This time my blogpost is not about powerlifting. It’s about life and my Hero, little American hairless terrier dog, AHT. Post is also in english this time, because people around the world needs to know..

If you consider buying a puppy, read this story as a warning.
Don’t support cheating puppymill (like I accidentally did!), who only likes money, and doesn’t care at all about the breed and the dogs.
Story is long, but.. Photos here are low resolution. By clicking them they open a bit larger.
Feel free to ask them from me, if you want to see bigger size. Also if any questions, contact me.. sanna (a) dragonmoon.fi

I have been a dogbreeder myself. I should have known better. Still I believed as this breeder was recommended to me, and I didn’t do my homework. Bad mistake.
Now it is too late. And I have heard similar stories from many people, who have bought a puppy from this same place.

Hero’s registered name is Grand Animal Unbreakable Hero AKCRN40713705 .
Parents Grand Animal Worthy Heir Gin and Sundial Luna Of Grand Animal.
He was born 25.1.2024 and I imported him to Finland in february -24.
Breeder’s name is Mrs Irina Schumak. She is living in Hirschhorn, Germany.

When asking a puppy, Irina told puppy’s parents has been examined for PL, PLL and DM and they are clear, as well as all relatives are clear. But she didn’t send me any proof of those exams at that time.
Now later I have asked to see those exams, but she has refused until 26.3.25 she finally sent me some knee-exam papers, which are atleast partly fake.
Dam’s (Sundial Luna) paper is manipulated, and it is easy to see.
Also I got paper of grandsire (GA My Gin Tonic), showing he actually has patella luxation.

Any other exam papers she didn’t send, even I asked several times.

Puppy got passport from a vet and I was told, all was ok.
Now later I have realised even the passport looks suspicious. The said vet doesn’t have the same address and phonenumber in the internet. When I look google maps, there is no vet office in that address what my passport says.
I emailed to the vet, but I’m still not sure how is the case.

So, I picked my puppy 29.3.24 from Frankfurt airport.
I was waiting Irina, but instead her husband and son came with the puppy. I paid them 1100euros in cash, and 60euros of petrol. Irina wanted only cash. No paypal or banktransfer was acceptable. Deposit was 500e beforehand. I’m sure there’s a reason why only cash was ok..

At home I realised puppy was bloated from his stomach and had no good musclemass. All I could think is, that it was due to poor nutrition at puppytime.

At home I also saw that the puppy had navel hernia. Irina never mentioned that, and I asked about it. She told me her vet checked it and it is closed, nothing to worry about. I have all these conversations saved, as they are messenger conversations.
Hernia was (and still is) possible to press back in, so it is not closed. Also my vet confirmed this at the first puppycheck.
Also vet in Germany in her answer to me, tells it was not closed, so Irina Schumak lied to me from the beginning.

In april -24, quite soon he had arrived,  he started to have skin problems. Which we have tryed to cure in several ways. His skin is very sensitive and gets scabs and rash mostly to legs, but also other parts of the body.
I asked about this from Irina, but ofcourse her dogs and lines has never had anything like this.
Hero is also very reactive and has resource problems.  We have worked with this, but it is his nature. I have found out that the same occurs in her other breedings.

I got my dog’s register paper in december -24 as there were several problems and Irina didn’t really help. I had to give correct colour and sex to the register before I got his regpaper.

In february -25, when Hero had just turned 1 year old, I realised his patella luxated.
I took him to a well known orthopedist, who confirmed it. His tibias are malformed and that causes patella luxation. She recommended surgery.

Link to Hero in our KC database, showing patellas 0/2. As they were examined before the 1st surgery.

Ofcourse I asked also about this right away from Irina. She has said several times she has never heard about it, and her dogs are free from it. Yes, sure. Later she deleted messenger messages, but ofcourse I have screenshots..

I checked some things, and even in Finland we have three dogs with her pedigree name with luxating patella.
https://jalostus.kennelliitto.fi/frmKoira.aspx?RekNo=ER45228%2F16&R=916 (also backproblem)
https://jalostus.kennelliitto.fi/frmKoira.aspx?RekNo=ER52045%2F20&R=916

One of these three is halfsister to Hero, and has had patella surgery too. But she is not in our registry.
Irina doesn’t remember these at all.
I have every now and then mentioned our case in international groups, and people here and there have same issues, and patella surgeries. Skin problems and badly behaving dogs..
I also found out, that Hero’s littermate has had luxation from his puppyhood..

Hero had right backleg PL surgery 6.2.25

At this point vetbills only about the leg were 2500 euros.
So I asked about Irina her responsibility about hereditary issues and a refund. She claims this is not hereditary and her lines are all healthy. And still, I have proof, that my dog’s grandsire has luxation as well as many other siblings. She even said, that all these problems can be caused by the owner!
After things went wrong, Irina has been very rude. She also says it is ok to use a dog with patella problem for breeding.
Her final answer as how she would correct this, is that she can swap dogs. I should send mine to her, and she would send me another one. I don’t know what kind of person can offer something like this.

in june -25 I realised also his left leg luxates. Just like the right one.
So, we have booked another PL surgery, in december -25. I didn’t want to ruin our summer, and put him through all that suffering and isolating right after the first one..

Having PL surgery is not fun. It’s expensive, painfull, stressful, atleast 2 months rehab. First weeks Hero needs surveillance 24/7 and cagerest.
Patella problems should not be taken slightly!!
Skinproblems are a nightmare!!
Bad temperament is not what the breed needs either!!

Hero needs Cytopoint injections and cortisone for his skinproblems, Supplements for skin and joints. We go swimming to dogs swimminghall because of his knees.
I never wanted this and no dog, or owners, should go through all this!!

”Breeder” Irina Schumak, Grand Animal kennel, doesn’t care at all. She’s ready to lie and cheat to cover these problems. What else there is, who knows.
I only ask, never support breeder like this and spread the word, who is not an honest breeder and who is. Things like this ruin the breed.
**UPDATE 25.11.25 Hero’s littersister GA Specialty Pauli has already had puppies for Grand Animal kennel. Mated around 1 year and 5 months of age and no matter about the problems in the pedigree (which Irina has been told, both Hero and his litterbrother)**

Ask testresults beforehand! Hopefully they are digital like in Finland, then you can’t cheat. Papers you can always photoshop. There are many many things which are not tested. With those you can ony trust the breeder. So find a good one! Not a lying one.

I’m not saying, that testing makes dogs healthy. But good results and honest work is the thing which makes future better.