Sherry S.

I wanted to surprise my husband with a Toy Poodle, as he had mentioned wanting one several times. The puppy was a Birthday surprise so I asked my adult daughter to try to see what she could find. We live in Ohio so it was great to find a breeder near Cleveland, OH, about a two-hour drive from us. My daughter, however, did not do her due diligence and did not read the reviews here. We paid $2500 cash for this puppy and our daughter was so excited to be a part of this surprise, that she did not get her AKC papers at purchase, which has always been the process whenever we've bought an AKC puppy before. My daughter sent a text message to Roberta Katona, in Perry Ohio, who sells her puppies under the name of Grand River Poodles. We were smart enough to keep the texts as proof that she kept promising the AKC papers and the receipt for $2500 (of course, getting a text that she will send a receipt for $2500, was in itself, a receipt and telling us that our AKC papers should come any day was a lie.) Why were the AKC papers so important to us? They were important because my feeling was that she advertised her puppies as AKC but didn't really register them, probably in order to save herself a bit of pocket change. Many people would probably not care and it would not have been an issue. The puppy was purchased at the end of March. She finally filed for the AKC papers on July 15,2022. Only after we contacted the Ohio Attorney General's office, the AKC, the BBB in Cleveland, and contacted a private attorney did she do the paperwork, and may I add that the AKC went to her home for a site visit on July 15th. Why did I continue to seek this AKC accreditation? Because if she is selling poodles without papers, it would have been a much lower asking price but when I give someone $2500 for an AKC puppy, I want it to be what I paid for, period. We did not get him for breeding purposes, in fact, he was neutered soon after we got him. Roberta Katona, even though she sent several texts to our daughter, at one point she told our attorney, that she had no idea who WE were. She said she sold a puppy to our daughter, Christina, but had no idea who we were. She had our name and address and it would not have mattered in whose name the registration papers were made out. When she found out that we checked with AKC regarding her kennel, she texted us and wrote, "I am not going to be threatened." AKC later said she told them that she registers her litters quarterly. I just wonder why she never said that to us but continued to lie. At one point she replied to my daughter when my daughter asked again in a text when the receipt and papers would arrive, she said, "Tomorrow." She KNEW she had not applied for the paperwork at AKC. Another lie. I do not recommend this breeder, Roberta Katona of Grand River Poodles in Perry, Ohio. She comes across on her web page and in person, as a very kind, honest person but that has not been our impression. As a footnote, I will say that we love the puppy. He is happy and smart and spoiled. Please, do your research before you buy from Ms Katona. There are other, good, honest breeders out there. We have not found her to be one of them.

May I also add, that her Vet's office said that she brought in "several" litters the one day that our puppy was seen there. Just an FYI.