# Golden Star Family Puppies, NC



## rugbygirl98 (Aug 26, 2020)

Hi, everyone,

I'm looking for a golden retriever puppy to be a companion/pet. My family always had rescue dogs growing up, but I would really like to train a puppy myself, so I've been looking into reputable breeders. However, with all that's going on with COVID right now, puppies are in high demand, and a lot of the most reputable breeders all have extremely long waiting lists. I've already reached out to about a dozen breeders in NC and the surrounding states, and it seems that I would have to wait at least a year if not more to get a puppy. I really don't want to wait over a year for a puppy because the next year or so of my life is really the best time for me to have a puppy and be able to give it the most attention.

So, I found Golden Star Family Puppies, and they seem to be one of the only places with available puppies because a) they don't have waiting lists and b) they seem to have quite a large operation. Their website states that the reason they have so many puppies available is because the work with a "network of dedicated families each raising litters at their own homes". However, from what I've read, it's always suspicious when breeders seem to always have puppies available. Could anyone give me some advice about weather or not getting a puppy from them would be a good idea? Has anyone gotten a puppy from them before?

For reference, Golden Star Family Puppies


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## forgop (May 26, 2015)

It's a puppy mill. They sell every mutt variety of doodles and list no health clearances. Don't spend another minute looking at them. 

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## IntheWillows (Jun 10, 2019)

They breed Doodles and advertise "English Creams" so I'm going to take a wild guess and say they don't do the proper clearances. Pass.

Per their FB comments:

"We really love our aussiedoodle that we got from Golden Star. We’re just bummed that we picked her up with an already established skin infection, a uti and parasites requiring 2 different dewormers. After more than $500 the first week at the vet - it’s been rough."


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## rugbygirl98 (Aug 26, 2020)

Wow, I can't believe I missed that comment. Thank you so much, I will definitely be crossing them off my list!


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## forgop (May 26, 2015)

And $2800 for poorly bred dogs without clearances. You can get a pup from many of the top breeders in conformation with known clearances and titles for much less than that. 

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## Dogsrule2020 (Sep 26, 2020)

rugbygirl98 said:


> Wow, I can't believe I missed that comment. Thank you so much, I will definitely be crossing them off my list!


I was looking at them too and am bummed to hear they are not legit 😫


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Don't be bummed- be proud of yourself that you did some research and stopped before you wasted time and money!


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## GoldenGirlMomma (Nov 7, 2020)

So, I am a bit bummed out personally. I did get my golden from them a bit over a year ago and she seems to be a great dog so far. However, I am looking to get another Golden for my older brother for Christmas (I am deployed and he is watching my girl Sadie while I am gone) as he just lost Autumn who was our family dog for 14 years. Can anyone point me to a good place to get another Golden at a place that is not a puppy mill? I really thought Golden Star Family puppies were a good place to go but the more I hear about puppymills, the more I am worried that I won't recognize another one.


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

If you are set on getting a Golden, and want one that has the best chance of being healthy, and you don’t want to support a breeder who treats their dogs like money-producing livestock, I’m afraid you need to resign yourself to waiting a year or more. If you are willing to do that, the easiest way to quickly separate reputable breeders from disreputable ones is to ask for the AKC number for dam and sire and plug it in at OFA.org and see if they both have the four core clearances recommended by the GRCA Code of Ethics. This would be hips and elbows done when the dogs were at least 24 months old), heart normal according to a cardiologist, and eyes cleared within a year of the breeding. This simple test will eliminate the vast majority of poor breeders.

if your priority is getting a puppy within a given time frame, And you’re willing to roll the dice on health or temperament, PLEASE give up on getting a Golden from a puppy mill, pet store or unethical breeder, and at least save a life by getting a puppy from your local shelter...


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## JMcD (Nov 24, 2020)

DO NOT USE GOLDEN STAR FAMILY PUPPIES -

I have written a google review but would like to reiterate it here as well to save both individuals and families from the same traumatic experience we have gone through...

Please, please do not use this breeder.

I will admit that I fell into their trap. It is tempting to buy a puppy available so soon, especially with such a snazzy and professional website boasting rave reviews. However, the truth is that these people do not care about these puppies. There is no application process (indicating they don't care who the puppies go to). There are always puppies available (indicating a puppy-mill-like business structure). And the bottom line is, these dogs are poorly bred, neglected and unwell.

While I am glad to read that many people have had positive experiences using this breeder, I am concerned for future buyers, but more importantly families looking at bringing a puppy from Golden Star into their homes. We brought our puppy home and within one week of having her, she passed due to unknown, but likely congenital, causes. While this was a traumatizing experience, Owen was very willing to work with us. He offered us a full refund or another available puppy. We wanted to believe that this was a fluke and had never happened before, and so we opted to take another pup. We brought her in to our vet today only to find out that she is underweight, severely lacking muscle, has a sparse coat and worms. We knew that she was one of the smaller puppies in her litter, but these are signs of neglect and/or disease. Finally, the vet informed us that the food she was on (from the breeder) was on the FDA watch list for toxicity and was recently recalled (which the breeder not only did not inform us of, but had provided us with to feed her for the next few weeks). While this breeder may not be malicious or bad natured, they are undereducated and uninformed to the point of neglect when it comes to caring for and recommending how to care for puppies. I am praying that our new puppy will grow to be healthy and strong, as all the other reviews rave of, however, I am concerned. I will not be going back to this breeder and I highly encourage others to steer clear and find another route to bring a puppy into their families.


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## abbbbbby (Dec 9, 2020)

Did your Google review get deleted? I see only 5-star positive reviews. 



JMcD said:


> DO NOT USE GOLDEN STAR FAMILY PUPPIES -
> 
> I have written a google review but would like to reiterate it here as well to save both individuals and families from the same traumatic experience we have gone through...
> 
> ...


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## JMcD (Nov 24, 2020)

abbbbbby said:


> Did your Google review get deleted? I see only 5-star positive reviews.


I was bullied into taking it down by the breeder after he threatened to take our dog away.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

JMcD said:


> I was bullied into taking it down by the breeder after he threatened to take our dog away.


I'm sorry he bullied you, but he has no legal recourse to take your dog away. You bought it, it's your property. If what you posted in the review is factual he can't do anything to you.

I would put your review back, and also state he threatened to take the dog back because of the review.


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