If you Google "Mindy Richards bengal" this post is the first result that comes up. Probably not good for business

I am unsure why this forum is conducting a witch hunt regarding this person. She may be far away in the US, but I thought that naming and shaming was not a feature of this forum.
Many have had dreadful dealings with breeders throughout the years, but every time the breeder's name was erased from posts.
Why does this breeder's name continue to be blazoned across this thread?

Yes, but I thought forum policy was not about naming and shaming. Does this person know she is being maligned in this way? Does she in fact deserve it?
Two sides to every story.

In 2010 a big, prominent and "well respected" European breeder, who was very high up in Bengal circles, was prosecuted for abuse of her 94 Bengals, many cats lived in shocking conditions and 42 were put down immediately due to being so ill they were not going to survive, I didn't see her name emblazoned over the forum at the time. It was discussed in detail of course and many knew exactly who she was, but the forum did not name her.

There are a lot worse indiscretions carried out in the name of cat breeding, than a breeder who has TF in her cattery or is breeding cross kittens or is even supplying cats to research labs. Animal breeding can be a very dirty business.
However is it really the place of the forum to name and shame anyone? or is it open season for anyone who has a gripe with their breeder?
Even the FB "evidence" of the list of breeders supplying to labs gave the disclaimer - "to the best of our knowledge", that doesn't seem to be the case here, she is hung, drawn and quartered and left out to dry.

I actually don't read it as a witchhunt.

It started by somebody asking if we knew anything of this breeder. Rather than them coming on here in a name and shame way.

If it upsets you, why not report the post to the Moderators rather than keep the thread going?

_________________
Lollo

I just purchased what I am assured is a purebred ragdoll kitten from a shoppe in NYC. I asked to see the breeding papers before purchase and got the same rundown as most others (they have 120 days to send proving its a purebred ragdoll or my money back) -- but the breeder's name on what little paperwork I do have is "Mindy Richards" and this forum is the only available information on her. Eep.

I've had the gorgeous little guy for less than 12 hours and paid $1,700 for him. I know I was assuredly taken for a ride on price (ragdolls are hard to find in NYC proper and I'm unable to drive, so I rationalized as convenience surge + beautiful cat!) but for that amount of money you'd think I could sleep easy that it's a purrfect kitten from a healthy home and won't have problems ahead. Wondering how the OP's story turned out and any advice to calm my nerves?

Ragdollfriend it's too late now, but for future reference you can Google pet store kittens and find out that pet stores are probably the last place you would want to buy a pet. Responsible breeders do not sell to pet stores, but backyard breeders with inferior kittens/puppies do. I used to live in Manhattan and I purchased two Maine Coon Cats while living there and I did not have a car or drive either, one breeder from upstate brought the kitten to me and the other one I flew to Florida and back in one day to pick him up.

$1700 is an exorbitant price for a Ragdoll, even in NYC. I just did a quick Google search and right away I found a beautiful CFA Ragdoll kitten available in Sussex, NJ (about 50 miles from NYC) for $650 with vaccinations complete and a vet check with a health certificate. You could have used a car service to pick him up or taken the bus from the Port Authority and the breeder probably would have met you half way and you would know exactly what you were getting, while having the opportunity to speak to the breeder and have ALL of your questions answered (not to mention all while saving a bundle of cash).

I hope this helps you in the future, but just love and enjoy your new kitten and I hope that he is healthy and happy in his new home.

Hi All,
Let me start by Saying that I joined this forum just to explain my dealings with this cruel breeder Melinda richards. I bought a siamese cat from a pet store in danbury CT (i know i know, never buy from pet store!). The kitten is the best cat in thw world BUT she has a mysterious health issue that has been with her since I got her at 12 weeks old in May 2015. She has chronic soft stools and hasnt pooped right since I got her. I have spent just over $4000 on vet bills. Yea I know what your thinking ( yeahh right) but I am not lieing. We have done 4 different fecal testings, PCR testing, 2 cycles of blood work, 2 treatments with Flagyl, 1 treament with tylcan (spelling) powder and 1 deworming treatment. We have tried a Proibiotic and Hills script diet. All have not worked so most recently we spent $2000 on 6 biospys of her stomach organs. They noticed swollen lynph nodes as well so biospied those To. We are currently 5 days out from her surgery and hopefully will have the results this week. Which I will post just incase someone is experiencing the same thing and can save the money we spent. This is all that comes up for the breeders name so please keep this blog alive because she is still out there KILLING animals. Not to show off but what if I didnt have $4000 to spend on doc bills? The kitten wouldn't be here right now. We are in the works of getting reinbursed from the pet store and they are getting sued as well, the owner just went to jail for doing surgery on a dog and hes not even a vet!! i want to make sure this breeder pays for this, so please if anyone else sees this post, feel free to add so we can save animals lives. The pet store had bengal cats too that I am sure came from her. Sorry for the typos, this print is too small to spellcheck

I am so very sorry to hear about your kitty. Hopefully, the surgery will be successful. We get a lot of posts about breeders. You purchased your kitty from a pet store. Was this breeder providing the cats to the store? This is a fairly old post and I did not read the previous pages. I gather that this particular person does not have a website or Facebook page for her breeding program and people are questioning her qualifications and the type of kittens she is selling -- many with health issues. Hopefully, you will get some type of satisfaction from the pet store, especially if your kitty came with a health guarantee. Let us know how things turn out.

I just got my cat this year and this post started in 2012 with cats coming from pet stores in NYC too. She deff is still selling kttens but only to pet stores. We got the results back and they said it could only be IBD as every test came back negative. My thoughts are ether TF that wasnt spotted on PCR panel or IBD caused from poor breeding conditions ans damage from various parasite infects at the breeder and pet store. We are changing the DIet from hills WD to Hyperallegenic Hills diet. We are going to do a colon flush for TF testing of the new diet does not work. Its very Rare from what I hear for a kitten to have IBD at 4 months old.

Just know that even the best breeders may inadvertently sell a kitty who ends up getting sick! It just happens!

There are some other issues with this particular breeder if you google her name. I am not familiar with Craigslist's requirements in find homes for pets. I do know bad people are out there looking for pets they can maim -- a guy in Virginia got a free dog off CL, it bit him, he tied up the legs, bound up the mouth, and set the dog on fire! You have to be careful of cruel people who just want an animal to hurt -- bait dogs are prevalent as somehow some weirdos get a kick of of watching and betting on dog fights. Thankfully, Tennessee is setting up an animal cruelty registry. Unfortunately, the names will be kept on there only two years unless the person has two convictions. Then it's 5 years. There are so many tales of cruelty, that you need to be careful when you advertise a pet on these other types of websites. I've never checked the eBay classifieds, but most recommend a small re-homing fee which can be donated to a animal charity.