"Mini Saint Bernards" in Marie Claire

aww, i looked at the kennel pictures, that place is in wisconsin, those pups have got to freeze in the winter, they all looked so sad standing up at the fence too....you'd think the magazine would have more class than that, even the website looked unproffesional [:'(]

I sent an email.

Me too.

I just want to know what are these pups if they are not real st. bernards...

Here is something I sniped from that site, I bolded a few things that I thought were just strange:

This is a special hybrid we have developed that looks like a Mini St. Bernard. However, they have absolutely no St. Bernard in them. They are usually black, brown, and white and shed very little if any. You will find that their coat is rough until they are groomed the first time. This good natured family pet is good with children and will mature at about 20 lbs.

Your unique Mini St. Bernard will stop traffic in your neighborhood. The neighbors will stop you on the sidewalk to ask, “What kind of puppy is it?” and “Where did you ever find such a beautiful dog?”

One thing you should make sure of when you get a Mini St. Bernard is, make sure it has papers from "American Pet Registry International".  These little dogs are very popular after "CBS News Sunday Morning" visited our kennel and featured them.  I do not want to see you getting a counterfit. 

Then on the site is and order form, not an adoption request or anything a true breeder or foster would have but a form that you fill out and you get the pup you want with no screaning to see if you should even own a dog...[:@]

Xebby... that's just the beginning. Once you start going through the site it will just make you sick. They freely admit they sell to pet stores and "dealers." And see below for their absurd description of "show dog breeders." I emailed Joanna Cole... I have a feeling she will be getting a lot of mail about this - at least, I hope so.
 
If you want a show dog, you should buy from a show breeder. You should then expect to have a dog that may do well in the show ring. If it does well, the breeder may sell more for this purpose. In order to get there, the breeder may have to look over a few health or temperament defects. When dogs are in the show ring, they are not judged heavy on these things. They don't know if the littermates had a heart murmur or hip problems, or get sick when they eat certain foods, or have allergies. The judge usually observes the dog less than an hour and knows nothing about his littermates or offspring.[from Havens Puppies]

^ They do not know the first thing about show dogs[:@] You get more problems crossing things that do not belong together... One on there is a Cavalier King Charles- Cocker Spaniel, why ruin such a wonderful breed already! There are others like a boston-beagle and things that just make my stomace turn, Shar Pei/ Basset! WTF!!!

I'll be more than happy to e-mail the editor of MC!

Designer Fido
A big, brandy-toting companion sounds great but won't fit in your condo. "Mini Saint Bernards" to the rescue! The recipe for this hip hybrid is top secret. ($1000, www.puppyhaven.biz).

 
I emailed her. Thanks so much for the heads up...
 
Hi Joanna, As a reader of your magazine I am usually impressed with the forward thinking articles and up-to-date following of fashion and trends. I was really disappointed in one of the items featured in your December luxury gift guide, page 29: Designer Fido
A big, brandy-toting companion sounds great but won't fit in your condo. "Mini Saint Bernards" to the rescue! The recipe for this hip hybrid is top secret. ($1000, [link>http://www.puppyhaven.biz/]www.puppyhaven.biz[/link]).  Puppy Haven, the website you recommended, is a puppy mill. If you're unsure, by looking at their "Available Puppies" link, you can see they currently have 54 mixed breed dogs (ie. mutts) for sale. They do not perform any pre-adoption screening or background checks to ensure the puppies go to decent owners. In case you don't follow the puppy mill problem in North America, I'd like to give you a brief-as-possible overview: - Puppy mills breed only for profit, with little care for the well-being of the breeding stock or puppies. - The puppies on the website you advertised are kept outdoors, freezing cold, stacked together in cages. uppies from mills like this often have behavioural problems due to poor socialization and living conditions.- These "hybrid dogs" that you advertise as "hip" are nothing but mutts. I love mutts, but there are enough living in pounds and shelters that desperately need homes, without adding to the overpopulation problem by supporting puppy mills.- So many mixed breed dogs are put to sleep in shelters every day because places like Puppy Haven keep pumping them out for profit. Humane Societies and other groups are fighting to shut down these awful puppy mills so we can get the dog population under control and prevent unnecessary euthanizations. By supporting them and advertising them as "hip", your magazine really sets back these efforts. I hope you will consider these points and perhaps even mention something in a future issue to try and educate your readers.  Thank you for your time, Ashley Lundy

[sm=clapping hands smiley.gif]

Very well said!

I cannot even believe there are people out there that would buy this load of BS!!!!
 
Did anyone check out the "warranty" information???? OMG they might as well say you are getting an unhealthy dog!

ORIGINAL: Xebby

[sm=clapping hands smiley.gif]

Very well said!

 
Hey thanks! Is there a career for "professional complainer"? []

Great email Scout, very diplomatic...and well written.  I hope this gets some results.

Oh good Lord!  What is so amazing is how proud of themselves they are about this disgrace!!  Since they are so brazenly open, don't the authorities go out and check on places like this?  I am also going to email Marie Claire in hopes they rint a follow-up to their original misleading article about "mini St. Bernards"!!![:'(] 

Good idea Scout, I'll paste in what I wrote (though I must say your email was better than mine []).

Dear Joanna,I am a Marie Claire subscriber because I love your magazine's emphasis on educating readers about women's rights and important global issues. I feel that MC is well-written and smart when it comes to fashion but also when it comes to being a good citizen; so I was disappointed, as I flipped through your holiday gift guide, to see "Mini Saint Bernards" listed. The breeding of so-called designer dogs or hybrids (really nothing more than ordinary mixed breeds or mutts) is an unethical practice that all responsible dog breeders and educated dog owners frown upon. Dog breeding should always be about bettering a breed, not about making money. The website for "Havens Puppies," which your magazine listed as resource, makes it clear that it is a puppy mill of the worst caliber, cranking out litters constantly with minimal health guarantees, just to make a buck. I realize that not many people know this about "designer dog" breeders, but I would much rather see Marie Claire getting responsible info out on unhip hybrids than advertising for a puppy mill!Still a loyal reader,Erin  ...and as for the mini Saints, to me they look like Beagles crossed with a terrier. Going from their list of mixes, I'd guess the Westie. I agree the Cav/Cocker is very upsetting... let's create a small cocker spaniel with half the life span! I love Cavs but - how awful.

Erin, that was a great letter. Fellow pro-complaint-letter-writer! []
 
I think it's wonderful that you brought this to our attention and I hope it really hits home with her as I think it will.