Another Victim of Shady Rescue’s Greed
Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue in Yakima has added another victim to the long list of people it has scammed by selling her a dog with a number of horrible health problems.
As I documented last December, Rising Phoenix founder Trisha Prater constantly dupes well-intentioned people who want to adopt a rescue dog by selling them dogs with a variety of ailments and physical problems despite the fact that its website clearly states that the adoption fee includes “medical treatment to address any medical issues like cherry eye, entropia, tumor removal.”
This “guarantee” is a lie.
This is Bruno the day Trisha Prater (in picture) brought him to his adopter. He only weighed 126 pounds – very skinny for a mastiff. He now weights a healthy 170 pounds. Photo credit withheld.
Sure, some people have adopted dogs from Rising Phoenix that were perfectly healthy, but this appears to be more of a fortunate accident than by design. Based on dozens of online reviews and information adopters have given me, Ms. Prater has adopted out a significant number of dogs with major health issues when she found them or developed them while in her care.
I learned of the most recent example when a woman contacted me about the dog she adopted from Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue in April.
Ms. Prater told her that the dog “still had a few issues and some weight to gain but other than that” the vet said he was in good health.”
This Was a Horribly Sick Dog
Here’s here’s how the adopter described to me what Ms. Prater classifies as “good health”:
“after we got out of the car we could smell something very odd but couldn’t quite figure it out. She (Ms. Prater) then opened the back of a vehicle where (the dog) was in a kennel and the vehicle did not have any windows open and parked in full sun it was approx 69 degrees outside. she said they had been waiting for an hour for us. after she opened the back this pungent smell filled the air it was like something rotting and overwhelming then I saw (the dog’s) face his eyes were swollen and filled with green and yellow goop and he was shaking his head. She exclaimed it was the issue she told me about, that he had an ear infection and scars on his hind end from chewing himself raw and actually chewing on his own bone… I was so shocked at the sight of him I decided to take him and get him out of this woman’s care so I paid and filled out an adoption contract loaded him into my car and left as fast as I could! His smell was so bad we had to keep all the windows down on the way home… (he smelled) like rotting flesh, sickness and dog poop.”
When Bruno arrived was so thirsty it drank about 6 gallons of water in 3 hours. She told me that “When he peed it was brown and the smell was like nothing I can describe.”
Because he arrived on the weekend she planned to take him to the vet on Monday, but the next morning she rushed him to an emergency vet because his testicles had swollen so much they looked like “softballs.”
Here are a list of the health problems both the emergency vet and the adopter’s vet found after examining this poor dog:
- a skin infection
- severe conjunctivitis
- ear infections “so bad you could not make out where his ear hole was”
- a broken tooth
- a hematoma on his scrotum from the neuter surgery
- long, cracked toenails
- staph infections in the sores on his feet, back, and neck
The vet said that, at 126 pounds, Bruno was severely underweight. He also said Bruno was in such bad shape she “(shouldn’t) plan on him being on this earth much longer.”
Dedicated Mom Saves Bruno
I’m not a veterinarian, but I can’t imagine any circumstance where he would have been considered in good health. In my opinion, Ms. Prater lied about about Bruno’s health so she wouldn’t lose the $468 adoption fee she charged the adopter.
Fortunately for Bruno, his new mom dedicated herself to help him recover. For the first 2 weeks she had his she gave him medicated baths, put ointment in his eyes and on his sores, gave him antibiotics, and fed him 16 cups of food a day to get his weight up.
Bruno loves his new brother. Other than a lingering ear infection, his is now healthy. His new family has spent $1500 on his medical treatment since they adopted him in April. Photo credit withheld.
By the time Bruno saw the vet again his condition had improved considerably. Bruno’s mom told me that the vet “had tears in his eyes and told her “he didn’t think he would ever see the dog again.”
Bruno’s progress continued for the next few weeks; he still has ear infections, but has otherwise recovered thanks to his new mom’s determination to help him heal. And his weight is up to 170 pounds (an increase of almost 50 pounds).
She told me Bruno has an exceptionally sweet disposition and gets along with anyone he meets.
She already spent about $1500 on vet exams and medication in the last 2 months. That number will undoubtedly increase until he has completely recovered from the cruel treatment he endured at Rising Phoenix.
The most infuriating part of Bruno’s story is that he didn’t have to suffer. His health problems were easily treatable.
But, as she has done with dozens of other dogs, Ms. Prater let his health problems fester so she didn’t have to pay a vet to diagnose and treat him.
Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue is NOT a rescue. It rarely takes sick dogs to the vet. Adopters rarely get vaccination records. It often adopts out dangerous dogs or dogs with behavior problems are with no temperament testing. Ms. Prater rarely returns phone calls made by people who adopted a dog with any health or behavior problem. She doesn’t vet potential adopters to determine if their home is appropriate for a dog or a dog is appropriate for a potential home.
Rising Phoenix is simply a business that buys and sells dogs instead of some other product.
It’s also a cash cow for Ms. Prater. She spends as little as possible on each dog and then sells them for hundreds of dollars.
Please spread the word about this fake dog rescue that profits off the pain and suffering the dogs it purports to help.
If you’re considering adopting a rescue mastiff, contact Mastiff Rescue Oregon or email Tammy Weaver at mslynn03@yahoo.com. She lives in Washington and is well-connected in the mastiff rescue community.
Here are my other posts about Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue:
Dozens Say Dogs They Adopted from Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue Were Sick, Emaciated
Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue Skirts the Rules and Snags Dog from California Shelter
Woman Says She Adopted a Dangerous Dog from Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue in Yakima
Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue Lies to Another Family About the Dog They Adopted
Sounds like Ellen Dean Roth. She did this to one of our mastiffs. Watch out for these kind of people and the breeders that support them. I could name a few in my situation that supported the neglect that was done to the poor mastiff. Abuse is abuse and should be punished. Usually as in my case the woman had many cases of neglect and with horses and other animals.
Do you remember the name of her rescue?
Thank you for speaking out Seattle Dogspot!
Thanks!
This has been going on for YEARS! If this woman wasn’t registered as a rescue I think she would be able to be arrested for animal neglect and abuse. I don’t understand how come animal control in her area has not prosecuted her for charges of failing to provide animals with medical care. To sell dogs like that for almost $500 is absolutely ridiculous! This is the failure of the Washington animal protection laws that allow people that pay a simple registration fee to then be permitted to go unabated to subject dogs to such misery period any private owner would be fined and have the dogs removed from their home but because she’s a registered rescue she’s allowed to get away with it? Shame on Yakima for not shutting her down.
This hurts my heart. Innocent animals taken advantage of for pure profit. It’s dog trafficking. I will admit it. She scammed me. My vet bill was close to $2000 with the dog I rescued. The vet who did her Rabies vaccine in Yakima could not get off the phone fast enough when I called. As soon as I asked questions they answered, “the only dealings we had with that dog was her Rabies vaccine!” When I asked if she was examined and whether the laceration on her hip was addressed. The vet just repeated the above statement. I found out that when dogs are shipped out of WA by land. They only need a current Rabies Vaccine which explains why the rest of the vaccines where written on a piece of paper with no actual proof that they have ever been given. This lady was horrible to me. Accused me of being the reason why the dog I adopted had huge fear aggression towards other dogs. And when I asked her about the teeth marks on her head she denied them being there when under her care. As soon as she found out that I had shared our conversations with others she cut off all communication with me. Yet managed to slander me to the lady who had picked up the dog I had adopted. Causing tension between us. But this to is ok. Do your research. Get others info on the rescue that you wish to use. Do not trust one persons opinion. Not all people have your best interest in mind. I love dogs and would love to rescue again. But my heart needs to heal first. Thanks Robert for sharing this info. People need to be aware of this individual and others out there just like her.
Thanks for telling about your experience. I’m glad you were able to find an appropriate home for her.
Why is she being protected rather than being investigated and shut down?! This is rediculous! Why the hell do these terrible people get away with the abuse/neglect they are inflicting on helpless beings? I think a news station needs to do a story about this and her face needs to be plastered on Facebook pages, Yelp, anything that can get the word out so this monster can claim no more victims. I know, she can change the name of her “rescue” or move, but it’s worth a shot.
WA animal cruelty laws are notoriously weak, and she keeps the dogs hidden at various foster homes until they are adopted. The best way to stop her is to continue to get the word out about her and posting this wherever you can.
Hey Robert. Do you know if she goes by any aliases? I run a rescue in Yakima too and I think she is plucking dogs up off the local FB lost and found pages. I would also very much like to know the name of the vet who rabies vaccinated the dog above. I am compiling a list of local vets whose ethics leave much to be desired. I an almost guess which one it is.
I’ll email you later today
It is not animal control or Yakima County we should be shaming. It’s the laws that allow this rescue to keep going. We need stronger laws. We need more funding to investigate and charge these type of people. Washington needs change!
Absolutely.
They call themselves a charity and collect money as such. I’ve checked them out twice now. Their paperwork with the Secretary of State hasn’t been valid for over a decade. The Board for the non-charity lists only her family. I know of two dogs now that she’s stolen from someone dropping their dog off (boarding/foster) and she wouldn’t give their dog back. One was sold. The other was secretly bought back for the gal. This people makes me sick!
I stand corrected they renewed with WA SOS. But their business license has expired. Need one to do the other.
Could not find their Fed EIN number either. Need that as well.
Even non-profits have to pay taxes.
I hate to say it but I think some so-called rescues are just using dogs to make money. They pull dogs from kill shelters and then market them for $300 and up. I adopted a dog they lied to me and said he was crate trained, which I needed to make sure he was to protect my resident dog until I trusted the dog. He was not. And he went crazy in the crate. I took him back the next day and they guilted me into “donating the 300$ fee” which was refundable. I spend 1000$ on 2 giant crates, blue buffalo bag of food and chew toys.
Most rescues are legit and I don’t blink to pay 200$ or so to cover the vet bills and vaccines they give but people like this need to be shut down!
Yes, most rescues are legitimate but Rising Phoenix is all about buying and selling dogs to make as much money is possible. Thanks for sharing your experience.