The distraught owners say they don`t care about the significant amounts of money they gave to Wilmington DE fraud James Whitten; they just want their dogs back. Dogs were sold on Craig's List. Dogs ended up with new "owners." Dogs ended up at the SPCA. Dogs were retrieved by owners after 20 hours of travel to southern states. Some dogs have yet to be located. Don`t let this happen to you. Take steps to avoid undergoing the trauma that these families and their pet dogs did.
Interestingly enough, the website A Bad Dog No More is no longer appearing on the internet. James Whitten, an unlicensed fraud, is in the wind. Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of this person, with a long list of offenses to his credit, is encouraged to call the DE SPCA 302-998-2281 or DE Crime Stoppers (800) TIP-33333. To read a full account go to http://www.sparkweekly.com/article/20100419/NEWS01/4190331/-1/TERMS
Since colleague and veteran blogger Eric Goebelbecker of DogSpelledForward has already written this excellent blog http://www.dogspelledforward.com/ebook-how-to-find-a-dog-trainer, I will not go into details on the latter subject. However, I would like to stress, that sadly, anyone at all can call themselves a dog trainer. Often a fancy website suggests credibility, but this is often far from the case, especially in the troubling case of James Whitten.
Recently, I added to my own credentials, adding the initials CPDT-KA to my name(Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed.) You can read more about the exam process here: CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS. The latter is a step that any serious and responsible dog trainer should take. As you will read, there are requirements to be met prior to even taking the exam. Had James Whitten been a qualified professional, people would not be currently grieving over their lost pets. Anyone who has taken the time, effort and expense of attaining national licensure, will surely not abscond with your beloved pets.
At the very least, look for someone who is accredited with a nationally known trainer/author with impeccable references, such as Pat Miller. Prior to attaining CPDT-KA, I attended a series of Pat Miller Internships, and became PMCT( Pat Miller Certified Trainer). Do not be taken in by a fancy website and proclamation of experience. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is! Take the time to check references and learn about credentials for dog training professionals. Your pets will be safer. My thoughts and prayers are with the Delaware folks who still search for their dogs.
Leslie Fisher PMCT, CPDT-KA
