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I want to report the subject chow chow breeder, mi pao kennels. minnie is a dishonest, irresponsible, money-driven breeder who failed to disclose buyers the top "pure breed show" dogs have idiopathic epilepsy. I wish to make it known to other chow pet lovers and cautious them be extra careful if they want to pursue with this breeder.
I have already filed compliants of this breeder to bbb and ckc so they can investigate, act upon and regulate the practice of this breeder.
Our real story dated back in 2015 when both my mom and big brother passed away unexpectedly and accidentally. my other brother and I moved back to live with my father to keep him company. while we both need to go to work, my brother thinks a puppy will certainly help to brighten up and motivate everyone. my brother then starts his research on chows breeder as we used to have a chows and we particularly enjoy the companionship of this breed. he then comes to a conclusion that mi-pao seems to be a reliable and reputable chows breeder in ontario so he contacted the owner, mi-pao and waited for months to get to our turn. we were told there are 2 categories (e.g. show & pet dog) in terms of the pricing for a chow and not a surprise to the pet lovers, show dog despite higher cost are considered with better genes, quality and discipline. we paid for the top show dog at premier price and were told by minnie, one of the owners at mi pao kennel that all chows are healthy.
We took our chow home on apr 05, 2016, the puppy was doing fine until the 1st episode occurred in jan 2017. it was from this time onward, our life turns upside down with the seizures/epilepsy attack gets more frequent and out of control. throughout year 2017 & 2018, we have consulted numerous veterinary, specialists, mri exam. as the causes of seizures remain unknown, it is categorized as idiopathic epilepsy.
The shocking news came from our first visit to the neurologist, drs. susan cochrane at the veterinary emergency clinic and referral centre located at 920 yonge street in apr, 2018, we discovered siblings of our puppy from the same kennel, also diagnosed of epilepsy and happened to seek consultation from dr. cochrane. this finding raises concerns from both dr. cochrane and ourselves in terms of the honesty, professional knowledge and practices of the breeder. as suggested by dr. cochrane, we contacted minnie shortly to find out causes of seizures and asked them to stop breeding to avoid similar situation. at one point the owner of mi pao denied the inherited disorder of the breeds and refused to have further conversation with us. minnie emphasized all their dogs are sickness free and they will not stop breeding. we also contacted and had a long chat with the owner of the sibling of my dog who visited dr. cochrane, her dog had encountered and diagnosed similar genetic seizure issues and fortunately the seizure of her dog is under control. as with our dog, the causes of the seizures seem a lot more complicated which resolution is still in the works. my dog has tried different anticonvulsant drugs and at this point to no avail. due to the unstable pattern of the epilepsy attacks, to prevent my dog from being alone and hurt himself during the attacks, I have to quit my job to monitor and take care of him. this consequence is truly unexpected and I want to share my lessons learned on this breeder. do consider to get chows from a kennel who really cares about their dogs.
Mi pao kennel where this breeder simply shares no sympathy, love and take no responsibility other than making money from their breeding business. minnie called us back in may and suggested us to put down our dog. I find it unbelievable from the mouth of a breeder who supposed to love and passionate about their dogs. I also made it very clear to minnie we love our dog very, very much, despite it may still be a long road we will do whatever we can to seek the right medication and put his seizure under control. putting him down is a no no.
I know this family personally. I have seen first-hand how this has affected their lives. In time of sorrow they looked for that glimmer of hope, love and joy that a dog can bring into a home in a time where they felt a lot of pain. Unfortunately, they unknowingly picked the wrong breeder.
It’s pathetic knowing that the breeder, Mi Pao Kennels was well-aware of the health issues of her dogs but refuses to admit to the problem and take responsibility. How can you continue to breed dogs with history of Idiopathic Epilepsy? This is unethical, and it truly angers me when there is no care as to the effect this will have on the families lives and no regard to the dog’s well-being and happiness.
My friend has been distressed over Toby’s condition and has spent countless of sleepless nights watching over him with worry and feelings of helplessness. This has taken a huge toll on this family and has turned their lives upside down with unconditional love decisions like quitting a job to care for their dog.
Sadly, my friend indicated that he would never get another dog again. I know this family is unable to see beyond this right now and I can understand their heartache, however this makes me sad that they will never truly experience the joy millions of people experience in owning a healthy dog.
In closing, I hope this case is thoroughly investigated to stop the injustice to these dogs and the families . I hope people are careful in their selection of a breeder.
Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences and stories. My heartfelt condolences to the Chows who were innocent in all the poor and unethical breeding practices of MiPao and to the loving parents of those chows. I'm so sorry for your loss. May Toby's spirit live on and may his soul RIP where he can play and be happy in doggy heaven.
I was just about to contact Mi Pao and have decided not to because of your posts. Thank you for spreading the word. I hope justice is served for Toby and any other sweet chows who suffered from their poor breeding practices.
Shame on Mi Pao Kennels - this behavior is unacceptable and I am shocked to learn there is no further regulations from the government. I will do my best to relay stories such as these to anyone out there who is looking for a pet - only word of mouth can stop such behavior from happening again. At least take ownership that something was wrong with the chow chow dog that you sold.
I also bought an incredibly sick dog from Mi Pao way back in 1993. Sick his whole miserable life. Paul and Minnie were far from sympathetic. They made fun of me at the National Chow show. Miserable people with sick Chows.
To Toby's owners.
First I wish to tell you how sad this makes me and how sorry I am for you all and for Toby. As a breeder, I know that things don't always go right with a breeding, but it's important to take responsibility and be there for the owners and every puppy one has a hand in producing.
So others may know, being a show dogs does not equate with health, and no health testing is required by any registry in North America prior to showing and/or breeding. There are breeders out there who love the Chow breed and they health test prior to breeding in order to reduce the odds of producing puppies with health problems. I'm sorry this information doesn't help you, but maybe posting this will help direct others who may be looking to buy a puppy. Take time to find a breeder that does health testing and provides documentation supporting the claims that they do.
Next, I would like to ask if you know who Toby's sire and dam are?
Would Toby’s owners please contact me. Cyndi Eldridge on FB messenger. I would like to help.
We too purchased a chow from Mi Pao last year. We found Minnie and her husband quite cold and somewhat rude, but there wasn’t another breeder close to us. My chow has been limping for months now! At his first visit to a vet named Cliff from Wellington Clinic he diagnosed it as a pulled tricep. He gave some medicine and it did somewhat go away. At this point he was only 5 - 6 months old. It slowly came back on and off and progressively got worst. We called the vet back and they refused to see him unless we decided to neuter him. They didn’t care about his well-being, just again another place of business looking for money! Took us awhile to find another vet and he was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia on both elbows as well as hip dysplasia. He has severe arthritis in both elbows as well. This is a genetic disorder and it is hereditary. When I phoned Minnie she had no concern for my pup just went on the defensive. She claims the mom and dad are fine! My vet has said if she were a responsible breeder she should be doing a screening for this disorder. Minnie has not even called to see how he’s doing! I should have known there was something with this breeder because when we picked up our chow one of the chows of her new litter had passed away from dehydration! That is just complete neglect and cruel! There is no surgery that can be done for my little guy and his arthritis is just being managed by medication. We don’t know how long he has left but we have just hit the year mark with him! We are distraught and love him so much! This was a Christmas gift to my four boys last year and it is our first family pet! I can understand why Toby’s mom doesn’t want to put her pup down, I feel the same way! I also feel the same where I will not get another pet after this experience! I’ve been crying for days and can’t stop knowing his condition and how he’s been in pain for months! He’s a beautiful, fun, loyal and sweet dog! I pray the arthritis doesn’t get worst and we have some more time with him! I can’t stand the thought of losing him!
Hi Leslie,
It's Toby's mom. I was happened to browse through the site again after my complaints years ago. First I am so sorry to your chow. Pray that his situation is improving under right medications. I share all your fear, helpless and pain. However, be strong, don't worry or think about what might happen to your Chow when you have no control. Focus your love and tender care and keep praying will give you then strength, patience and pinger peace to conquer all the ups and downs. No matter what might happen in future, the time you spend with your baby chow worth it all. God bless and I will include you and your chow in my prayers. Don't give up.
Note: Toby returned to Heaven peacefully in our hands this week. He was a real fighter, tough cookie, we are so proud of him. Despite he is no longer with us physically, he never leave us and will stay in our hearts ever and ever.
It's Toby's mom. I was happened to browse through the site again after my complaints years ago. First I am so sorry to your chow. Pray that his situation is improving under right medications. I share all your fear, helpless and pain. However, be strong, don't worry or think about what might happen to your Chow when you have no control. Focus your love and tender care and keep praying will give you then strength, patience and inner peace to conquer all the ups and downs. No matter what might happen in future, the time you spend with your baby chow worth it all. God bless and I will include you and your chow in my prayers. Don't give up.
Note: Toby returned to Heaven peacefully in our hands this week. He was a real fighter, tough cookie, we are so proud of him. Despite he is no longer with us physically, he never leave us and will stay in our hearts ever and ever.
I purchased my beloved Mi Pao Sugar Bear many decades ago when it was rare for anyone to sell a show quality dog to an African American kid growing up in the inner city of Chicago. I wrote Mini when I was in high school about her grand mother escaping persecution from Nazi in Holland and escaping with one pup in tow : Ki Dong King, my Mi Pao Sugar Bear was his descendent. I worked during the summer and saved 600.00 for my dream puppy and that dog changed the course of my life. Thank You 🙏
We have hesitated to write any reviews of Mi Pao because when our first beloved Chow that we got from them died Minnie made us feel like it was somehow our fault that the puppy died around it’s first birthday. It had heart problems which ultimately lead to multiple other issues and it suffered terribly through multiple surgeries and complications. It was such a traumatic time for our family. Shortly after the death of that Chow we contacted Minnie again to buy another Chow puppy, certain that the first experience was an isolated incident. The second puppy arrived with pneumonia. She was treated but never really seemed that healthy. She dropped dead of heart failure shortly after her first birthday. Another traumatic event and another sick dog from Mi Pao. Please reconsider buying a dog from them. Based on our experience and the stories of others I don’t think they are breeding healthy dogs and they are absolutely not willing to take responsibility for their poor animals.
Mi Pao is the only breeder I trusted for me pet Cows . Minni is very nice and friendly . I am shocked at this revue . My experiences were totally the opposite. I have dealt with them for 30 years . I will attach a picture of my Chow Shadow , fantastic , excellent temperament , loved him immensely. Sorry for your experience and the result , but this is the first negative review I have ever read . Mi Pao would be my to go to for a Chow . They were shipped all over the word .
Minni refused to sell a Chow for the money to a family in a car with kids and bald tires . She told them to use their money for new tires .
Thank you