A papillon is groomed during the OKC Summer Classic Dog Show in Oklahoma City.
Photo by Bryan Terry, via newsok.com
A breeder of champion Papillon show dogs in Oklahoma has decided to retire, but her plans for her dogs has some in the dog-lover community crying foul. Sharon Hazelbaker has contracted with an auction house to sell some 40 dogs to the highest bidder. According to auctioneer Hank Grosenbacher, the show-quality dogs could fetch between $1,000 to $5,000.
So what’s the problem? Two Papillon rescue groups have expressed concern that the dogs will end up in puppy mills, subject to horrible conditions and overbreeding:
“The (puppy) millers will spend that kind of money to get these dogs,” she said. “I know they will be there waiting for us. They want to get us into a bidding frenzy.” . . .
“No dogs belong in a puppy mill, but these dogs are especially fragile. To go from a kennel environment to a mill environment is atrocious. I’ve seen some things at dog auctions that are enough to make you cry.”
For her part, Hazelbaker thinks that this is much ado about nothing, and that only serious show-dog breeders will buy the dogs, as a way to improve their own bloodlines.
What do you think?
Click here for the full story.
Please help save these Papillons from life in a puppy mill–a very likely outcome of this auction unless sufficient funds can be raised to save them from this fate. No responsible breeder would auction off their dogs. No responsible breeder would purchase dogs at an auction. Your help is needed so that these dogs can live out their lives in loving homes, not being repeatedly bred in tiny, dirty cages in a puppy mill:
Donations can be made to:
Go Fund Me : https://www.gofundme.com/htt494
PayPal : papadopters@comcast.net (include a note that your donation is for the Hazelbaker Paps)
If she is such a reputable breeder, why is the USDA involved. If these breeder dogs of hers are in such good shape and well cared for, why no pictures of them. The only pictures on the auction site are 3 to 4 older pictutes from years ago. And why would she think rescues who want to spay and neuter these dogs be using them to improve their bloodlines? What bloodlines? Funny how that is. If reputable breeders wanted to purchase her dogs, she wouldn’t have to have an auction at her house.
i cannot imagine how a reputable breeder of champion show dogs could place her dogs on the auction block. If she truly cared about these dogs and their futures, she should have handled her “retirement” differently. Why didn’t she try to contact other championship breeders and see if they were interested? Also, why did she not honor the contracts on the ones she had with a “no sale” contract instead of placing them in the auction? By disposing of them through an auction she shows no respect for them & clearly shows she only cares about the money.
Horrific! Release these dogs to rescues. This woman is either a miller or has lost her mind! She isnt honoring her contracts with other breeders. The dogs and community don’t deserve this…I know karma will catch up with her, but hope it hurries.
My thoughts?? 1) Put an end to this inhumanity. STOP SELLING DOGS IN AUCTIONS. PERIOD.
2) to refer to yourself as a “champanion show breeder” is showing a complete disrespect for people (and their dogs) who actually are champion show breeders. This Sharon Hazelbaker has neither shown nor had a dog shown for her in many, many years. These events are published. Champion lines show up on pedigrees. None of which does with this woman’s dogs. You will not find a refer to her or her kennel anywhere in the show ring. How do I feel about this? This woman is a liar, plain and simple. 3) to allow your dogs to be sold to random strangers, without any knowledge of what they intend to do with the dogs, well, its a form of animal cruelty. How do I feel about this? Sharon Hazelback, may you rot in Hell.
This breeder auctioning her dogs says they are top show-quality dogs, but there are only 3 champions in the auction and they are old. And FYI, 5 single points does not indicate a “strong show career”. I cannot find any ‘recent’ records of any of her dogs being shown. It appears that she is mostly auctioning off un-shown, unproven brood-stock. (Unproven means they are neither champions themselves nor producers of champions). Dog show results are posted publicly by the show superintendents.
Furthermore, neither the auction catalog nor the news article say anything about health clearances or PRA1 status. Sound like typical byb (backyard-breeder) or puppy mill dogs. I hope your readers take the time to search “dog auction” on YouTube so they can see for themselves how it works.
She is no “show breeder”. At best, she is a disgraced “has been”. And a despicable person for auctioning her dogs in this manor. I hope the rescue effort is successful dispute the news article being biased and incomplete.
Auctioning a dog in inexcusable. Are you serious NO puppy mills at an auction? Really, they will walk in and announce themselves? Hello, puppy mill here to buy. Only bought by reputable breeders? Really? NO reputable breeder buys their dogs from auctions. They get their dogs from carefully planned litters with much thought and attention to the dog they are adding to their home. This woman has put on rose colored glasses so she doesn’t have to look at herself in the mirror and see the horrid person she has become. A person who would auction off dogs who I am sure look at her as their world. The rescues want to steal her lines? Omg they have spay neuters set up, veterinarians on call to do everything from vetting to teeth cleaning because I am sure they got none of that in her home when she is so bad off financially she can’t pay her USDA fines. BTW USDA fines are for improperly caring for the animals in you took responsibility for! Now who is really the puppy mill. A puppy mill breeds and sells puppies with no regard or care for the breeding dogs hmmmmmmm. A lot of puppies in this auction. As someone eloquently put it above rot in hell and watch out for karma. May all these precious babies be saved from a life with yet another puppy mill.
It is horrendous what this woman is doing with these dogs. She is despicable and does not represent ETHICAL breeders by any means. I pray the rescuers are able to outbid the puppy millers… God willing
Reputable breeders do not put their dogs on an auction block. This is a senseless act, one that has kept many of us up at night working hard to keeps these dogs out of mills. Although the current owner may view these dogs as items, reputable breeders are picking up where this woman failed to give these dogs a life they deserve. May you sleep well little ones and I only pray you all will be OK. We are working our selves to death to try to save you.
Again no REPUTABLE breeder would put dogs on an auction. Nor will REPUTABLE breeders buy dogs from an auction. Did any one ask Sharon if she has ever bought any of her stock from an auction. She had other was to disperse her dogs, but chose not to. To state that her dogs will not go to puppy mill is crazy. You have no control over where those animals go once they are bought. Dogs will be sold in lots, no private party is going to buy a pet that way an no reputable breeder is going to buy a dog that way. This is all about how much money she can get, plain an simple. Not to mention the dogs under “no sale” contract an she has chosen not to honor that, sad as well. Those dogs have done their work for her, made her money an this is how she repays them. Sad very sad. I think this woman is playing the victim very well for the media. I pray that these dogs are saved. I pray that anyone that reads this an can read through what she has stated will find in their hearts to go to the funding page an donate. Ever dollar counts. Save the Hazelbaker 41
oh an to clarify, the rescue groups are involved, but it was a group that has a love for the breed that has done the raising of money to try to rescue these dogs. We have agreed that dogs purchased will be turned over to the rescue to be vetted an rehomed in forever homes. We all are concerned that they will end up in puppy mills to only be bred an make money for those people.
I spent over a year looking at breeder web sites for a papillon, and none of them had this many dogs available at once. Most dogs were home raised and socialized from birth by the breeder. How could she possibly have done that with so many dogs at a time? To even housebreak them all would seem an impossible task. I had to fill out long application forms and pass a house inspection before a rescue group would consider me as an owner, and then sign a contract to return the dog if I did not keep it. There is something very not right about this auction.
Reputable breeders do not put their dogs to Auction. A reputable breeder would spend time investigating and finding a suitable home for each individual dog. A reputable breeder would be more concerned about the dog than about the amount of money she is hoping to raise. A reputable breeder would put the dogs first and her needs last. A reputable breeder would enlist the help of other reputable breeders if she was not in a position to look after the dogs due to illness etc. so that the canine community could assist. Actions speak so much louder than words. Clearly the Papillon community around the world is outraged with Hazelbaker actions. This is not the behaviour of a reputable breeder.
Bottom line, MONEY. That is all this bi#ch cares about. She is funding her retirement off of those dogs backs. Her name Hazelbaker is not going down in history as a reputable breeder, it will be as a sell out. No true breeder that cares for their dogs would do this. I’m praying karma makes a visit to miss Sharon. I feel real sorry for any dog that has had the sad demise to come into your life.
How can she say no puppy mill people will be there. Is She going to screen them? How can she know who will bid, and for what purpose? She can’t. For all she knows, and cares, these dogs could be used at bait dogs –
Her knees were replaced over a year ago, and the divorce ongoing for more than a year – so it isn’t like she was caught off guard. She can not think for one moment that an auction is the best way to find hoes for these dogs. And no one who want a pet will come – to bid on 4 dogs because they want one pet. I wish the media would show up and take pictures of everyone that shows up, get the addresses of everyone who gets a dog and follows up on them. I hope every puppy mill that comes is exposed. Only caring people can save all these dogs, and that only because greed and selfishness prevents this type of sale from being outlawed.