Closing Down a Huge Schnauzer Puppy Farm Network
In March 2015, Roodewal Kennels in Ermelo, Mpumalanga was exposed by Schnauzer Friends South Africa as a large miniature schnauzer puppy farm empire. With Elmarie Celliers, the kingpin at the top doing the marketing with many other breeders contracted to supply miniature schnauzer puppies into the network. It has been shut down. Between March and November 2015, Schnauzer Friends South Africa and the SPCA's, 320 rescue schnauzers were rehomed into loving homes. These dogs were kept in horrific conditions outside with little human contact, while locked into the Roodewal breeding cycle. Many were emotionally broken and needed extensive rehabilitation. This was a life changing project for many people and also exposed the cruel puppy farm reality in South Africa. IGNORANCE is not an excuse, If you support puppy farms and backyard breeders you are supporting this evil trade. DO your homework before buying puppy.....
Our Community of Schnauzerholics
AUTHOR: DEBORAH BLANE (Schnauzer mom and Founder of Schnauzer Friends South Africa)
In August 2014, I started the Schnauzer Friends South Africa Community with a Facebook page and website. Little did I know that our community of schnauzer lovers would unite together and change the lives of so many schnauzers for the better.
In August 2014, I started the Schnauzer Friends South Africa Community with a Facebook page and website. Little did I know that our community of schnauzer lovers would unite together and change the lives of so many schnauzers for the better.
A Johannesburg Schnauzer Friends South Africa Fun Walk group photo.
Identifying a Puppy Farm
Roodewal Kennels in Ermelo Mpumalanga, advertised in most of the animal magazines, on websites, Youtube, Facebook etc. The puppies were KUSA or SACBR registered. They advertised with the slogan "Breeders of Top Quality Miniature Schnauzers" and on the website the owner said "Breeding miniature schnauzers has been a passion of mine since 1984. The kennel is close to my home and my dogs get a lots of love and attention. I love breeding the miniature schnauzers, and I find that I am totally addicted to the dogs and spend most of my day working with the dogs." Below are some examples of the Roodewal Kennel marketing:
Exposing the Huge Horrific Puppy Farm Network
I received many complaints from people around South Africa, who were buying puppies from Roodewal Kennels. The puppies were sick and many dying after a few days of taking delivery. The story was consistent - the puppies were always delivered, if they were sick or died, they were offered a replacement. They were all told it was a once off case and had never happened before. Something was clearly wrong at Roodewal Kennels.
Schnauzer Friends South Africa awareness Facebook posts.
The type of complaints received were as follows:
I tried to engage with the owner of Roodewal Kennels but were ignored. I started publishing the communities complaints on our Facebook page and website, and more and more schnauzer owners came forward who had also had a similar experience’s with Roodewal Kennels. It was going back over 5 years. The people who had fallen for the glossy marketing were cross and upset.
Using social media, the Schnauzer community made it impossible for Roodewal Kennels to sell puppies. We were threatened with legal action by the breeder but the community stood together. We knew that we needed to be a voice for the voiceless. We needed to stop the suffering and pain!
- We bought a puppy and 5 days later our hearts were broken because she died from parvovirus. She suffered so much, it killed us. Still to this day our hearts break when we think of our baby Marley. We were offered a replacement.
- We had our little puppy for 2 nights and he spent his next (and last) 2 nights at the vet before passing away. This puppy suffered terribly. Parvo, distemper, and worms like nothing ever witnessed before!
- I brought two puppies who were flown to the Cape. Their skin was not good and needed to be treated. One puppy was clumsy and lethargic and could not stand up straight. We took him to the vet and he had a growth under his tail and as a result could not poo. The vet had to euthanise him. The next Tuesday we were sent a replacement puppy.
- When my puppy landed at the airport he stunk. His skin was so infected that the vet put him on antibiotics for 6 weeks and then 6 months on a special prescription diet. I had to bath him weekly with medicated shampoo. It was very expensive.
I tried to engage with the owner of Roodewal Kennels but were ignored. I started publishing the communities complaints on our Facebook page and website, and more and more schnauzer owners came forward who had also had a similar experience’s with Roodewal Kennels. It was going back over 5 years. The people who had fallen for the glossy marketing were cross and upset.
Using social media, the Schnauzer community made it impossible for Roodewal Kennels to sell puppies. We were threatened with legal action by the breeder but the community stood together. We knew that we needed to be a voice for the voiceless. We needed to stop the suffering and pain!
The Rescue of Broken Schnauzer Souls Starts
In April 2015 I was contacted by a Roodewal Kennel “contract breeder” living on a farm in Mpumalanga. They had been delivering on average 20 schnauzer puppies a month to Roodewal Kennels. They surrendered 70 breeding schnauzers and 40 puppies to Schnauzer Friends for rehoming. The first time the Schnauzer Friends rescue team visited this contract breeder, there were 180 dogs of various breeds in pens outside. The noise was indescribable as they jostled for some attention. Many ran away hiding in fear. It was painful for animal lovers to see how people can treat animals for financial gain. The rescue team still have nightmares to this day. Below are some pictures from the Roodewal Kennel contract breeders farm.
As the magnitude and horrors of the Roodewal Kennel breeding operation and the network of contract breeders was uncovered, the project became larger and larger. More Roodewal “contract breeders” came forward as they had no way of selling the puppies and wanted to get rid of the breeding schnauzers. Many of these schnauzers were in desperate need of socialisation and medical care. Below are some pictures from the beginning of the media exposure and more schnauzers rescued from other Roodewal Kennel contract breeder farms.
The Truth Prevails Despite Denials
On the 5th June 2015, a warrant was obtained to enter the actual Roodewal Kennels in Ermelo. The SPCA, SAPS and Ermelo Animal Rescue confiscated another 76 schnauzers.
The SPCA, SAPS and Ermelo Animal Rescue at the Roodewal Farm.
Here is an article published by the Sandton SPCA describing what they found:
Rescued: The dark side of breeding (25 June 2015)
SOURCE: http://www.sandtonspca.org.za/rescued-the-dark-side-of-breeding/
“Our colleagues from Highveld Ridge SPCA recently seized 76 Schnauzers from Roodewal Kennels in Ermelo after a raid on the breeders premises. The dogs were found in appalling conditions, lived in wire cages and slept in rat infested holding areas. The kennels were found to be filthy and some of the dogs were sleeping in their own faeces. While being kept as breeding machines the dogs were found to have many ailments and illnesses due to the lack of care, typical of a puppy mill. Schnauzer friends South Africa assisted the SPCA in identifying this horrific situation. The reality is that every year, retail pet stores across South Africa sell thousands of dogs, while millions of dogs enter shelters across South Africa.”
Below are some pictures from the actual Roodewal farm.
Rescued: The dark side of breeding (25 June 2015)
SOURCE: http://www.sandtonspca.org.za/rescued-the-dark-side-of-breeding/
“Our colleagues from Highveld Ridge SPCA recently seized 76 Schnauzers from Roodewal Kennels in Ermelo after a raid on the breeders premises. The dogs were found in appalling conditions, lived in wire cages and slept in rat infested holding areas. The kennels were found to be filthy and some of the dogs were sleeping in their own faeces. While being kept as breeding machines the dogs were found to have many ailments and illnesses due to the lack of care, typical of a puppy mill. Schnauzer friends South Africa assisted the SPCA in identifying this horrific situation. The reality is that every year, retail pet stores across South Africa sell thousands of dogs, while millions of dogs enter shelters across South Africa.”
Below are some pictures from the actual Roodewal farm.
Exposing the Story in the Media
Below is some of the news media around the story.
Changing the Puppy Farm Dogs Lives
Between Schnauzer Friends South Africa and the SPCA, 320 schnauzers were rescued from the Roodewal Kennels puppy farm network. They were all sterilized, medically treated and rehomed into loving homes.
The last of the 320 rescued schnauzers went home in November 2015. Nearly all the schnauzers rescued were scared of people, loud noises, hose pipes and brooms. Some seemed to have lost the will to live and just stared blankly into space. When the schnauzers were adopted, typical behaviour was to go and find the nearest bush and hide. A year later, some of the schnauzers were still undergoing intensive rehabilitation as horrors of the puppy farm are entrenched into their souls.
Our Schnauzer Friends community, dedicated schnauzer adopters, rescue team and behaviourist Scotty Valadao have become a family of schnauzer lovers who are committed to give these rescued dogs the life they deserve. They are all getting a second chance at life. The Schnauzer Friends matra is #gettingthewagback and we sure achieved this. Below are some pictures of the adoption days, adopters and rescuers.
The Schnauzer Community Seeks Justice
After the SPCA did not prosecute, the Schnauzer Friends community stood together and launched a community class action against Roodewal Kennels. Sheryll Steyn from the Schnauzer Friends rescue team ran the initiative.
Sheryll said ‘I would like to expose this breeder nationally. She has knowingly sold sick puppies and ran a puppy mill with contract breeders, all while doing nothing to ensure the health and well being of her dogs. I want this type of breeding stopped, exposed and made an example of, to all those breeders that just don't give a damn. I am excited to walk this road. To expose Roodewal Kennels to the public, as a heartless schnauzer puppy farm. If we can showcase what went wrong, who assisted them and understand how they got away with running a puppy farm for so long, we will be able to expose other breeders and possibly halt their trading too.”
The Schnauzer Friends South Africa rescue team engaged with various stakeholders to work out the best way forward to achieve the best outcome for the community and the schnauzers.
We chose the reconciliatory option and to work with Elmarie Celliers and her representatives to work out how we could achieve a the best outcome for the community and the schnauzers. We requested the following from Elmarie Celliers:
The aim of Schnauzer friends rescue is to assist in the rescue of Schnauzers, to sterilize and rehome the dogs and to ensure their ongoing well-being, as well as to expose and shut down the puppy mills.
You can read more about the options and closure here.
The Schnauzer Friends South Africa rescue team engaged with various stakeholders to work out the best way forward to achieve the best outcome for the community and the schnauzers.
We chose the reconciliatory option and to work with Elmarie Celliers and her representatives to work out how we could achieve a the best outcome for the community and the schnauzers. We requested the following from Elmarie Celliers:
- An Acknowledgment to what she had done wrong
- An Apology to all the people and schnauzers that she hurt over the years
- A Thank you to all the people who had assisted with the rescue and rehoming project. This included the SPCA, Schnauzer Friends South Africa, Woodrock Animal Rescue, the schnauzer community, all the adopters, the vets who assisted etc.
- A Donation to schnauzer rescue to assist us with rescue costs and sterilizations going forward. We felt that this would provide additional resources to to be able to assist rescue dogs in need going forward, and also to enhance the lives of many dogs into the future.
The aim of Schnauzer friends rescue is to assist in the rescue of Schnauzers, to sterilize and rehome the dogs and to ensure their ongoing well-being, as well as to expose and shut down the puppy mills.
You can read more about the options and closure here.
Elmarie Celliers Apologies
Elmarie Celliers agreed to this reconciliatory option and I received the below letter, signed by her, containing the acknowledgement, apology, thank you and the pledge to donate some funds to rescue. We received the donation and have also had all our costs covered by Elmarie Celliers. We would not have achieved this without our community’s ongoing pressure, and lots of hours of assistance from our "pro-bono" legal team.
Good Triumphs Over Evil
A huge thank you to the Schnauzer Friends Community who opened their hearts and homes to these 320 rescued schnauzers. They now have the opportunity to be pampered pooches and not breeding machines locked out in the cold and rain with little human interaction or medical care. Below are some pictures of the adopters.
Adoption Stories
The best thing about the project was changing the lives of the rescue schnauzers.
Read some of our featured rescue project stories.....
Chris - Through the Eye of the Lens
Nicole - Princess Pippa a Year Later
Jaymee - Maya's Story - Learning to Trust
Grace - Peppa - A Team Effort to Get a Dogs Wag Back
Deona - Ndo - Learning to do the Jolly Jive
Linda - Changing Lives - Sisters Lilly and Pepper
Jacqui - Getting Involved - Making a Difference
Read some of our featured rescue project stories.....
Chris - Through the Eye of the Lens
Nicole - Princess Pippa a Year Later
Jaymee - Maya's Story - Learning to Trust
Grace - Peppa - A Team Effort to Get a Dogs Wag Back
Deona - Ndo - Learning to do the Jolly Jive
Linda - Changing Lives - Sisters Lilly and Pepper
Jacqui - Getting Involved - Making a Difference
Thank You For Being A Voice for the Voiceless
A huge thank you to core rescue team members Deborah Blane, Chris Kritzinger, Jacqui Chetty, Ros Barnard, Sheryll Steyn, Carol-Ann Myburgh and Jeanne Duminy who are all volunteers and contributed a vast amount of time, love and dedication for this amazing rescue project. The following groups, vets and rescue organisations supported and assisted Schnauzer Friends South Africa with our Schnauzer Puppy Farm Rescue Project:
We salute all of you!
- Woodrock Animal Rescue
- Ermelo Animal Rescue
- Manorswood Veterinary Clinic
- Fourways Veterinary Hospital
- Avatar Vets
- Various SPCA's
- South African Police (SAPS)
- Our Schnauzer Friends South Africa Community
We salute all of you!
Our rescue project shows that good can overcome evil. A community can stand together and say no. Animal abuse must not be tolerated! Spread the word about puppy farms and backyard breeders! EDUCATE! Do your homework. You may have brought a cute puppy, but if the parents are suffering in horrible conditions, you are contributing to this evil trade. Do not support puppy farmers and backyard breeders. Even better adopt, don’t shop.
Did you see this story featured on DSTV Kyknet ?
PUPPY FARMS ARE A REALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
WE ARE FAMOUS! Schnauzer Friends - South Africa was featured on Kwêla the 28th Sept at 8:30pm on DSTV Kyknet Chanel 144.
If you missed the programme you can watch it on your pc/smartphone by clicking here.
To read more about puppy farm rescue schnauzer Pippa who was featured on the show, click here. To read about how Nicole solved Storm's paw licking click here.
WE ARE FAMOUS! Schnauzer Friends - South Africa was featured on Kwêla the 28th Sept at 8:30pm on DSTV Kyknet Chanel 144.
If you missed the programme you can watch it on your pc/smartphone by clicking here.
To read more about puppy farm rescue schnauzer Pippa who was featured on the show, click here. To read about how Nicole solved Storm's paw licking click here.
Schnauzer Friends Rescue gives a voice to the voiceless.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
