Pets on The Move threaten German Shepherd Rescue with legal action.

Here is the solicitor's letter sent to the rescue

Pets on the Move Ltd, The Strath, Newmilns Ayrshire KA16 9LW is a limited company and a separate legal entity from Greenways Kennels, The Strath, Newmilns Ayrshire KA16 9LW.

Ms Jones, Greenways kennels sued the rescue last year - story below. Ms Karen Jones, Greenways Kennels signed her email below to the rescue:

Karen Jones - Director
Pets on the Move Ltd - Scotland & North West England UK & International Pet Travel
Greenways Kennels & Cattery

Ms Jones is also a director of Pets on the Move

Current Appointments Report for PETS ON THE MOVE LTD 05804306 04/04/2008

The webmaster for Pets on The Move requested a link from us to promote their website, assuring us that 'this would be a long term business relationship'!

From: "Webmaster" <webadmin.links@gmail.com>
Date: 26 February 2008 10:03:51 GMT
To: <jayne@sundialcreative.com>
Subject: Link Exchange Request

Hi, my name is Renu
This mail is in regards to request a link for http://www.petsonthemove.co.uk/pet-travel-specialists.html  on your website as your website is related to our business vertical.
If you would be interested, Please link us with the following linking information.
URL:  http://www.petsonthemove.co.uk/pet-travel-specialists.html 
Link Title Pet travel specialists
If you are interested in this site please let me know and add my link, your link will be up after a confirmation mail from your side.
I assure you that this would be a long-term business relationship. I appreciate your attention and wish you great online business.
Kind Regards
Webmaster
E-Marketing Executive

Greenways Kennels Ayrshire versus German Shepherd Rescue

Latest - The money taken from GS Rescue apparently has been donated to Doberman rescue!!

From: greenwayskennels@hotmail.com
Date: 29 November 2007 21:37:51 GMT
Subject: Re: Your email
Reply-To: greenwayskennels@hotmail.com
Thank you for your email and we respect you for the work so let me tell you a little about us I have donated the money to Doberman rescue and over the last 8 years we have rescued 5 GSD 2 boarder collies 9 cross dogs 1 jack Russell 2 great Danes 3 cats 1 pigeon 4 horses 6 cats 1 rabbit and we also assist in the protection of grey hounds we also sponsor wwl and David shepherd we sponsor the re-homing of cats in Cyprus and be assured I can go on but I do not wish to bore.
Thank you for your time
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

THE BAILIFFS CALLS ON GERMAN SHEPHERD RESCUE. Just when you think someone can't stoop any lower. We at the rescue are wondering what the motives of Karen Jones at Greenways Kennels are. Does she want to see the rescue fold? Why?

"Here is an example of the Great British Legal System ensuring that justice was seen to be done !!! Justice for who? You decide !!

Sept 2007

This month, we were shocked when the Bailiffs called. The rescue is run by volunteers nobody is paid and the rescue has no assets. We at the rescue are wondering what the motives of Karen Jones at Greenways Kennels are. Does she want to see the rescue fold? Why?

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Please note that because of the costs of the recent legal action against us, the rescue will not be able to take in any URGENT rescue cases until further notice. This includes pound dogs on death row. This is deeply distressing for all of us at the rescue.

On 20th July the Great British justice system let down German Shepherd Rescue badly resulting in us now having to seriously cut back our rescue work. Dog's lives will now be at risk because of this.

How could this happen?

In the autumn of 2006, we were contacted by Karen Jones of Greenways Kennels, Newmilns, Ayrshire. She called to ask us to help her rehome a GSD called Zak that was in her possession. Of course, we said that we would be happy to help her. She also offered to help the rescue in any way she could in Ayrshire by home checking or dog assessing.

Shortly after, in Oct 2006 she took a young GSD called Sonny into her possession. A signed affidavit from the previous owner confirms that Sonny was handed over to Ms Jones without any involvement from German Shepherd Rescue.

Mrs Jones contacted us regarding Sonny and we offered to help her rehome him although she stated that she would be able to rehome him easily locally. There was no further contact with Ms Jones after October 2006, we believed that Sonny had gone to a new home.

On 29th December, the rescue was shocked to receive a kennel bill for Sonny for £507 which we immediately questioned. Below is the email from Karen Jones to GSRescue produced in court as evidence:

From: "Karen Jones" <greenwayskennels@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2006 10:47:01 +0000
To: info@germanshepherdrescue.co.uk
Cc: petsonthemove@btconnect.com
Subject: Letter
Thank you for your letter, which you sent recorded delivery, this gives Greenways kennels a clear picture of German Shepherd rescue, our solicitor will now contact the owners, which you spoke to week commencing the 9th of October 2006 and place a 28-day destruction notice on the dog. As you clearly stated we have no written agreement.
Karen Jones

Karen Jones - Director
Pets on the Move Ltd - Scotland & North West England
UK & International Pet Travel
Greenways Kennels & Cattery
Tel: 00 (44)1563 829262 (Scotland)
00 (44)1257 795606 (North West of England)
Mobile: 07810 594637 24 hrs

The email above from Karen Jones clearly states she will "place a 28-day destruction notice on the dog. As you clearly stated we have no written agreement." In our opinion Karen Jones admits here German Shepherd Rescue UK have no written agreement regarding Sonny, yet we were asked for payment of kennel fees and furthermore, we had 28 days to pay otherwise Sonny, not even a year old, would be destroyed.

We arranged for a volunteer to collect Sonny within the 28 days before destruction so that he could be taken to our dedicated kennels in Perthshire. At that point, we had to agree to pay the kennel fees in order to secure Sonny's safety, even though Karen Jones had already stated herself "we have no written agreement". At this point, German Shepherd Rescue UK remain bewildered as to why we were liable for payment other than the fact that Sonny is a german shepherd.

What possible motive would German Shepherd Rescue have for abandoning a young dog in kennels for months if we knew we were responsible for kennel fees? Our funds are precious and we have to use them wisely and for the benefit of as many dogs as we possibly can.

Frightened and worried as to what might happen to Sonny if we didn't rescue him, we wrote a cheque that was handed to Ms Jones on collection which we then cancelled before the cheque could be cashed.

Ms Jones then took us to small claims court, an action which we defended vigorously as Sonny was never registered with German Shepherd Rescue UK at no time did we agree either verbally or in writing that we would be responsible for boarding fees.

This is the sworn affidavit from Sonny's original owner (signed in the presence of solicitor) which was provided as evidence in court. Sonny's owner had nothing to gain from the entire process and had to take time from her own life in order to complete the affidavit. We leave it to our supporters/readers to draw whatever conclusions they may come to as to the motives in bringing this court action against German Shepherd Rescue.

When questioned by our lawyer whilst on the stand as to who were the legal owners of Sunny whilst he was in her care, Karen Jones admitted that it was Sonny's original owners.

The judge presiding today confessed to not being a dog lover and couldn't seem to grasp the idea that someone would consider writing a cheque and cancelling it, just to save the life of a dog. He also suggested German Shepherd Rescue UK could be liable for fraud.

It never crossed our minds that by issuing a cheque to ensure the safe return of Sonny with a view to later cancelling, that this would be described technically as a fraud. It was never our intention to deliberately/intentionally deprive any legitimate claimant of receiving monies that were honestly owed to them.

Our principal and primary concern throughout this whole terrible ordeal was for the wellbeing and safe return of Sonny.

We feel we were left with no other alternative but to issue a cheque for payment. "Pay up or else". We felt we were held to ransom. The consequences for not doing so would have been so devastating and traumatic, - this really was a question of life or death. In this case the deliberate destruction of a young 1 year old dog, who had no voice or say in the matter, whose life was being so recklessly determined for him, all for the sake of somebody who wanted £507 for him. Sonny was on death row. Had we left him to die this would have been against all our principals and beliefs. We are a caring, compassionate, sympathetic and humane group who always consider the life and well-being of any dog - to have turned a blind eye and walked away would have been equally reckless.

It would have left us with blood on our hands

German Shepherd Rescue UK was found GUILTY and now have to pay Karen Jones several hundred pounds, interest and expenses along with our own substantial legal fees.

German Shepherd Rescue has no assets and no income other than the donations we receive from the general public to help us carry on with the rescue.

German Shepherd Rescue UK is a very small rescue run entirely by volunteers with no funding from any major or regular source. Many people believe we are a large and profitable organisation due to our fantastic website. In fact, our website is maintained free of charge by web design professionals. Our regional offices are simply volunteers around the country - who all help out from their home, we have no actual offices or premises.

Please help us by making a donation so that we can help re home more unwanted German Shepherd Dogs. Donations can be sent to Jayne Shenstone, German Shepherd Rescue, Little Vauld, Marden Hereford HR1 3HA. We also accept Paypal payments - just click on the Paypal button below. Thankyou.