Owners struggle to get dogs, thousands of dollars from local trainer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – At least two neighborhood households are out thousands of dollars to a puppy coach they believed would get the job done miracles for their animals. 

Giuli Frendak items alongside one another what actually transpired in the course of months of alleged training, and shares these families’ fight to get their animals again. 

Goose is the gentle of the Staben household, but they knew their massive ball of adore necessary some major training.

“Loves love, enjoys everyone, almost everything,” said Sarah Staben. “He marks, he tears up every thing, he screams like it’s a bark but a lot more like a yodel. He’s fired up about anything, horrible on a leash, but the sweetest canine you’ve ever fulfilled in your existence.”

Staben searched for regional canine trainers and came across Duke Town Puppy Academy in Albuquerque, and the proprietor – Rene.

“The to start with simply call I experienced with her, she said she was obtaining off a session working with the law enforcement puppies for the Albuquerque Police Department, and I believed effectively, if she can educate a law enforcement dog, absolutely she can practice my absurd lab,” said Staben. “The initial stage was a $1,200 deposit and then $1,600 for a full of $2,800 for five weeks of canine education.”

Rene took Goose for 5 weeks of coaching on Nov. 8. Her assistant texted the Stabens virtually straight away with updates about Goose’s progress, but no photos or movies at 1st.

And when the photographs last but not least did appear:

“I could not inform where by he was, he had a leash all over his neck and he was seeking again at the camera with his ears slicked back again which is not common for him, and he appeared skinny in the picture,” Staben mentioned. 

Goose was intended to go residence mid-December.

Textual content messages demonstrate Rene’s assistant, Amber, reported her boss “usually does not like to send them household the exact same 7 days as Christmas as it’s challenging on the family members to deal with.”

Then spelled out their workplace would be shut till Jan. 2 for the vacations. But certain the loved ones instruction would continue on during that time.

“January next came around when they were being intended to be back in place of work and I said ‘hey Amber I’d really like a go-property-date today, and I’d like a cell phone contact with Rene,” stated Staben. 

She states that mobile phone contact hardly ever took place, and however no go-property-date.

Right after a week of unsuccessful attempts, Staben turned to the major pet team she could discover on Fb, asking if any individual had knowledge with Duke City Puppy Academy.

“One of the 1st feedback was ‘Lisa Berry is negative news you require to get your puppy back again quickly,’” Staben explained. “Who the hell is Lisa Berry? I gave my dog to a female named Rene.”

Other individuals on-line reported the Stabens should really check out out Luv N Treatment Boarding and Grooming in Albuquerque – a kennel linked to the mysterious Lisa Berry.

“Kennel is putting it generously. It is a rundown duplex with a prevent sign in entrance with bullet holes and bars on the windows,” Staben mentioned. 

The pair noticed Goose ideal away.

“At minimum a dozen canines in there, in terrible ailments, in cages, no roofing of any variety, security from the features, s*** just almost everywhere,” reported Staben 

There was no answer at the business’s door, and still no reaction from Rene or her assistant.

The Staben’s submitted experiences with Albuquerque Animal Welfare and the law enforcement office. Underneath New Mexico law, pet dogs are considered property and with out a warrant, Animal Welfare officers’ arms were tied.

“She lied to me about exactly where my canine was, when it was coming home, what her identification was, what she was accomplishing with my pet, her location,” stated Staben. 

We went to the small business to check out for ourselves.

“Closed indicator, but we’ll consider it, and this is standard business enterprise hrs, it says they really should be open– it is 3:45.”

And which is when we fulfilled Jonathan Steinberg.

“I just came again to see if I could hear my dogs– and I swear I hear one of them in below suitable now,” claimed Steinberg. 

Steinberg is in the identical place as the Staben’s. He handed above his two Labs, Duncan and Cooper, to Rene a 7 days soon after Goose went to instruction.

Steinberg paid around $7,595. 

“Everything was likely as great in the beginning and then when it came to the time, when they ended up having picked up, I started off contacting and contacting and calling she would not give me– I swear which is my dog,” he claimed. 

KOB 4 was there as animal command officers checked the property for the 2nd time in as quite a few times. But with no permission to enter the residence, they left a signed complaint on the doorway against Lisa Berry.

Court records clearly show she has a bench warrant for not displaying up to court docket for an uncleanliness of residence and intact animal expenses in October. She confronted misdemeanor animal abuse charges in Valencia County in 2018 connected to videos of puppies attacking and killing rats.

A fast Google search pulls up her previous firms, which includes Customized K-9 Efficiency with critique indicating: 

“She claims to be a “trainer” but holds dogs captive there. None of her company traces perform simply because she’s a fraudster.”

“Had my pet dog for two months’ household schooling. Missing 20 pounds, about 20{530e870c018efe4faeaf1650f5521f73bbd950ecc9f753be09e2bfdaa8245e82} of his excess weight.”

Google testimonials of Duke City Pet dog Academy say: 

“Money building scheme where by they “pretend” to educate your dog. DISGUSTING!! Not a doubt in my brain that Duke Town is neglecting animals below the guise of training.”

A working day just after our stop by to the assets, and requests for details via the Animal Welfare Division, officers received authorization to enter the residence – they uncovered 35 canines, including Goose.

Officers returned him to the Staben’s a lot more than 20 lbs lighter, coated in feces, with visible abrasions on his mouth

“Now that he’s home I truly feel physically unwell from the stress– it is a enormous relief that he’s Ok but, It is just, it’s horrifying,” said Staben. 

Steinberg was mistaken the working day he considered he observed his pet dog at the kennel. It turns out neither Cooper or Duncan had been at the home.

On the other hand, a man he under no circumstances satisfied returned his canines Sunday night time, both of them visibly skinnier, and one particular of them had many abrasions on his mouth and paws.

On Sunday, we at last obtained a maintain of Lisa Berry on the mobile phone. She stated she “had to leave town suddenly” since of a family members unexpected emergency very last week.

Before that, she explained she experienced a undesirable scenario of the flu in December, so she place some canines at the “fully staffed” Luv N Treatment Boarding Kennel exactly where personnel ended up meant to care for them. 

She saw Goose’s condition when officers returned him to his family. She statements he shed the excess weight around the couple months when she was unwell and then dealing with the loved ones unexpected emergency.

She claims it transpired while she remaining the puppies in someone else’s care who she outlined various moments is “no extended with the business”.

Berry had an energetic license for Duke Town Doggy Academy on Thursday. But, on Saturday, the business enterprise was conveniently marked as permanently shut. 

She mentioned that determination has been in movement due to the fact previous yr, for “a couple causes that have nothing at all to do with this.”

We’re nevertheless ready on a ultimate report from Animal Welfare about the ailments they found inside the Luv N Treatment facility late previous 7 days.

When asked if Berry trains canine for the Albuquerque Police Office, a agent suggests she’s whole of it mainly because they deliver their K-9s out of point out for education.