# Guardian Angels Service Dogs Inc. (VA)



## ILGHAUS

Service dog provider puts Groves family on alert
Submitted by Fred Davis on July 12, 2012 - 8:35am

Quote:
While the training is part of the issue, Dan Warren, president of Warren Enterprises LLC, which also owns Guardian Angels Service Dogs Inc., a not-for-profit company out of Montpelier, Va., is demanding that the extra money made by the McLeods’ fundraising efforts go to him. In addition to Guardian Angels, Warren also owns Warren Retrievers, a company that breeds Labrador retrievers, which he also uses as the Guardian Angel service dogs.


Service dog provider puts Groves family on alert | The Examiner


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## Beau

Is this the same family and service dog that was discussed in an earlier thread?

Okay, I looked it up myself....not the same family....but it is the same service dog company.

Here's the previous thread:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...ogs/185074-saw-today-little-unbelievable.html


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## ladylaw203

This is in my county. I remember the press earlier and bit my tongue.....


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## Lilie

I'm disappointed to say the least. I would have thought that if I were to pay 20K for an alert dog, it would come to me being able to alert. I can certainly understand the need for additional training. But I would have thought that would be to make sure the family and the dog worked together as a team. 

I don't understand if people think that a certain breed, or blood line will perform a specific task as if by magic.


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## Tatonkafamily

I read the article and I feel for the parents/owners...

BUT - um really $20,000 for a PUPPY? How did they possibly think that a 3 month old PUPPY would be fully trained as a service dog, especially as an alert dog for a person the dog had never met? This puppy would not be in tune to this kid and his body makeup/scents as soon as it came off a plane? Not to mention any normal service dog (ie guide dog, etc) is much older when placed in a home to work, which they admit to knowing...so didn't they question how a puppy would be able to do this? I get the feeling this family did not do enough research going into this and went the easy route by going with the company that delivered the dog to you (rather than having to go to a training center to bond/train and pick up your dog, which is the norm). The fact that they thought they wouldn't have to do any training is amazing to me. 

That all being said, I can see how they just wanted their son to be safe and were easily taken in by this snake oil salesmen!

I do think the company is horribly in its practices and is g-d awful for going after extra money raised. I hope this raises enough attention that this supposed service dog agency is shut down.


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## ladylaw203

People that do not know anything about dog training believe. I have helped folks before that were promised the most outlandish things. Tasks that any of we dog savvy folks would have laughed for days about. Plus when one WANTS so desperately to believe it makes it easier. Folks should do more research


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## Chicagocanine

I read some articles and things about this company, and I am surprised how many families seem to be getting dogs from them. $20,000 for a 7-12 week old puppy that the family them must train themselves? I can't believe this company is even around let alone that they are operating as a non-profit... Where is all this money going? I can't see any way it could be all going into the training of these puppies since they barely have them for a few weeks.
Then there is no guarantee a puppy will make it to being a service dog, even the organizations that have been breeding dogs for service dog work for many years have many dogs that do not make it as service dogs.

According to the comments on that article, this company is claiming to place HUNDREDS of these dogs/puppies per year, which is even scarier.


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## ILGHAUS

Warren Retrievers was one of the winners of 100 cars given away.
Remember, Dan Warren is the president of Warren Enterprises LLC and Guardian Angels Service Dogs Inc.

Quote:
Toyota is giving 100 cars over 100 days to nonprofits that could really use a new set of wheels. And voters like you help decide which one gets a new ride every day.

https://apps.facebook.com/carsforgood/


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## ILGHAUS

Guardian Angel owner far from angelic
Submitted by Fred Davis on July 19, 2012

Quote:
Dan Warren, president of both Warren Enterprises LLC and Guardian Angel Service Dogs, did not respond to several messages left for him regarding information that he was found guilty on seven charges of “uttering” and seven charges of “false statement to obtain credit. Warren, whose name is actually Charles Daniel Warren Jr., was sentenced to 35 years in prison on the uttering charges and 84 months in jail on the false statement charges in the Chesterfield County Circuit Court on April 17, 2008.

Guardian Angel owner far from angelic | The Examiner


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## ILGHAUS

In the same article quoted above are also these statements ...

"Dr. Larry Myers, a canine scent expert and professor at the University of Auburn, has more than 30 years of experience studying dogs’ scent detection abilities and is skeptical of dogs being able to sense changes in a person’s blood sugar — period."

"Myers said there’s plenty of ways to train a dog, and he’s even seen a situation in Missouri where a company, Heaven Scent Paws, was involved in a similar dispute over fundraising and training, or lack thereof. The company ultimately went bankrupt after it was ordered to pay $200,000 back when the Missouri Attorney General filed charges against the company for essentially scamming customers with dogs that couldn’t alert."

http://www.theexaminer.com/stories/news/guardian-angel-owner-far-angelic


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## ladylaw203

This is occurring in my county. I wanted to warn them but sometimes when folk have their hopes so high,they cannot hear...........


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## Chicagocanine

ILGHAUS said:


> Toyota is giving 100 cars over 100 days to nonprofits that could really use a new set of wheels.


Why do I doubt that an organization that is making $20,000 per puppy is really in need of a free car? :crazy:


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## ladylaw203

All about the $$$$$$$$$$


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## ILGHAUS

*Specially trained puppy is a lifesaver for Houston boy with diabetes*

"I am very relieved of Prixsee’s arrival because now at night I don’t have to worry as often of Wesley’s blood sugar dropping in the middle of the night and me not being able to catch it," said his mother, Amber Herrin.

Specially trained puppy is a lifesaver for Houston boy with diabetes | khou.com Houston 
*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

*Family: service dog for diabetic child fails at job*


"Back in March, little Wesley Webb was thrilled to get his black lab puppy to be a diabetes alert service dog. His family named the $20,000 dog Prixsee because they said she would prevent Wesley from needing so many finger pricks to test his blood sugar. The dog came from Warren Retrievers’ Guardian Angel Service Dogs facility in Virginia." 

Family: Service dog for diabetic child fails at job | khou.com Houston


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## SFGSSD

This company has been questioned by professional trainers and has been brought up in a professional trainer group recently. A friend of a professional trainer was asked to seek advice and opinions from professional trainers in regards to their business practices and training methods including a review of the contract. When I reviewed the contract and their training methods, I was in shock. In short, a family receives an untrained puppy and a total 180 hours of training from random trainers the company contracts out. 
While Diabetic Alert Dogs (also known as DAD) can in fact be trained to scent detect low/high blood sugar levels, there are companies that make promises they cannot keep. 
Training a Service Dog properly requires over 2000 hours of training for the dog and over 200 hours of training for the handler. Selling an untrained pup and immediately placing it in the home of the disabled individual full time with a 180 hour training voucher where a trainer visits once every 3 months for two days is just insane! 
I have an owner training program, the dogs are first thoroughly evaluated as well as the owners, and then they spend 2 hours with me 2x a week progressing to GCG, Task training, PAT, night training, then SD certification of all tasks performing at a minimal of 90% proficiency during the day and minimum of 80% proficiency at night. Attempting this with just a few hours of professional training with the client every three months is just asking for trouble on multiple levels. 
I pray the Federal Government will eventually step in and require a Federal License to operate any kind of assistance/service dog business … non-profit or not!


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