of acting like ‘pack dogs’ in which can have disasterous results, like that of the past. I encourage anyone interested in the progress of Sunset Hills & the care of all dogs/puppies there, to pay them a visit & witness it for yourselves…i can gurarantee you’ll be not only relieved but happy to see the work gone into protecting the health & care of these animals.
We all know these comments have come from “the inside” look at the way they read!
Smoke and Mirrors will only get you so far!
I’m utterly disgusted that the RSPCA and their local council WILL NOT do anything about these practices!!
We had heard the rumour that conditions at Sunset Hills were so bad that the dogs were moved to Cloudcatcher. But what has happened to the breeding dogs living in what were called Guardian Homes, were they torn from their families and sent back to kennels? Or were the Guardian Homes as much of a myth as Rutland Manor’s and all those dogs lived in squalor at Sunset Hills..Puppy farmers and lies go hand in hand.
Please read the follow up article on Sunset Hills. The Guardian homes, now called Family Care Homes had their contracts sold. Its a very mixed picture coming out.
How strange that Nichii spent over $2.5 million buying a puppy mill. No wonder Sunset Hills was not open to the public. Smoke and Mirrors once again – it all looked great on the website and the ALA were more than happy to endorse Sunset Hills and their breeding practices/standards but when the truth was told – it was no better than the horrid conditions you see at other Puppy Mills.
It Says a lot for the LAA (Labradoodle Association of Australia) doesn’t it !!!
They endorsed the breeding practices of Sunset Hills for all those years.
Sunsethills and Cloudcatcher Labradoodle puppy farms are not members of the Labradoodle Association. they are not on their website as recommended breeders.
The LAA was actually defunct only a few years ago and got reinvented as ALA by, among others, the parties discussed in this forum. Another (reputable) doodle breeder I know refuses to be party to ALA membership on the grounds that eligibility is only via recommendation from another member which can only be gained by purchasing a breeding animal. Furthermore the ALA board reads like a who’s who of doodle breeders in Aus ….. conflict of interests?
Hi Sad Owner, trying to contact you, please check email or leave a comment marked not for publication
I think anonymous knows that Melinda has started breeding again as Adelhills Labradoodles as an ALA breeder in competition with Nichii Gakkan. That could be why they will now spill the beans on her puppy farm. Every word said is true, Sunset Hills was just a hell hole, pity the poor dogs.
Adelhills is now an addition to the old Sunset Hills and so the cycle continues.
I wonder why Nichii thinks of Melinda going into direct competition with them after they have bought her out.
Doesn’t Melinda’s Mother breed in the US? I wonder what the standards are like there????
SHAME on you Melinda Radus – for taking advantage of the dogs and disrespecting them and their needs and
SHAME on the ALA (Australian Labradoodle Association) for condoning and supporting Sunset Hills and their breeding practices
I have become aware that The Epileptic Stud dog (Valley View Teddy Bear) was knowingly sold by you Melinda to a breeder who you knew did not de-sex their puppies – he was sold for money when you KNEW he would continue to breed epileptic progeny which would be sold with the ability to continue to produce Epileptic Bloodlines. YOU could have stopped this from happening but you chose the money.
How could Melinda Radus be the pure breed coordinator of the ALA while she was breeding pups of a known Epileptic bloodline (Valley View Teddy Bear) for years?
No wonder decent AL breeders left the ALA, as they had a conscience!
Was Valley View Teddy Bear sold to the UK?
Does anybody know the whereabouts of Valley View Teddy Bear?
new thread on Doodlezoo is good reading regarding the other ‘doodle association ALFA…is there any association that actually upholds its own regulations and holds its members to account…, i am very disheartened
Valley View Teddy Bear fathered several epileptic dogs and was sold in Australia, his daughter Sunset Hills Lace Teddy is the dam of an epileptic pup and is STILL a breeding bitch at Lomond Hills Labradors and Labradoodles in Scotland. What bit of EPILEPSY IS A GENETIC DISEASE don’t they understand
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VXFAcht7hEQJ:www.lomondhillslabradoodles.co.uk/bitches
Unbelievable that these dogs could still be producing puppies for buyers prepared to pay silly sums of money for mutts from puppy farm stock..
Disheartened doesn’t even start to describe how many of us scammed by Rutland Manor and Tegan Park feel.
dont worry, had my own run-in with Beverley and Warragul Boarding Kennels as it was known… disheartened is a bare minimum of what i feel regarding her…
alison
I ended up with an epileptic pup from Sunset Hills Lace Teddy. Does anybody know HOW I could make contact with other owners of the same litter 8 in total, born 28/05/08? I know one pup was sold to Hong Kong.
What amazes me is why on earth Lomondhills Labradoodles would buy and breed with a damn of known epileptic bloodline? I informed Lomondhills of the issue with my dog. First she seemed surprised and 2 days later she was suddenly aware of the Epilepsy issue in her breeding dog and continuous to breed. Where are ethics getting when all that matters is money to some people?
I agree sunset hills has had a wonderful makeover. The new fencing is great.Keep up the good work.
I bet a makeover to produce more and more puppies, the council and RSPCA should be ashamed they are not doing anything about this farm!
I bought a labradoodle pup from Lomondhills Labradoodles about three weeks ago. Not from the dam with the epileptic bloodline. The mother was “Sunsethills Chokola’”j and the father “Sunsethills Masterpiece”. We saw the mother with the pups but were give a story that the father had become sterile and was re-homed. The story of the Sunsethills dam with the epileptic bloodline “Lacy” who is still listed on the website at present is a concern for me. We considered the breeders to be sound and they appeared to have a good reputation. The facilities when we visited the pup at 5 weeks and collected at 11 weeks looked very good. Our dog is now almost 15 weeks and she is making good progress – it is evident to us that she has been well socialised. Ha anyone who bought a dog fro Lomondhills Labradoodles had any problems with their dog?
Sunsethills Masterpeice is a sterile dog!
My pup has had various problems, fitting, ear/kidney infections etc. Also Sunsets Masterpiece is indeed sterile and was sold on but pups have been advertised stating him as the sire??? It is impossible to know who really is the sire but certainly not Masterpiece – must be making a fortune at Lomond Hills (up to £2k per pup) as seems like a breeding farm. Also they stipulate a dog of theirs can’t be sold on without their knowledge. Can they hold anyone to this? What’s it to do with them once you’ve bought the dog!
George by”fitting” do you mean seizures? If so how many has your pup had so far? Are they focal/ partial seizures or Grand Mals? At what age did they start?
I bought a pup from Sunsethills in 2008, who started seizures from 16 months onwards. He was fine before that. His Mom Lacey was sold to Lomondhills straight after his litter. When I emailed Lomandhills the owner was very stressed and concerned at first, but then emailed me again saying that she “forgot” and her son reminded her, that Lacey’s father had a seizure. I replied “not just A seizure, but Epilepsy” and his DNA is on the Genetic Database in Melbourne as an Epileptic dog. I have since provided them with my dogs DNA as well for research purposes.
What I don’t understand is, if Lomondhills realy knew WHY on earth would you buy a dog of known Epileptic bloodline and continue breeding???? Beyond me!
I have the entire list of email addresses for Family Care Home “owners” from Sunset Hills if anyone is interested? If anyone here is looking to take legal action against Sunset Hills or are already attempting to have their FCH contract negated I’d be keen to hear from you.
yes sad owner i would love to have copy of home care owner email address as we have been fighting council for 7 yrs and melinda has lied so much to them.living next door to this property we are listed as complainers but with this web site there eyes are opening.thanking you sad owner alison 2
How can I contact you Sad Owner? We are not suppose to show our emails on this web site, are we?
We are waiting for Sad Owner to contact the web site, until they do we cannot put people together
Sad Owner has now shared their information with this site.
Thank you for your courage. Keep the faith, these dogs must have a secure future
UL
did you know melinda now breeds bengal cats .are they going to be treated the same way .
Hi Folks I live in Singapore and my Sunset Hills labradoodle arrived in sep 2010 at 12+weeks. He arrived dirty, with an ear infection and with the wrong microchip number. He was not socialised or toilet trained. I noticed he has a unexplainable (from several vets) and involuntary tremor in his hind legs but is otherwise healthy. Sunset Hills stopped corresponding with me once they received payment. I had believed in Australia there are rules against proliferation of puppy mills and I was assured by the proprietors of Dogtainers Adelaide who are dog judges that Sunset hills is a top echelon reputable breeder. I am shocked! How can I help to inform others of my stupidity?
I think you have just informed the world Victoria! Thank you, you weren’t stupid at all, you were conned by some very slick operators. Buying puppies over the internet is not the way to get a puppy from a reputable breeder.
Who are the parents of your Sunset Hills labradoodle?.At least he is generally healthy.
You could do an official complaint with the Australian Labradoodle Association. Look at there web site. It took us a few months of patience and lots of emails, but our complaint against Melinda Radus back in 2010 was fairly successful. She was forced to de sex the last pup from the Epileptic bloodline, known to her for many years. Without our complaint this vicious circle might have not have ended, resulting in more poor pups suffering from this horrible disease.
I have two lovely family care dogs from Sunset Hills. Both are lovely in nature, fit healthy and my best friends. Since the buisness changed hands, there has been a improvement in the facilities. The staff have been friendly and supportive and I have always been able to visit when the girls have had their litters. I am very sorry that other people are upset, but I am VERY glad I have had the opportunity to fall in love with this special breed of dog.
i would like my email address given to sad owner .i also have names of 1oo of melindas breeding dogs would love to match them with owners.thanking you alison2
Glad to help. UL.
Hello again everyone.
I hope the information I’ve provided regards contact details will prove useful. Thank you UL for the contact details for alison2, you’re welcome to the information I gave to UL but for now I’m not looking to gain any further ammunition. Also thank you for your support and encouragement Jaspi, congratulations on a great result, if only more people were strong enough and determined to make a difference. My personal situation and concerns are not quite as serious as epilepsy although I have experienced incompetent and IMO unethical practices by SSH.
My most recent correspondence to SSH made my intentions quite clear. In the event they wish to involve lawyers then I encourage everyone with similar concerns regarding their contract to band together, one voice.
I am very happy to rely to this slander of Melinda Radus, When I first applied to get a puppy from Melinda, my husband and I had to go through a screening process which took time which allowed her to get to know us. She wanted to be sure that the puppy would get a good home. I have two dogs from Melinda, Cara (med) who will be six years old on the 18th of November and Opal (mini) who will be five on the 10th of November, both of these dogs were in the family program, during the years I dealt with Melinda everything was about the dosgs well fare, neither of my dogs had puppies untill their second heat, and Cara who had her last lot of puppies in June this year only had four litters. Opal who had her last set of puppies in June this year only had three litters. During the years that I dealt with Sunset Hills Melinda made upgrades to the property and always took great care of the dogs in her care, she even went so far as to have a barbcue every year with an invite to the owner and for the dogs to come as well, this was so she could see and be sure they were all well. I don’t know who started this but I will tell you this much someone has aquired my personal information illegally and if I find out who has breeched my privacy I will sue.
I have been thinking over the last almost six years and my association with Melinda and what took place was this. When I first got Cara, Melinda told me that she would not breed off Cara until she was at least a year old as she had to go through tests to make sure she reach certain standards. One of the test was that she had to see a ophthalmologist (this was due to the fact the labador’s had eye problems) I know this was carried out as Melinda didn’t have time to take Cara and so she asked me to take her, which I did.
Also shortly after that I had to take Cara up to her place to go to the Vet to check out for this other test to make sure she met these standards so she could have puppies. I went to the vets when she took Cara to have this other test (While she was there the Vet gave her her bill and I saw it, it was for over $8,000.00). Opal had to go through the same test before she was able to have puppies and again she was over a year old. I am an accountant, and I know that when all the puppies were born they had them DNA tested that is not cheap, and like any of who works, or are in business, no matter how much we may love what we do, we do expect that we willl gain some return for what we do, whether in wages or profit. I know that Melinda spent alot of time taking care of the dogs, and that is why she decided to sell her business, she has four children and they needed her attention and at times I am sure they probably missed out because she was delivering the puppies or taking car of the dogs. I know from experience what it is like when you have young children and you are runing a bussiness, some times it can pull you away from taking care of your family.
I know of other families and their experience has been the same as mine.
I believe that an old employee of the current company or possibily one of the carer home of whom I know Melinda had to take back a dog from, obiviouly, have spread lies that are unfounded.
One more thing my dogs are in good health and are part of my family and also know of others who have been through this program and feel as I do. As to the new owners, I finished my contract that I signed with Melinda, this year with the new owners and they honoured that contract to the letter and during the time my girls where there I visited them and they were cared for as well as they were when Melinda was there. As to the barking some one mentioned I ave been there many times and stay for quite a while and there was not alot of barking going on escept for my two dogs who wanted my attention. Also I might add, yes sometimes there may have been more that twenty dogs there but only because Melinda took care of my dogs if I went away on vacation, so again you are wrong they were not all there to have puppies as you suggest.
This Ubique Larkhill, I would bet is not their real name, and I would also suggest that who ever you are are just looking for attention.
Hello everyone
I’ve just discovered this conversation as I’m an Adelaide resident and I’m looking to adopt a labradoodle. The research I’ve done indicates their characteristics will fit into my own and I require an allergy free dog.
Of course when you google labradoodle and Adelaide Sunset Hills comes up. I’ve put in some enquiries there but would not want to support a breeder who abuses their animals in any way.
So my question is: how do you find a labradoodle in Australia which has been bred by a reputable breeder? And do any labradoodle owners have any suggestions.
Many Thanks
E
You can do your own online research in different dog forums, websites and groups.
TAMARUKE and TALLAI Labradoodles have one of the best reputations. The owner of Tamaruke is highly respected as being honest and devoted to ethical breeding standards.
Jaspi, am heartened to see you recommend Tallai – I am considering a pup from Tallai.
Anyone else – Are there any issues with this breeder I should be aware of? (Ran screaming from Tasmanian Labradoodles once i did some research. By the way they also like deleting negative comments from their Facebook page.) Thanks.
Eleni,
Have you been allergy tested? Do you know what part of a dog you are allergic to? Dander, hair saliva etc..? Until you know this, you wont know whether any dog will work for you… Even knowing this, your specific allergy may still be set off by a supposed allegy friendly type of dog, your allergy may be triggered by one puppy from a litter but not another puppy in the same litter or from the same breeder. Quite often the allergy triggers are very specific
What ever you do, do not get a puppy or dog without visiting the the breeder/owner in person before you decide… if it is a puppy ask to see the mother and if posssible the father, ask to see actual health testing results that have been done, and what diseases/syndromes should be looked at in the breed you are looking at. The fact you are fter a low allergy variety of dog, comes after all the normal things you should do when looking for a dog from a breeder/owner.
best wishes in your search
alison
The Epilepsy would be well and truly through the bloodlines of sunsetHills and many ALA breeders breeding programs – it is well docuemted that there are many cases of Epilepsy in breeding dogs of not only SunsetHills but many ALA (Australian Labradoodle Association) members/breeders. One of the main culprits of producing Epilepsy (Teddy Bear) was used extensively for breeding/stud purposes – many of the progeny were sold as breeding puppies/dogs throughout the world and Australia – then to complete the exercise Teddy Bear was sold to a breeder who Melinda knew did NOT early spey (de-sex) the puppies. This means he was free to continue to breed Epileptic puppies who could breed on. The crime here is that Melinda/Sunsethills were aware of the Epilepsy as were the ALA – but they failed to do the Ethical thing and ensure they de-sexed all/any relatives of Teddy Bear – his progeny are still in the SunsetHills breeding program and ALA members Breeding programs to this day. This could have been stopped BUT it wasn’t. Where did Teddy Bear come from – he was purchsed from Valley View kennels – well recognised for low standards and producing Epilepsy.
Does this sound like a breeding program or an Association that promotes and conducts their mission of “Bettering the Labradoodle Breed” !!!! Now SunsetHills is being operated by inexperienced breeders (Nichii Gakann) – well intentioned perhaps but inexperienced !!!
We bought a lovely Labradoodle from Lomondhills – we saw the mother but not the father. She developed a limp and we are a little concerned about her hip. We’re going to get her checked out fully by our vet. I now wish we had insisted on seeing where the dogs were kept. Everything seemed great but with so much publicity about puppy farms, we would just be devastated if we had bought from one.
omg,cant believe what im readiing about lomondhills kennels ? i bought a labrador there last year and i found the breeder the complete opposite to what has been said. my lab is perfect and found no faults with the breeder?
I have now bought 2 beautiful healthy labradoodles from Lomondhills and seen both parents. I found the breeders to be excellent dog lovers and were very helpful both during and after the sale! I didn’t see where the dogs were kept but a full litter of healthy pups gave me no reason to be concerned.
We bought our dog from sunset hill. Our dog Wally is now 5 and has all ways been of good health. His parents were river and Cooper he was born aug 2007. Does anyone know the history of his parents. Wally’s brother is named fudge. Don’t have anything bad to say about them but we did find as soon as we paid the money it was like they packed up shop and wouldn’t reply to calls, emails etc.
I joined the Doodledatabase (doodledatabase.com ) to get the family tree for my 2, they were really helpful, There is a Sunset Hills Copper River ? and she has 5 litters on there, I guess Wally was from a 6th litter?
Hi Jeremy. Exciting news! Wally’s brother is on the database. He is called Horatio and he is in the UK . Sadly he is not a pet. http://www.manorbornasd.co.uk/sunsethills%20horatio%20Australian%20Labradoodle%20Profile.htm.
I’ve copied this information for you.
Sire Tegan Park Love Struck (Romeo) Dam Sunset Hills Copper River (River)
Date of birth is 4th August 2007.
Yes that is Wallys brother, his parents names were Cooper River and romeo and was born on the 4th August 2007, we checked his papers. He is a beautiful dog, very gentle, kind and loving. We havent had any problems with him. I did meet a lady in SA on a labradoodle forum that owned his Brother and his name was Fudge but i lost touch with her.I remember at the time of choosing wally we did enquire about Horatio because he was the darkest out of the litter but melinda mentioned that she was keeping him, I believe she did for a period of time.. Its a shame to see all the negative comments, we certianly havent had any problems with Wally. We have many people comment how lovely he is
I’m sure he is and I am glad to hear it.
Sunset Hills Copper River born March 2004 was bred back to back, twice a year, all the time Melinda had her.
1st litter July 2005
2nd litter January 2006
3rd litter August 2006
4th litter April 2007
5th litter August 2007
6th litter February 2008
from then it gets hazy but I hear she had at least one more litter a 7th in August 2008.
Sunset Hills Copper River wasn’t a dog, she was a wallet that opened twice a year for the Puppy Farmer, however much it hurt. Was she rehomed or did all those litters cause multiple mammary tumours as is so often the case?
I’m not surprised Melinda didn’t reply to emails, she didn’t want to be found out.
Nichii Gakkan – are breeding their females for FIVE (5) Litters each under the guardian program. This is puppy milling – on a very grand scale. They have retained almost every puppy born (except Black) since they took over ownership of Cloudcatcher and SunsetHills – now they are breeding five (5) litters from each female. This is not a “selective” professional breeding program this is producing on mass as many puppies as they are able to “Pump” out of their females. To the guardian it may apprear that the dogs is loved and cared for in their home – to Nichii it means they are able to wipe their hands of the responsibility of caring for the female and still breed her extensively. Combine this with the fact that we already have evidence to prove that Sunset Hills and Cloudcatcher have manufactured pedigrees (for puppies they brought fro Pet Shops and Puppy Mills) and have some serious Health Issues in their bloodlines and we can clearly see that Nichii Gakkan are producing a massive amount of puppies which are nothing but Puppy Milled “Mutts” with a high risk of Health Issues – this is NOT a professional Breeding program but due to their ability to promote themselves to the public in such a favorable light they are able to mislead the public easily – masquerading as a Professional Breeding facility. The public need to be made aware of the fact that this is happening = what they are buying is NOT what they expect to have as a family companion. The staff keep the Nichii Breeding facilities looking fabulous – the guardians get a free dog to love – this give Nichii the green light to mass produce under the radar.
I have two fabulous lomondhills labradoodles who are 5 and 4.5 respectively. No health problems whatsoever and couldn’t be happier with them. Fab nature’s, wonderful personalities and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase again from them. All facilities are clean and comfortable, both now and at prior address and there is a genuine adoration and appreciation of all their dogs. I feel there are a few axes being ground out on this forum and although this appears,on the whole, to be directed at, ‘Melinda’, it seems a tad too personal for my liking. Bottom line is money and dog breeding is their job…..get over it!!!!
If money is the main concern for a breeder, then Ethics are thrown out the window. Resulting in dogs suffering from diseases and illnesses, that could have been avoided.
Breed with love and concern for the animal and you have a well respected breeder earning money well deserved.
Sadly not all have been so lucky
Just as a follow up to a previous post of mine. We bought a labradoodle from Lomandhills in June 2011. She is now 15 months old and is a fabulous dog. No health Problems, great temperament. well socialised and very easy to train. The breeders have been on hand to help out with any questions we have had over the past year or so. Our experience has been very positive but I appreciate that this might not be the case for all users of this forum.
Please check your email Eddie
well said Jaspi – !!
How can a breeder who professes to tbe Ethical house app 82 Breeding dogs onsite and offer them the interaction and love they need? How can a breeder claim to be ethical and yet ship entire litters on-mass to Singapore where they are distributed via a wholesaler to Singapore Pet Shops for an unknow fate?? This breeder – located in Tasmania – seems to have a total disregard for the wellbeing of the animals in their care. They hide behind a glossy website. When breeding animals -we have an obligation (and should have the WANT) to consider the animals’ Health and wellbing BEFORE we consider the income we may/maynot generate from that animal. It takes sacrifice on the Breeder’s part – to ensure that the animals under their care – have their emotional wellbing catered for – Dogs cannot and should not be left kennelled or tiedup for days on end. They need the love and interaction of humans. As breeders – they should consider ONLY the dogs first and foresmost – not the income. Each dog/puppy is an individual. It does not matter how mayny dogs you have or puppies you produce they are ALL individuals. As a breeder YOU produced that puppy and it arrives into this world with needs. The more puppies produced the higher the workload – if the breeding program is conducted professionally. BUT people mass produce and disregard their obligations to the animals they breed. It Is not and should not be ONLY about the money – a good breeder will make the financial sacrifice to FIRST consider the needs of the dogs under their care – to cater for this. Health testing, accommodation, care and husbandry will take a great deal of effort, cost and sacrifice. Puppy Mills simply MASS produce, grow the puppies to a saleable age and then ship them out to God Knows Where !!!! THAT is why so many puppies end up in shelters or neglected. People see a cute puppy in a Pet Shop and fall in love. Buying a puppy should NOT be an emotional purchase – it needs to be considered, researched and the realisation that being a dog owner takes work and commitment. The love and devotion you recieve from your dog will be returned to you tenfold. Puppies are NOT commodities.
Well said Justin !!!!!
UL, is there a problem with lomondhills ? Can you email me please.
I have emailed you.
check your spam/junk mail, email sent again
UL , do you have anymore info on Lomondhills any new concerns ?
I know very little about them apart from what was put here by contributors, they are a licensed breeder producing registered labrador puppies and labradoodle puppies that appears on a site listing uk commercial breeders http://dbelistuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/scotland.html
C G McKinney, Lomondhills Labradoodles and Labradors Percy Baldinnie Farm, Ceres, KY15 5LD
Licence for 20 breeding bitches and 17 litters per annum
Its a shame that they bought a bitch and bred her although apparently knowing she had produced epilepsy and her sire was epileptic. I guess they thought they would get away with it.
Its a working farm, just google Percy Baldinnie for pictures.
Anyone buying should ensure they see the litter with the dam and have copies of the parents’ health tests and a full pedigree.
Hello, our family have visited Lomondhills and are seriously considering buying a labradoodle puppy from them. We were very impressed with the breeder, her husband and all the dogs and their conditons . We had no cause for concern at all until I read this blog….. Please can someone email me about the specific concerns in relation to Lomondhills and their dogs. I would hate to make a mistake here ..
I bought a labradoodle puppy from Lomandhill. She will be two years ond in April. She is a wonderful dog. Healthy and a great nature. We were happy to buy from Lomadhills and they were very helpful with advice when we telephoned them. On our recomendation a friend of ours bought a puppy in July 2012. He is extremely happy with his puppy. I have to say that we have been delighted with our dog. we have had no health problems, the dog is great in the house and wonderful with children. We would not hesitate to buy another. I would be quite happy to let you meet my dog if you didn’t live to far from me, if you were worried about buying a labradoodle from Lomandhills – you then see and can make your own judgement. I want to stress that I have no connection whatsoever with Lomanhill apart from buying the puppy there.
Spider1967, I bought a doodle from Lomondhills 2 years ago, I also house one of their doodles under the home care scheme (pebbles on the website) I just dropped Pebbles off today as she is expecting pups. I like you was worried when I saw the posts on this site after I bought my first dog from them, can I just reassure you that both dogs are fit and healthy very sociable and have had no issues whatsoever with them, the breeders have been extremely helpful in every aspect , I will back up what Eddie Carroll has said on this site, I understand people being anxious, I have spoken to Brenda at lomondhills at length and have no issues or reservations. They have a great set up and care deeply for their dogs they have always been there with advice and help as and when needed, again I would recommend buying from them and your more than welcome to visit my doodle if you are near enough to travel. Get your doodle you will not regret it !
Sorry but judging by how theyre breeding their labradors this isnt a good place to get a dog. Dog breeeding should never be about profits and the very fact they feel the need to have a business development manager just proves this isnt done with the dogs best interests at heart.
Lablover – I think that is is a very unfair comment to make considering you have had no dealings with this breeder. Business development managers are a normal part of business – businesses needs to pay the bills and balance the books. Whether you like it or not – dog breeders are a business and as such it would be irresponsible of them not to plan for the development of their business. Making statements about the dogs best interests when (as far as I’m aware) you know nothing about the breeder is not fair. By all means investigate the breeder and make educated comments based on what you find but wild unsubstantiated statements and allegations only undermine the reputation of this site and the posts on it. Lets stick to the facts – if you have any then by all means post them up!
Eddie, how are you in the position to know that Lablover doesn’t have relevant information? UL
Look at the last sentence of my post. Lablovers previous post does not contain any facts regarding his assertion that having a business development manager means that things are not done in the dogs best interests. I can’t possibly know if he does or does not have facts hence the part of the sentence which says “if you have any (facts) then by all means post them up”. I didn’t say I was in a position to be in knowledge of what Lablover knows I simply asked that if he has facts to back up his statement then by all means post them so we can all make a judgement.
Ubique Larkhill, could you please email me about Lomond Hills. I am seriously considering buying a puppy there but I am well worried now I have read this thread. I am very much against breeding dogs who will ultimately suffer. If it wasn’t for my allergies and two cats I would just rescue a dog. However, I met someone who said their puppy was from Lomond Hills and that it was perfect but I am worried about the epilepsy. Actually, if I am honest I am not into pedigrees and pure-breeds and I think the Kennel Club people and Crufts are just plain cruel. Just look the designer dogs and the breeds who can barely function due to being bred to the point of deformity. I’d just love to rescue a mongrel pup but I’d probably suffocate
my doctor said I should give my cats away but I refused (FYI I wasn’t allergic to any animals for most of my life hence I have cats, it just kinda developed after a prolonged illness) so annoying. Hence I am now looking for a low shedding dog. It’s the hair that kills me not the salivia and my vet suggested a doodle for me.
I went through a similar thought process a few months ago when I was considering a Doodle. Also have allergies and asthma, and just hate hair in the carpet. So many questions about breeder ethics and no real way to be sure. I ended up getting a Miniature Poodle from a very small breeder that I met at home with pups and Mum and older sis – five months old now and she’s so wonderful. By the way Poodles are also often cheaper, but that was not one my priorities. And I don’t bother getting her professionally clipped, so easy to do a basic cut yourself. Good luck with your adoption.
Very helpful from Fiona.Thank you.
To learn more about Labradoodles in the UK there is a registered charity called the Labradoodle Trust with a help number on the website for you to ring http://www.labradoodletrust.com/ . They have an article on their website entitled The Allergy Myth which would be worth reading as well. Maybe print it out for your vet?
Well said Eddie! I agree with you, I find it incredible that lablover can make assumptions on a breeder that they have had no dealings with, I think it is important for the credibility of this site that accusations are only allowed to be posted with proof of said accusations, if this does not happen then innocent people have their name tarnished and the credibility of the site is lost,
I am at a loss to understand why having a business development manager equates to the welfare of the dogs not being looked after !
Hello all – my name is Alastair McKinney and I believe I am the “Business Developer” at Lomond Hills Labradors and Australian Labradoodles that ‘lablover’ appears to be referring to. My parents, Grahame and Brenda McKinney are the breeders/owners of Lomond Hills and I am NOT a paid employee! Lomond Hills does NOT “feel the need to employ a business development manager” as ‘lablover’ stated, I am simply supporting the family business. I look after the ongoing development of the business side of the breeding programme for a few reasons:
1. I love dogs and have a particularly soft spot for Labradors and Australian Labradoodles (not that I am biased!).
2. Lomond Hills is a family run breeding programme and as a committed member of the family, I support the business in any way that I can.
3. I am a final year Business Studies student at the University of Edinburgh and therefore this is where my skills and abilities lie.
For us, our Labradors and Australian Labradoodles are a way of life. Neither of my parents have any form of employment beyond Lomond Hills and as a family, we are absolutely committed and devoted to both our own dogs, and those dogs that we have produced. This is not a 9 – 5 task, we are usually woken up in the morning by big wet licks and when we sit by the fire in the evening, we have canine company on our laps within ten seconds of sitting down! If we didn’t love it, we simply couldn’t do it.
As I said, this is our only form of income and therefore, our breeding programme needs to be self sufficient. The way that we make our breeding programme sustainable is very simple. We do absolutely everything to the highest possible standard and provide support to our customers throughout the entire life of their Lomond Hills dog. As a result of this, we have built an excellent reputation and the vast majority of our sales are now either repeats or referrals. For us, taking shortcuts and cutting costs to maximise short term profits would be entirely counterproductive. We are in this for the long haul and are not here to ‘make a quick buck’ as many ‘breeders’ seem to think they can. Our excellent reputation is our most valuable asset and we take pride in what we do.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Eddie and all of our other customers who have shown support on this forum. It is you who have met us face to face, seen the love we have for our dogs and seen the love that our dogs have for us. You have seen our facilities, you’ve had experience of our ongoing support and more than anything else – you’ve got first hand experience of owning and living with a Lomond Hills dog! We really appreciate your support.
If anybody has any concerns or questions, we will be pleased to deal with them, by email, on an individual basis. Our email addresses are as follows: enquiries@lomondhillslabradoodles.co.uk OR enquiries@lomondhillslabradors.co.uk.