Seizure Alert Dogs for Life Inc.

[ILGHAUS]

Yes, his name is coming up quite often.

has prompted the state attorney general’s office to launch an investigation,

The State Attorney General's office does not get involved unless there is evidence to give heavy indication that (usually multiple) charges have substance to back them up.

[AbbyK9]

For what it is worth, I did not realize until now that this was in my particular area of New York. I thought he was located downstate but it appears he is upstate in the Watertown area, although I am not sure where. (His website doesn't say.) His latest court case against one of his former trainers was in court in Canton, NY, which is about an hour from where I am.

Interestingly, his website says the following,

All dogs are licensed in New York as Service Animals prior to delivery.

I wonder how they "license" the dogs as Service Animals? I am not aware of New York having any specific test to "license" Service Animals. However, New York's Markets and Agriculture Law covers Service Dogs under the "fee waived" category of dog licenses (as in, county or city tags). I wonder if that's what he means when he says they are "licensed" in New York.

My Therapy Dog is licensed under the same law ... meaning she gets her DOG LICENSE for free because she's a Therapy Dog. NY law exempts SAR, police, military, therapy dogs, and service dogs from licensing fees. In some areas, their tags say "SAR dog" or "therapy dog". (In my town, they don't. They're regular licenses except we don't pay for them.)

[AbbyK9]

And another ... this is the case that just went to court, Sabin vs. Burke. He claimed that his trainer, Burke, did not train the dogs. I expect this will come up in the cases against Sabin.

Watertown Daily Times | Judge rules trainer must return dogs to training company

Mr. Sabin filed a $250,000 lawsuit Dec. 13 against former trainer Cynthia Burke, DeRuyter, charging her with failing to train dogs properly and allegedly lying to clients about his dogs’ abilities.

[ILGHAUS]

WatertownDailyNews.com
South Colton dog trainer accused by clients of duping them
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011
By Josh Gore

Quote:
Over the years Mr. Sabin has been charged with harassment, issuing bad checks, contempt of court and other minor crimes. He threatened to sue the county after he was indicted for second-degree grand larceny in 2006.

and

Quote:
Mr. Sabin was accused of trying to steal land from a Rossie woman. He allegedly told her he was representing the Kanienkehaka Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Wabanaki Confederacy ... Charges were later dismissed when tribal elders refused to break Indian tradition and swear an oath before testifying.

Watertown Daily Times | South Colton dog trainer accused by clients of duping them

[AbbyK9]

It should probably also be noted that he claims all his dogs work toward a BH. I wonder how he does that. There is only ONE Schutzhund club in this area and it's 3 hours away from me ... 4 hours for him. I doubt he takes all his dogs-in-training there every week.

[AbbyK9]

I sure hope this is true. It would be good news.

Dog training company accused of duping clients might close - The Daily News Online: News

A seizure alert dog training company that is under investigation by the state attorney general’s office might close, according to its attorney, David P. Antonucci. Seizure Alert Dogs for Life, owned by Jon C. Sabin, is accused by many clients around the country — including Batavia — of selling dogs that don’t do what Sabin said they do. Several of his clients have children who suffer from epilepsy and were told the dogs would alert them minutes before a seizure occurs.

“I have decided to finish my existing contracts. I am then shutting SADL down for good,” said a post on the company’s Facebook page Jan. 10, according to the Watertown Daily Times. “New clients have been contacted by a vicious mob and told to withdraw from contracts with SADL.”

[ILGHAUS]

I have merged various threads on the same topic together for those interested in following the storyline and legal actions.

[ILGHAUS]

Seizure Alert Dog Trainer Not Answering Subpoenas
By Josh Gore
Jan. 28, 2012

The owner of a South Colton seizure alert dog training company accused by his clients of duping them has failed to answer subpoenas from the state attorney general.

http://www.mpcourier.com/article/201...89966/-1/DCO01

[ILGHAUS]

Attorney General: South Colton dog trainer must cease operations

By Josh Gore

He is accused of deceptively promoting service dogs by inflating or fabricating their pedigrees, training and background. He allegedly deceptively represented the dogs’ level of training or their ability for service work by written, oral and other false representations. He also reportedly failed or refused to return money to customers once the deception was revealed or the animals failed do what was represented.

Watertown Daily Times | Attorney general: South Colton dog trainer must cease operations

[ILGHAUS]

AG gets service dog money back for Cape Cod family
Thursday, Feb 9, 2012

... the AG's office was able to retrieve the money from the company ...

AG gets service dog money back for Cape Cod family