Maxwell 44: Must We Permit Mephistopheles and Beelzebub to Perform Financial and Performance Audits

[nokidsmom]

1 hour ago, sparkles said:

2. I hope Sarah never, ever breeds a dog. Aside from being totally clueless and needlessly adding to the pet population when there are so many perfectly wonderful dogs that need homes, it really pissed me off when she said that she wasn't going to do any background checks because she just knew that anyone who was willing to pay the fee for one of the puppies would take good care of it. Double ?

I don't have dogs because of a work schedule that prevents me and Mr. No being home enough but we give to one of the local animal shelters.   There are so many animals that need a home, it would be easy for Sarah to go to one and adopt an animal.   And that she won't do background checks because paying the fee is proof to her that the person will properly care for the dog is just WTF.

She should never get another dog.

[Lgirlrocks]

1 hour ago, nokidsmom said:

I don't have dogs because of a work schedule that prevents me and Mr. No being home enough but we give to one of the local animal shelters.   There are so many animals that need a home, it would be easy for Sarah to go to one and adopt an animal.   And that she won't do background checks because paying the fee is proof to her that the person will properly care for the dog is just WTF.

She should never get another dog.

My female dog, and all the dogs we had before her, were rescue dogs. They are the best. They have so much love to give! My female dog, Bella is her name, had been rescued from a puppy mil. I found out a year later that someone had shot her with a pellet gun. It broke my heart. All she wants to do is sit on your lap and give kisses. When I get home she runs to me and tried to climb up my legs. I always pick her up and kiss her. My male dog, Hagrid, is the only dog I’ve ever had that wasn’t a rescue. My ex picked him out and we got him as a puppy. I love him to death but there are too many shelter dogs to justify getting a dog from a breeder. My ex didn’t want a shelter dog because they come with problems some of the time. 

[SPHASH]

I like Elizabeth hamming it up at the end.  Free Elizabeth!

[NancyDrewFan1989]

18 hours ago, Peaches-n-Beans said:

Two is considered the youngest you want to breed a dog as by then they’re finished growing (save for a few giant breeds where it’s closer to three) and have health testing and titling or work experience under their belt, OfA scores for example can’t be completed until the dog is done growing at two. Then there’s all the genetic testing for hereditary diseases and in goldens I know a lot of people watch lines super carefully due to the rate of cancer in the breed. And I seriously doubt a vet ACTUALLY cleared Ellie for breeding and yet somehow Sarah knew nothing of Pyometra. Further more while vets are great they are not who I’d trust to declare any dog breeding worthy, that would be the dogs breeder, the OFA clearances and experienced people in my breed. 

anyway if you can’t tell I have a lot of feelings about breeding and how it should only be done ethically and people like this piss me off. Team Ellie Deserves Better for me. Also my dog also hates the vet, but her feelings on the matter do not influence my choice to go. I could so see Steve and Sarah using “oh she hates the vet” as an excuse not to spend the money on it. 
 

#elliedeservesbetter

Thank you for the info! I don't know what the vet said to say that breeding Ellie was a good idea. Chances are the vet encouraged Sarah to do research and work alongside a breeder while Ellie was going through the testing. Only Sarah didn't and Steve just encouraged her thinking that a dog having puppies is like a mom having a baby. The Maxwell's don't seem to have learned anything from this venture. 

[CyborgKin]

Really Sarah?  Where did you get the idea that 'night-before' needs a hyphen?

[NancyDrewFan1989]

On 12/24/2020 at 10:59 AM, sparkles said:

2. I hope Sarah never, ever breeds a dog. Aside from being totally clueless and needlessly adding to the pet population when there are so many perfectly wonderful dogs that need homes, it really pissed me off when she said that she wasn't going to do any background checks because she just knew that anyone who was willing to pay the fee for one of the puppies would take good care of it. Double ?

 

Sarah never said that she didn't do any research, but she did make it pretty obvious that she was clueless about what she was doing. The only research Sarah did on Ellie was on her parentage. On the website Sarah made for Ellie's now nonexistent puppies Kansas Goldens and early posts about Ellie, Sarah wrote about Ellie's parentage. Chances are Sarah believed that because Ellie wasn't a rescue and came from a breeder that it would all be okay because Ellie's mother was bred. 

As for doing background checks earlier on the website Sarah made it clear that they reserve the right to pick the families. A few people have speculated that at least one puppy was going to stay with the family and one or two was going to go the married Maxwell kidults. As for the puppy that was going to stay with the Maxwell family some people believe that it was going to be a female so Sarah could become a full time backyard breeder. 

As for the other puppies from Ellie I get the feeling that they were probably going to end up with friends, relatives of friends, and other family members. I only feel this way because the Maxwell's do really seem to care about their pets and would want to make sure that the puppies were going to a good home. So, sending them to homes of people they know does make sense, even if she was charging 300 a pop. I don't believe Sarah had the resources to start doing background checks and she, probably, wanted to make sure that being a full time backyard breeder is something she wanted to pursue. Ellie would have been the first pet that any Maxwell had bred. So, Ellie would've been Sarah's entry into the world of breeding. I have a feeling that if Ellie did have a litter, then either the next litter from Ellie or the first litter from the puppy they kept Sarah would've started doing more background checks to make sure they were going to good homes.

Also, the website Kansas Goldens is still up. Obviously, Sarah has changed some of the information since Ellie had to be spayed. Whether or not anyone put down a deposit on a puppy and got it back isn't said. But, Sarah claims to know other breeders for Golden Retrievers. Chances are one of them is the breeder Sarah got Ellie from. Personally, I hope that breeder (and the rest of them) become aware of the pyometra fiasco and give the Maxwell's a stern talking to before selling them another puppy or convinces Steve to let Sarah work alongside him or her (which will unlikely ever happen). Sarah, probably, didn't do any research on how to take care of Ellie following birth and newborn puppies. Or better yet, never does business with the Maxwell's ever again and warns other breeders about them. Is there a blacklist specifically for backyard breeders like Sarah Maxwell? If so, then one day she and her family will probably end up on. As I've said before I doubt this will be the end of Sarah's backyard breeding venture. 

[Nothing if not critical]

The thing with puppies is, though - you don't exactly know what you get in advance, and sometimes people change their minds about wanting one.

I remember when our dog had puppies, way back in the nineties when I was young and stupid, we thought it would be oh so easy to find places for the puppies because so many of our friends and acquaintances swore up and down they would take one. We ended up having to keep two out of six, keeping another one around for a full year until her owner could finally take her home, and giving two of them to total strangers, which was heartbreaking. Exactly one went to the friend who had originally said she'd have one.

Long story short:  Having a dog is a huge responsibility that lasts for many years. Having them breed is something that should really only be undertaken by professionals.

 

[Jana814]

1 hour ago, Nothing if not critical said:

 

Long story short:  Having a dog is a huge responsibility that lasts for many years. Having them breed is something that should really only be undertaken by professionals.

 

I very much agree with this. 

[CyborgKin]

1 hour ago, Nothing if not critical said:

The thing with puppies is, though - you don't exactly know what you get in advance, and sometimes people change their minds about wanting one.

Life is like a basket of puppies...

[allyisyourpally5]

Agree Sarah wouldn’t have the resources to do background checks. But that’s in a sense what makes it more frustrating.

I can’t really decide whether Sarah believing payment is enough to know a dog will be looked after is:

- Another sign of naivety and lack of world knowledge - she doesn’t get that sadly some people will get rid of a dog once the novelty wears off /they get bored and that even more sadly some people have money to burn and will pay out for a dog that they’re not gonna look after / will use for not nice things

- Or it’s just laziness - partly down to lack of resources - and she’s eyeing the money.

They do seem to look after their pets but the vet thing is part of it. 
One prime reason I have no pet (I would love a dog or a cat) is because I’m currently in a position where I can’t afford the extra expense, particularly sudden high vet bills. Many friends have cats and dogs, and they all pay pet insurance but somehow nearly every trip to the vets results in another bill, either because it was a small trip and they’ve decided it’s not worth claiming, or it’s such a big thing that they have to pay something (the overnight stay for an operation for example). It’s part of the deal, and you shouldn’t take in any pet if you can’t afford to look after them in all circumstances (I get finances change obviously). I can’t afford it, it wouldn’t be fair, so I don’t have one. 
 

I doubt any pet likes the vet. Kids don’t like the doctors or hospital much normally but you make them because it’s in their best interests. Poor Ellie.

And yes I agree with the emotions in Chris and Anna’s video - probably the most I’ve ever seen. I think this year has been a hard dose of life and recognising that no one is immune - and I’m glad they can recognise that actually it’s ok to be sad and say “hey you know what this year has been awful”

[Bethy]

1 hour ago, allyisyourpally5 said:

And yes I agree with the emotions in Chris and Anna’s video - probably the most I’ve ever seen. I think this year has been a hard dose of life and recognising that no one is immune - and I’m glad they can recognise that actually it’s ok to be sad and say “hey you know what this year has been awful”

I never went to a Maxwell dog & pony show (they actually came fairly close to where I live, and my hair was long enough and I had sufficient baggy jumpers that I could've blended in, but it was part of a larger homeschool convention where people I actually knew - who would've known I was a fake - were going to be in attendance) but I assume based on who they are and how they present themselves online that everything would've been meticulously scripted, rehearsed, and delivered. The fact that Christopher couldn't get through a brief greeting on their family video without struggling speaks to how difficult it's been for all of them this year.

[allyisyourpally5]

6 hours ago, Bethy said:

I never went to a Maxwell dog & pony show (they actually came fairly close to where I live, and my hair was long enough and I had sufficient baggy jumpers that I could've blended in, but it was part of a larger homeschool convention where people I actually knew - who would've known I was a fake - were going to be in attendance) but I assume based on who they are and how they present themselves online that everything would've been meticulously scripted, rehearsed, and delivered. The fact that Christopher couldn't get through a brief greeting on their family video without struggling speaks to how difficult it's been for all of them this year.

Yes - the family just always seem so robotic - everything’s just on repeat, everything’s on schedule, many of them are effectively in Daddy Maxwells bubble......and this year has really thrown a spanner at them. 
 

For all Sarah (or Steve or Teri, one of the core three) said when COVID-19 started, that they weren’t afraid and they would carry on as normal because it will all just be Gods will.....I think this year Christoper has had a rude awakening that God’s will isn’t always pretty and however hard you live the Godly perfect life......homeschooled, no sports, multiple Bible times a day, no friends, no tv or entertainment, no “negative appetites”, constant work or busy work,  no fiction books, no debt.....and still everything can go wrong in a second. It’s given me a new hope and pause for him and Anna. 
Nathan and Melanie went through the horrific ordeal of loosing their child. We know there’s a side to them we don’t see - like the fact that they are in contact with and visit Melanie’s family, of which some members are not “Maxwell Brand Christians” - but still Christian.  They go to church and children’s clubs. Steve’s past corners include one on cutting ties near enough completely with apparently unGodly grandparents, or certainly not being around them much unless their views are exactly in line with yours. Sometimes it takes a very harsh dose of reality to realise what’s most important. 
 

While I don’t agree with her beliefs, Anna seems to have been educated really well by her parents (judging by her writing and how she responds to people) so I really hope this continues down the line. She appears to be so much more passionate about her kids and homeschooling which hopefully shines through and is being done in a much more positive environment then it was for Christopher.I really wish her well. I lost my mom at 8 and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone - it looks like she’s pulling through so I hope so much she is recovering.

[sparkles]

18 hours ago, NancyDrewFan1989 said:

<snip>  I have a feeling that if Ellie did have a litter, then either the next litter from Ellie or the first litter from the puppy they kept Sarah would've started doing more background checks to make sure they were going to good homes.

Not if you go by Sarah’s post on the website when they thought Ellie was pregnant. She really thought the lack of background checks was a selling point—it set them apart from other breeders, doncha know! ?

 

Spoiler

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by sparkles

[NancyDrewFan1989]

3 hours ago, sparkles said:

Not if you go by Sarah’s post on the website when they thought Ellie was pregnant. She really thought the lack of background checks was a selling point—it set them apart from other breeders, doncha know! ?

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Oh, I didn't know that part. Thanks for letting me know. Welp, here's to hoping Sarah's dream of being a backyard breeder ever comes true. 

11 hours ago, Bethy said:

I never went to a Maxwell dog & pony show (they actually came fairly close to where I live, and my hair was long enough and I had sufficient baggy jumpers that I could've blended in, but it was part of a larger homeschool convention where people I actually knew - who would've known I was a fake - were going to be in attendance) but I assume based on who they are and how they present themselves online that everything would've been meticulously scripted, rehearsed, and delivered. The fact that Christopher couldn't get through a brief greeting on their family video without struggling speaks to how difficult it's been for all of them this year.

Out of all the Maxwell's this has been a very tough year for Christopher and Anna Marie. They had to deal with sending her across the country in the middle of a pandemic for her to get treatment. She wasn't able to be there for birthdays, weddings and other celebrations. Even though Christopher had help, I have a feeling that it was stressful for him to work from home and look after six kids if one of his sister's weren't around. Plus, he couldn't be there for Anna Marie when she was getting treatment. Chris and Anna Marie do seem to love each other. The fact that they were apart for a couple months probably took a toll on both of them.

[Bethy]

10 hours ago, NancyDrewFan1989 said:

Out of all the Maxwell's this has been a very tough year for Christopher and Anna Marie. They had to deal with sending her across the country in the middle of a pandemic for her to get treatment. She wasn't able to be there for birthdays, weddings and other celebrations. Even though Christopher had help, I have a feeling that it was stressful for him to work from home and look after six kids if one of his sister's weren't around. Plus, he couldn't be there for Anna Marie when she was getting treatment. Chris and Anna Marie do seem to love each other. The fact that they were apart for a couple months probably took a toll on both of them.

I seriously wonder if they'd ever spent a night apart prior to this year. Where John doesn't seem to have any opposition to Chelsy hopping off to Iowa to visit family whenever the mood strikes (or at least, that seemed to be the pre-pandemic norm) Christopher and Anna Marie don't seem to have the kind of independent relationship where a solo voyage would be acceptable. Christopher doesn't seem to be into the sort of IT that Joe and Jesse do, where he'd be going to conferences. She'd always homebirthed before so she wouldn't have been in the hospital while he was home with the other kids at any point prior to Simon Peter's birth. I say this without throwing any shade (I've never spent a night away from my daughter - this year she's finally old enough to where I feel like a sleepover with Grandma might be fine while Mr. Bethy and I have a night away but...pandemic) but just the separation had to be super-traumatic in their world. Just for her and Christopher, I mean. Never mind the pain of separation between children and their mother.

[Coconut Flan]

Carry on here: