Betheden Kennels!

I spent the last week in Oklahoma with Ann, Oscar, and Jeri training with my new alert dog Shyla. She works amazingly! She's half Collie, half German Sheperd. Every time she has alerted me, she's been right. She wakes me up in the middle of the night to alert me. She gets along great with my other 2 dogs, and is completely house broken. She even gets along with horses, which is important for me since I love to ride. Ive been taking her to volleyball camp (which is 3 hours a day) and she alerts me while Im out on the court and she's on the side lines. My coach and team mates all love her to death.

We went somewhere with Shyla every day with Ann and Jeri. If I had any problems with Shyla, Jeri would take her and show me what do to correct her. (Shyla is a dog, and she makes mistakes just like we do)

They were very helpful in teaching me to recognize Shylas alerts. I also noticed in other dogs and owners that the dogs were being blamed for not alerting, but in reality the dogs were alerting and the owners werent catching it. So if you ever get a diabetes alert dog, make sure you know how to tell an alert apart from playfulness.

To Ann, this is more than a bussiness. Its her life. She loves every single dog at the kennels. She gets excited when she knows a dog is going to a good home. The people that get the dogs mean so much more to her than the money. Jeri and Ann really do care about the people. You can tell after spending just a day with them. Like with me at the mall, for example. We were working on escalators with Shyla and she wasnt doing it with me. She had done it plenty with Ann and Jeri without a problem, but she wasnt going on with me. Jeri took her and me both up and down quite a few times before I finally said something. We were telling Shyla she was a good girl for doing it, and I said "its ok Shyla, I dont like it any more than you do." and when Jeri heard that, she said "really?" I finally had to tell her why. When I was 2, my mom took me on one for the first time. She thought she had my hand but she had my best friends hand. We looked alot alike when we were little and she was distracted anyway. I got on fine by myself, but I didnt know how to get off. when we got to the top, I freaked out and fell backwards down the escalator. Shyla was picking up on me being scared so she got scared. Jeri felt bad for making me do it so many times. She gave me a hug and apologized for making me do it so many times. Needless to say, I became attached to them very quickly (which is very unusual for me). Now tell me they dont care about the people getting the dogs.

If anyone out there is looking to get an alert dog, I say go to Betheden Kennels. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer!

On August 4, 2010 complaints were heard in Randall County Texas, Precinct 1, small claims court against defendants Ann and Oscar Pulliam d/b/a/ Betheden Kennels. The defendants requested a jury trial. Testimony and evidence was presented to the 6 member jury. Plaintiffs prevailed and monetary damages were awarded. Defendants chose not appeal the decision but have communicated their intent, through their attorney, to avoid satisfying the judgment. In writing they have refused ‘to pay a dime’; stated they will move back to Texas to qualify their property there as their “homestead”; and have threatened to file bankruptcy if action is taken by plaintiffs to collect the judgment. More cases against the defendant have been filed in small claims court. Complaints have also been filed with the Oklahoma Attorney General.

On a separate note, a decision has been entered in favor of plaintiffs in the case of State of Missouri –vs- Heaven Scent Paws, Inc. Complaints in that case are strikingly similar to complaints heard and upheld by the Texas jury against Betheden Kennels. Indeed, in testimony in the small claims case against Betheden Kennels, a witness quoted Ann Pulliam as stating that Michelle Rinkemeyer – the owner of Heaven Scent Paws - had the right idea about how to train and sell diabetic alert dogs much more quickly than other kennels.

Original court filing against Heaven Scent Paws can be found at:
https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/searchDockets.do

And I need to know this why? I really dont care what everyone else thinks about them. What everyone else thinks does not matter, because Ive seen first hand how they train, take care of, and place their animals. I assure you, Betheden Kennes does the best possible work. Furthermore, they actually care about and make friends with their clients.

So I must draw this conclusion: if it is not Betheden Kennels possessing the problem, it must be you and every other prevaricatory person possessing the problem.

FYI, Betheden won 80% of their cases, and 2 were thrown out of court.

Sounds like you had a good experience with them and your dog. That is all that matters. I would love to hear more about these types of dogs. They fascinate me. Thanks for sharing brandi.

I am so happy for you that you have Shyla… :)))) You should post pics of her, soon!

I’m happy that you are happy with what you got. Really. But the truth is Betheden LOST every case that was tried. 100%. Two were not heard but were NOT dismissed. They have been refiled along with an additional one. Your success does not negate the bad experiences others had. We are happy you have a positive experience. EVERYONE who gets a DAD should be happy with their experience. Ours was a nightmare. The jury believed that it was not our fault and was, rather, the fault of Betheden. Check with the courts if you’d like the whole truth. Betheden has no reason to be honest about the outcome. We have no reason to deceive. We only want the best for people who are looking for DADs to help in caring for their diabetes. Good luck!Q

I think if Brandi is happy with the dog and it is working out for her then there is no reason to bring any of that up. She got what she wanted. It would be different if she wanted opinions before getting a dog. I understand where you are coming from. You had a bad experience with them. Your opinion is relevant to people that are seeking a dog and not to people that are happy with their new dog.

Michele- Hmmm…Do I trust Ann, whom I’ve known and been close to since way before all this started, or do I trust you, some random person who does not know me and seems (based on your posts) only to want to hurt Ann? Think I’m gonna have to go with Ann.
And your statement “Betheden has no reason to be honest about the outcome.” is false. They are honest with me because they are very close to me. All of them. Would you lie to one of your really close friends? I’d sure hope not.

Mikey-
Thank you. I am very happy with my dog. She is one of the best things thats ever happened to me and I would not trade her for anything. If you have any questions about these types of dogs, I’d be more than happy to answer.

JohnG-
How much $ do you have invested in this dog?
My case was a special one, so about $2,000.

Did you recive a waranty on the training?
Im not sure what you would call it, but if I ever have any issues with Shyla, Ann and Jeri have both given me their cell phone numbers so I can get ahold of them any time I need them.

Was the Dog certified and tested for public service work when you received it?
Yes she was.

Whats the dogs standard routine when she is on alert (your BG is low)?
She sniffs up and down my leg.

How did they teach her to alert when your BG is low was she bucket trained, does she have a special toy?
They had me send something with a low scent on it (which was an undershirt I was wearing at the time of a low), cut it into pieces (with my permission), and hid the scent on themselves until Shyla alerted to it. When she alerted, she got lots of praise and a treat.

Did you have a choice of dogs?
Yes, I picked Shyla. I have friends with dogs from Betheden, and they picked their dogs too.

Lizmari-
Will do! I need to get some good ones of the both of us to put up for you :slight_smile:

I’m surprised at your anger. You don’t know me; only what you’ve been told about me. We have so much in common. Dealing with diabetes is the most unfortunate common denominator. I wish you nothing but the best with your dog and hope she helps you live healthy for many years. Brandi, that is the truth. You don’t need to trust me but you shouldn’t be afraid of the truth. The truth has many faces, not just one. In this case it is true that you are happy with your dog and with Ann. It is also true that Ann scammed me, my family, and several others. When she would not settle the problem with any of us we took the matter to court. After hearing testimony from Ann and the 4 plaintiffs the jury that Ann requested, a Texas jury of HER peers, decided we, the plaintiffs, were telling the truth in this particular matter and not Ann. Ann did not appeal the decision, which was her legal right, but accepted it as judgment. The truth speaks for itself. In this case it is also recorded as public record. None of this changes YOUR truth, that you love your dog and are happy with her as a DAD. Neither does your truth change mine…I was scammed and the facts were upheld in a court of law. Brandi, my son’s life, health, and future are no more or less important than yours. He deserved a working DAD too. He has one now, although not one trained by Ann. Diabetes is a thief that robs us of so much in life. The truth shouldn’t be one of those things. Accept our best wishes for a long happy life with your dog.

JohnG, whenever you get your dog, MAKE SURE you pay attention to it. Ive seen dogs pawing at their owners alerting, and the owners missed it cause they were too focused on something else.

John G,
Sam is from Wildrose Kennels in Mississippi. He is a british lab. His alert is strong and unmistakable…they are trained to use bringsels. He was first exposed to a low BG scent at about a week old. Obedience training starts around 6 weeks. Sam’s alerts are often ahead of the meter. His alerts are most often in the 90-110 range. Within 15-45 min my son’s BG will be low. If the drop is rapid we will get another alert in the first 15 min. No choice in breeds. Wildrose breeds, raises, and trains british labs as gundogs. They have formed a DAD training program as a non-profit and offer these incredible dogs without profit as a motivator. The owners, Mike and Cathy Stewart, say…Gundogs are where they make their money. Diabetic Alert Dogs are where they make their contribution. Hope this helps. You can call Wildrose for more details or go to www.diabeticalertdog.com and contact Rachel.

Ann put this on Bethedens website:
"Court Cases
I need to address this since everyone else is.The court handed down judgments for 3 of the people . 2 cases were dismissed and 1 got nothing.

We are liquidating the kennel to try to raise the money to satisfy these judgments. We will be moving back to Amarillo because we can’t get a loan on our house there unless we are living in it. Given the time we will pay these judgments because the court has ruled, unfair as it is.

We won’t be training DADs any more because it has cost us way too much, financially and emotionally. We will stay in close contact with our customers and we still have a few contracts to fulfill. We so appreciate our clients and hope we have made a difference in a few lives. Anything that anybody does is never without some fault. We learn everyday. I am very sad. I have trained dogs for almost nothing, for free and for puppies. and enjoyed every minute of it. I am not very tough and this war has taken it’s toll on me.and my family.

You have won people. Now please just leave us alone."

Are you happy now? Through your defamation, you’ve intentionally destroyed a good persons life. Now that you have done so, there are a number of kids that wont be getting the dogs they need. This includes my best friend Nick.
I am infuriated and enraged. Ann loves not only to train dogs, but to help people as well. She has done nothing to deserve the abuse given to her by people she has merely attempted to help.
Your oppinions about Ann are now irrelevant and insignificant to me. Youve not only willingly destroyed her life, but also a big part of mine. Youve not only hurt and viciously attacked Ann, youve hurt me as well.

I am partial to British line field trial dogs as well! :slight_smile: I am taking one to the Master National in October! :slight_smile:

Michele-
If you’ll remember what you wrote on diabeticalertdog.com in January, Sam hasnt always been as good as he is now.

“Thanks for the kind, supportive words. Andrew has been driving less than a year and has had his license taken from him (by us) several times for forgetting to check before getting behind the wheel. Yes, Charlie is also our supplemental auto insurance!! Or we hope he will be. His scent traning needs MUCH work and I’m afraid Andrew is too concerned about making sure the dog loves him the MOSTEST in the world. They delight in each other’s company but Andrew is not nearly proactive enough in training. We are lucky at this point if Charlie catches one low a day. Any and all advice on training Charlie to Darcy’s level is MUCH appreicated! Please…?! Too, too many 3 a.m.'s I’ve found Andrew in a pool of sweat, unresponsive, or staring with muscles starting to twitch. Charlie is my only real hope that Andrew will be able to go away to school, or to live away from home any time soon. We have a year. One short year. I certainly could use all your help.”

“His scent traning needs MUCH work” / “We are lucky at this point if Charlie catches one low a day”
So amazingly your ok with a dog from Wild Rose not alerting consistently, but you decide to sue Ann when her dog doesnt alert consistently?

This is proof to anyone looking to get a dog: no matter where you get the dog from, your gonna have to work. YOU have to scent train with the dog everyday. YOU have to take good care of your dog so it will be attached to you and want to work for you. YOU have to keep an eye on your dog out in public. Having a diabetic alert dog is like having a small child at times. Remember that.

OMG, they’re so cute!!! :slight_smile:

aw! theyre adorable! i used to have a black lab and a chocolate lab. the black one, Jazzmine, got hit by a car cuz my brother and cousin snuck out of the house and she followed them to the highway. the chocolate one, Hershey, was running and playing too close to my neighbors property so he shot her. i was pretty upset about that. the same guy has shot two of my dogs :’(

Brandi, step back from your anger. Ann caused her own problems by not training some of these dogs well enough before placing them. If you re-read what you have copied from another site you will notice that it is CHARLIE, the Betheden dog that was not alerting consistently. You will notice I say how much we were working with him. I asked for help from those on the forum. We hired trainers to work with us and with Charlie. We even sent him to live with another trainer before we were willing to give up and accept that he was never right for this work. Ann should have known that. She knew he wasn’t trained when she sold him to us. NEVER have I believed or implied that these dogs will work without continued training. CONTINUED training. I contracted for a FULLY trained dog from Ann, received a rescued stray with minimal obedience training and less scent training and STILL I tried for nine months to train this dog. CHARLIE is the Betheden dog that wasn’t trained. SAM is the Wildrose dog that is trained, alerting, and that will respond to CONTINUED training. You are right Brandi. There were lives irreparably altered this last year. Mine was one of them. I was a victim, not a contributor….no matter what Ann may have told you. For the record, Ann was sued for breech of contract and fraud in the inducement. I intentionally sued Ann over a business transaction. I did not intentionally set out to harm anyone. That allegation too was considered in court. She tried to countersue for defamation and emotional distress. It was dismissed in summary judgment…thrown out by the judge before the hearing began. No grounds for the claim. Sorry Brandi. You can be as mad and vicious toward me as you care to be but Ann brought this on herself. She had the chance to make things right many times over.

I am truly sorry that you had a bad experience with your dog.

But Brandi has not had the same bad experience, and she is quite happy with her dog.

While it would be okay for you to offer cautious optimism to her, and state that you are happy she is happy with her dog… but that you didn’t have the same experience…

It is NOT okay for you to bombard her with details of your lawsuits, hearsay on someone’s character or lack thereof, and basically attack her because she made the same choice that you once made, except she had a different outcome.

Ask yourself… Would you want another adult speaking to your child the same way in which you are speaking to Brandi? I don’t think so… You made your point. Now it’s probably time to just walk away, and be an adult.