“Customer/Cattery Alert Program” of the THE TRADITIONAL CAT ASSOCIATION, INC. ©1987®™
http://www.newsletter.traditionalcats.com/Alert/2004/ComplaintOctober92004.pdf
http://www.newsletter.traditionalcats.com/Alert/alerts.htm
Rockford Register Star newpaper article
http://www.newsletter.traditionalcats.com/Alert/2007/Beller052907.pdf
http://www.newsletter.traditionalcats.com/Alert/2007/BellerWed%20July%2011.pdf
Wed July 11, 2007 10:02 AM
SUB: Chivalry Cattery
Hello,
I would like some help on how to deal with a woman named Roberta Beller who
owns the above mentioned cattery. I signed a contract to buy a snowshoe kitten
from her. I talked to her once on the phone and she was pleasant however after
that phone call, she did not answer e-mails that I sent requesting pictures or
information about the kitten. She cashed the $600.00 check (the price of the
kitten) I sent in June. The kitten was to be shipped to me in Florida from Chicago
IL, and despite repeated requests about what airline she would be using, how
much the fare was, she never responded. The kitten was to be shipped July 11th.
Several days before that I called and e-mailed her, asking her to get in touch with
me.
She e-mailed me on July 9th, telling me she would send me my money when she
sold the kitten (my kitten), and insulted me.
I will be contacting the better business bureau in Chicago, the sheriff’s office, and
Cat Fancy Magazine (where I saw her advertisement). Can you suggest any
other action? I have now heard this is not the first complaint about her.
http://www.newsletter.traditionalcats.com/Alert/2006/April2006.pdf
April 2006
What follows is a series of emails that deal with, are sent from, or are about a cat breeder
by the name of Roberta Beller, the owner of Chivalry Cattery.
Roberta Beller
Chivalry Cattery
5352 Joshua Court
Gurnee, IL 60031
847-782-8550
www.chivalrycattery.com
or
5087 Wilderness Trail
Rockford, IL 61114-7018
She is not part of the Traditional Cat Association, Inc. and never has been.
We have chosen not to include several other emails that contain profanity. We believe
there is sufficient information provided to allow you to draw your own conclusions.
If you receive unsolicited emails from this person, you have several options in which to
respond. We recommend that you do so to eliminate further harassment to yourself and
others by her.
She has repeatedly demonstrated continued email harassment of people in response to her
fabricated issues. Unless you are interested in receiving emails like these we recommend
disassociating with her any anyone whom she deals with.
You may also consider contacting the
Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
9015 Junction Drive Suite #2
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701
1-877-FTC-HELP
Direct Marketing Association
To opt-out of receiving unsolicited commercial email, use the DMA online form at
www.dmaconsumers.org/offemaillist.html which is effective for one year.
I have spoken with the person who was attacked about the recent spew of hatred coming forth from Roberta Beller,
Chivalry Cattery. It is clear from Beller's ranting that she is a very hateful person. Her attacks are completely irrational
and unprovoked. Her remarks crossed the line from cat-related issues to ugly personal statements about religion
and business and scurrilous remarks about her cattery (which Beller has never seen). She said that this attack felt like
Beller had plunged a knife into her heart. The remark about her religious belief was out of line entirely, and was most
upsetting to her. To insult anyone's beliefs is crossing a line, in my opinion, and is unacceptable.
According to her, Beller also made ignorant remarks about an individual she knows, calling the woman names such as
"retard". These horrible E-mails were sent to her, a kind person whom Beller has never met, but whom she chose to
attack with cruel words and without any reason whatsoever.
To make matters worse, Beller carbon-copied these hurtful e-mails to a long list of recipients on her e-mail list. Many of
these persons are other cat breeders. It humiliated her.
That behavior of this sort is a misdemeanor, and is called "E-mail harassment." It is a illegal to harass, (such as
stalking, ) and such uncalled for E-mails can be reported to the police, whose job it is to take the evidence (the E-mails)
and investigate the person who is accused of harassing another. No one is allowed to disturb the peace of another by
phone, or by e-mail. There are laws protecting the public from this sort of cruel harassment. Police will take this
seriously.
The means of fighting back are our rights as citizens. We do not need to spend money on lawyers. We have the power at
our disposal, all we need to do is act.
Step Number One: Report the harassment to your local police. Bring copies of the E-mails. This is
evidence. If anyone should send me any such e-mail I would consider it to be harassment. I would file a complaint
against that individual with the local Police. The case would then be turned over to a Detective. After the detective has
investigated the matter, a disposition would be made. Perhaps an indictment would be brought. Perhaps only a warning
to desist. Perhaps the perpetrator would have to appear in court and explain to a judge why it was necessary or prudent
to send venomous, harassing and even threatening e-mails to a person. And furthermore, the detective might investigate
why the perpetrator sent copies of the ugly and insulting e-mail to other breeders, causing such anguish. She was so
traumatized by Roberta Beller that she was afraid to read any of her e-mails for days afterwards. She was the victim of an
attack. And she had done absolutely nothing to deserve the vicious attack.
Step Number Two: A second consideration is the fact that Beller finds her victims by means of ads in national
cat magazines. Cat Fancy and Kittens USA magazines have editorial policies about cat breeders whose ethics render
them unworthy of the privilege of advertising in that magazine. In order for a magazine to deny a breeder the right to
advertise, the editor of the magazine must receive at last 3 written complaints, signed, from persons who have
experienced ill treatment at the hands of the accused advertiser. An editor cannot take steps to deny a breeder a listing
unless there is evidence that the breeder has behaved in such a way as to bring the magazine's reputation into question if
the ads are continued. Those horrible E-mails are evidence.
Step Number Three: another way to stop a person who is guilty of a pattern of viscous e-mail harassment is to
complain to the e-mail server. Beller uses AOL to perpetrate her attacks. No Internet server wishes to continue to serve a
client who uses their server for harassing other people, slandering and insulting them and making rude comments about
their religion and businesses. They have Customer Relations Departments that are staffed with people whose job it is to
protect their employer by preventing the service from being ill-used.
Their address is: Community Action Team
America on Line
22265 Pacific Blvd.
Dulles, VA 20166
I have outlined three ways that Beller can be stopped, but it will take courage and determination on the part of each of
her victims. She can be effectively shut off from spewing this venom all over the Internet.
She is not the first person who has been attacked by Beller. And she won't be the last unless someone fights back.
[email protected]
From:
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:50 AM
Subject: I am voiceing a complaint to alert members about!
Page 1 of 1
3/19/2006
Dear Diane,
I was checking out Breeders and came across a Cattery called Chivalry
so i e-mailed her and asked if she had any Lilac Balinese, she replied back and told me she had
kittens and the price, i then informed her that i was interested in purchaseing a kitten to breed. Then she got
back to me again and asked if i was a CFA breeder? I got back to her and told her i was and then she
proceeded to send me some very nasty e-mails, I would like to send them to you so you can see for yourself.
She swore at me insulted me and also talked about you over the internet, she then included people in the emails
she sent me, she contacted Breeders and involved them, and made this into a nightmare, i hardly slept
last night and the girl who i have been working with to make my website she knew of her and did damage to her
cattery in the past i found out, she contacted breeders and made up lies about her cattery and the girl closed it
down. I am so outraged at this woman and she has sent me 2 more e-mails today.The womans name is Roberta
Beller and she said some horrible things about The Traditional Cat Association too.
[email protected]
From:
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 2:32 PM
Attach: Re_ Hello i am looking for a lilac kitten Balinese.eml
Subject: Fwd: Hello i am looking for a lilac kitten Balinese
Page 1 of 2
3/19/2006
In a message dated 3/14/2006 8:52:30 PM Pacific Standard Time, RobertaBeller writes:
In a message dated 3/14/2006 10:40:32 PM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
Notice that none can write and all lie. It takes an extremely low IQ to be recruited by Fineran
and her phony fancy.
This is exactly why either TCA needs to be shut down OR we all need to spay and neuter
kittens before they leave us.
I would never want any of my babies in the hads of people like this. On her website her King
is pictured in a dirty pen with a litter box full of shit.
Her "Applehead" cats are not Appleheads.
Diana Fineran is misguiding, misinforming and PROMOTING people to behave like this...
----- Original Message ----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 11:27:29 PM
Subject: Fwd: Hello i am looking for a lilac kitten Balinese
-----Inline Message Follows-----
From: [email protected]
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:26:16 EST
Subject: Re: Hello i am looking for a lilac kitten Balinese
In a message dated 3/14/2006 10:18:31 PM Central Standard Time,
writes:
Roberta,
Yes i am a C.F.A breeder.
When another breeder contacts me inquiring about kittens, I expect a formal
introduction and mention of breeding in the FIRST correspondence. Otherwise, you
are to be considered dishonest. You went so far as to ask me for a price of a pet. You
obviously have not been,
Roberta A. Beller
http://chivalrycattery.com/
Page 2 of 2
3/19/2006
[email protected]
From:
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 8:55 AM
Subject: Re: TCA, INC. BREEDING QUALITY FOR SALE
Hi Diana,
My friend, (a TCA member), had the horrible misfortune to have crossed paths with
Roberta Bella of Chivalry Cattery. She sent me the copy of their communications. Bella
claimed she was out to deceive her because she only inquired about the availability of
kittens in the first e-mail and then informed her of her interest in breeding in the second email.(
If she were trying to deceive her she never would have volunteered her interest
in breeding rights at all) Apparently this unleashed Roberta's famous tirade of assault
which involves sending the transcripts of the e-mails to several other breeders at the same
time in an effort to launch her attack..My friend was so upset by her verbal
abuse that she couldn't sleep and called me.This has happened to another breeder that I
know and can only assume that it is not an isolated event. She was also quite insulting to
the TCA organization as well.
I do know her and she is a wonderful caring breeder who certainly didn't deserve that
kind of treatment.
I can't help thinking that this is one very angry destructive person.My friend is concerned
with the damaging affects of Robertas instant vicious gossip chain and really feels
worried.
[email protected]
From:
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 11:49 PM
Subject: Re: TCA, INC. INFORMATION
Page 1 of 1
8/19/2006
Hello Diane,
Last year I had a huge blow out with Roberta Beller from Chivalry Siamese, she is associated with Louis
from Permes Cattery, as well as BluesCats, Glasslipper, Obsession Cattery, Shoobox Cattery, and one
other that escapes me. I do not associate, nor condone the behavior that they display. They are mean,
back stabbing, aweful people that have done nothing good for the breed. I was once good friends with
the girl from Obsession cattery, and have much inside knowledge to the workings of these above listed
catteries...they are nothing more than high priced kitten mills. Inbreeding is prevalent, as well as birth
defects. One of shooting cattery, associated with Permes, asked me about trading a kitten once...they
asked if I would be ok with them "hanging papers"... so much for a pedigree that is true, and correct
huh? Needless to say I didn't bother to return emails.
What follows is a series of emails [images] that deal with, are sent from, or are about one Roberta
Beller, the owner of Chivalry Cattery.
She is not part of the Traditional Cat Association, Inc. and never has been.
We have chosen not to include several other emails that contain profanity. We believe
there is sufficient information provided to allow you to draw your own conclusions.
http://www.newsletter.traditionalcats.com/Alert/2005/Alert082005.pdf
http://www.newsletter.traditionalcats.com/Alert/2007/BellerSept%202.pdf
Mon Sept 2, 2007 10:02 AM THIS REPORT IS FROM A TCA, INC. BREEDER
SUB: Roberta Beller Cattery Closing!!!
I just heard from a Bengal breeder in Illinois, that Robert Beller of Chivalry Cattery in Rockford,
Ill had a stroke last month and it was discovered that she had been collecting cats. There were
over a 150 cats found in deplorable conditions, and were seized by breed rescue in Sycamore, Ill.
Roberta also has stage 4 cancer. The cats were all sent to a friend of hers who has also been in
trouble before for keeping cats in deplorable conditions. This lady's name is Mindy located
outside of Rockford, Ill. I have personally been to this residence and have seen the conditions
there. Terrible!! I hope that we can spread the word, and I hope that Roberta or her friend are
never able to purchase another cat in the United States again!
The Bengal breeder that I got this information from had sold her a cat, not knowing that Roberta
had gotten way in over her head, and didn't know how sick she was. The breeder was frantic
trying to get the cat she had sold her back, but unfortunately all were seized by the rescue
yesterday.
I hope that we can spread the word to all registries as well...CFA, ACFA, TICA, ACA...etc.
Roberta worked with all of these for her Balinese, Siamese, Snowshoe, and Bengals.
I know that everyone who has been terrorized by Roberta in the past will let out a big sigh of
relief...she was a monster, and I know this is awful to put into words, but the world will be a
better place with out her!! I currently do not know her health status after the stroke last month,
just that she was removed from her residence and unable to care for the cats any longer. Many of
the cats were said to be candidates for euthanasia due to them being in such poor health, and also
feral!
Also, may I be the first to say how ironic that the person who was so vicious to others on the care
and housing, and backyard breeders...turns out to be one herself...and not just a backyard
breeder, but a hoarder/collector/ creepy old cat lady in the neighborhood!! And to be so
neglectful to the cats!!
Unfortunately though, "cutting off the head" of the snake isn't going to end all the problems.
The following catteries: (Permes, Louis Azcarate, Poulsdo, WA.), (Glasslipper, Cindy R.
Delanoy, Las Cruces, NM.), (To-Lyn, Linda Yamamoto, Stockton, CA.), (BluesCats, Laura
Rando & Paul McLaughlin, Burnswick, ME.), (BurnapBrooke, Bernadette McBride, Andover,
CT.), (Shoobox, Shirley Miller, San Diego, CA.), (Obsession/Serenade, Adriene Batta & Rhond
Reed, Macy, IN.), ( Lake Affect Pets Golden Retrievers, Eridani Cattery, Kara L. Van Den Berg,
Wyoming, MI.) (Purfect Points, Wanda - Wendy Colvin, Ravenna, OH) and (Old Siam, Paula
Schenebeck, AR.) have all worked very closely with Roberta in the past and have consistently
demonstrated the same temperament for nastiness. Many of our members can attest to that! All
but one are CFA breeders and are considered representative of all CFA breeders.
It has been reported to me that Shoobox Cattery, Shirley Miller, San Diego, CA. (former
president of tacci) has also been raided and had cats seized last year due to over crowding and
poor care. And one of the owners to that cattery is a Veterinarian!!
Please pass this along to everyone in the cat business! It is my goal that Roberta Beller never be
able to own another cat again!!
Thanks!!!