Puppy 'Ponzi scheme.' Former clients accuse Ohio dog breeder of bilking them of thousands

Benjamin Duer, Canton Repository
·7 min read
Barbara Jasinski of Massillon said she lost $1,400 trying to buy a puppy from a breeder in Mahoning County. "I love dachshunds. I thought two would be cool." She later bought this goldendoodle, Sadie.
Barbara Jasinski of Massillon said she lost $1,400 trying to buy a puppy from a breeder in Mahoning County. "I love dachshunds. I thought two would be cool." She later bought this goldendoodle, Sadie.

Barbara Jasinski feels conned.

The Massillon woman said she spent $1,400 on two dachshund puppies and never got them from the breeder in the Beloit area in Mahoning County. Now she can't get her money back.

"I'm never going to see it," Jasinski said.

She's not alone.

Former customers of a backyard breeder, April Waidman, have called her operation a puppy "Ponzi scheme" and accused Waidman of promising the same animal to multiple buyers while pocketing the money. For the lucky buyers who get a puppy, they claim the dog comes sick with worms.

"I just can't believe I got involved in this. I can't believe I got taken," Jasinski said.

Waidman, also known as April Simon, sells mini dachshunds and English bulldogs. Her buyers know her by either Waidman or Simon. Her business has used different names, including Simon Doxies, Simon Bulldogs and April Doxies. She also uses April Marie.

Waidman, contacted at her home her home this week by a reporter, didn't have much to say.

"I hope you get the truth," she said after opening the door. She would not comment further or accept a business card for commenting later.

Waidman is now the subject of a criminal investigation with Goshen Township police, which covers the Beloit area. She now faces 32 charges of theft, including 18 felony counts, in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court after being indicted Thursday by a grand jury.

Waidman already has lost multiple cases in small claims court, most recently last week.

Waidman's attorney Jeff Jakmides, out of Alliance, said he had no comment on the investigation or pending legal matters.

Police Sgt. James Dubiel said he had received an "influx of reports" from former buyers.

"She knows what she's doing," said another buyer, Kassandra Maillis, 31, of Struthers.

April Waidman's dog critics: 'This is not a hate group.'

Her critics have established a private Facebook group dubbed "April Simon of Simon's Bulldogs/Daschunds is a scammer/abuser." There are at least 80 members. They live across the U.S. and Canada; from California to Maine, and Ontario, Canada, to Florida. To join, you message the Facebook profile, Amber-Fred Kruger.

The Canton Repository surveyed the group and interviewed a dozen people for this story. All, including Jasinski and Maillis, shared similar stories. They said Waidman is nice until she's criticized.

Kentucky resident Amber Tucker, one of the group's founders, said Waidman has called them a "hate group." Tucker runs the Amber-Fred Kruger account.

"This is not a hate group. We share what she’s done to us and her lack of responsible animal husbandry and she doesn’t like it," she said.

Waidman's critics: Here's how they think the puppy sales works

The group said Waidman advertises her business — which is still in operation — across social media and the internet, mainly on her own page and breeding sites. She also has a TikTok account.

The buyers have included individuals, families and other breeders.

The group believes Waidman pre-sells litter spots, or puppies that not yet be born, at discounts to multiple buyers — often the same spot or puppy — and can't deliver to all of them. The group said some buyers will get puppies from the litter while others don't.

Kassandra Maillis, right, with her husband, Michael, have been trying to get refunded from dog breeder April Waidman. Maillis recently won a small claims judgment against Waidman. Also pictured is Kali.
Kassandra Maillis, right, with her husband, Michael, have been trying to get refunded from dog breeder April Waidman. Maillis recently won a small claims judgment against Waidman. Also pictured is Kali.

All of the purchases are made through mobile pay sites such as PayPal, Venmo or Zelle.

"It's a Ponzi scheme," said Debbie Saluga, 65, of Boardman. "I think she uses all these people's money to live daily."

The group said some buyers, who were strung along, eventually get a puppy.

"I think she had good intentions with breeding," Maillis said. "But she started pre-selling litters, selling one puppy to 20 people, and it became a scam. I think she realized how much money she could make off it."

The buyers who get a puppy either pick them up at Waidman's house or meet up elsewhere.

Tracey Puckett, 53, made a 10-hour round trip from Indiana, with her husband, to the Beloit area to get Huxlee. They bought the puppy from April Waidman for $1,600. They refused to pay Waidman the balance until the couple had the puppy.
Tracey Puckett, 53, made a 10-hour round trip from Indiana, with her husband, to the Beloit area to get Huxlee. They bought the puppy from April Waidman for $1,600. They refused to pay Waidman the balance until the couple had the puppy.

Tracey Puckett, 53, and her husband, Tom, made the 10-hour round trip from Rochester, Indiana, to the Beloit area to get their mini dachshund. They bought the puppy for $1,600 but wouldn't pay Waidman the balance until the couple had their puppy in hand.

"After we got him and drove down the road, he started with explosive diarrhea, and it continued all five hours back," she said. "We called our vet. He was just riddled with parasites. He might not have survived. But he did get better."

There were over $1 million in U.S. puppy scams in 2023

This group isn't the only one in such a position.

Last year, alone, Americans lost over $1 million to puppy scams and Ohio ranked No. 12 for the highest monetary loss at $21,699, according to Veterinarians.org, citing data from the Better Business Bureau from Jan. 1, 2023, to Oct. 31, 2023.

News Channel 5 recently had a report of a similar puppy scam in the Shreve area.

The average amount loss per victim in Ohio was $749 in 2023.

Barb and George Jasinski of Massillon with their new dog, a goldendoodle named Sadie. They said they got Sadie only after they spent $1,400 on two dachshund puppies but never received them from a breeder in Beloit.
Barb and George Jasinski of Massillon with their new dog, a goldendoodle named Sadie. They said they got Sadie only after they spent $1,400 on two dachshund puppies but never received them from a breeder in Beloit.

Former buyer: 'So I filed a lien against her property.'

In the Waidman cases, buyers said they lost between $800 and $7,000 or more.

Jasinski and Maillis, owed $1,600 for English bulldogs, won judgments against Waidman on March 28. Mahoning County Court Judge Joseph Schiavoni order Waidman to pay back both - along with a third plaintiff - at $150 a month until fully refunded.

Tammy Vincik, 52, of Ravenna, said she bought two dapple dachshunds from Waidman and never got the first puppy. The other, Blue, had parasites and needed medical care. She said Waidman promised a refund but never paid it.

Tammy Vincik of Ravenna with Blue, a dapple dachshund she bought from April (Simon) Waidman in Mahoning County. Vincik is one of at many who accused Waidman of breaking puppy sales agreements. She never got a second animal she said she bought.
Tammy Vincik of Ravenna with Blue, a dapple dachshund she bought from April (Simon) Waidman in Mahoning County. Vincik is one of at many who accused Waidman of breaking puppy sales agreements. She never got a second animal she said she bought.

"I decided to take her to small claims and a won a judgment for $800. I have not seen a penny," Vincik said. The court does not collect small claims. The person who filed the claim still has to get the money back on their own. "So I filed a lien against her property."

Jasinski and Maillis said they also might seek a lien.

Those who lost money include Jose Valdez of Texas, a breeder, for $2,000 and Saluga for $800.

"Once we started getting excuses we knew it was fishy," Valdez said.

Added Saluga: "That puppy was supposed to be my retirement gift (to myself). Now I just want my money back."

Tucker said Waidman recently refunded money to some buyers so they would drop their court complaints.

'I bought 15 puppies. I got seven puppies.'

Laretta Pierce, a retiree, said she spent $21,000 to buy 15 dachshund puppies and two English bulldogs from Waidman. Pierce was buying dachshunds to breed and make extra income in her retirement.

"I bought 15 puppies. I got seven puppies," the 66-year-old from Kentucky said. She also got the two bulldogs but one has died.

Along the way, Pierce met 26-year-old Paige Sheets of Gallipolis, who was struggling to connect with Waidman.

Sheets said her family was starting to breed dachshunds and bought 10 litter spots from Waidman, including two for her parents. Facing the same delays as others, Sheets found Pierce online and they compared stories.

"She lets you think the puppy is yours until it is time to go and get it. Then she has an excuse," Sheets said. "Excuse after excuse."

Eventually, Sheets got two puppies. She said she is owed eight puppies or a $5,050 refund.

"It was just a mess," she said.

Both Pierce and Sheets said their puppies had parasites and required medical care. Pierce said Waidman owes her $6,400 for the eight puppies she never received but she won't ask for money back on medical bills.

"I've done everything possible to help her, but what she was doing was purposeful," Pierce said. "Where is your moral guidance?"

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Dog breeder April Waidman of Beloit accused of puppy scheme