When it’s time to adopt a new puppy, there is one final question that needs to be answered. What kind of dog should we get? For some this isn’t a pressing issue. Many people head to the shelter and let the dog “choose them” in a sense. To others, the breed is one of the most important parts of adopting a dog. Whether you’re a mutt lover or a purist, there is one thing we can all agree on.
NOBODY should be lied to about what type of dog they’re getting. Unfortunately, there are almost 10,000 of cases in just the last 3 years involving what have become known as “puppy scammers”. Here’s how to detect puppy scammers on the internet.
Wrong Breed!
When a puppy is newly born, it can be hard to tell exactly what type of dog it is. Since many dogs have similar coloring to one another, some people have begun selling dogs as purebreds for thousands of dollars, when in reality they’re just mutts with recognizable coloring. The sellers will find photos from the internet of “picture perfect” purebred dogs, and claim they are photos of the puppy’s parents. As these dogs begin to grow into themselves, owners quickly realize they are not quite what they bargained for. By the time they figure it out the seller is long gone, and so is the money.
Now what?
In our opinion, the best thing to do if you fall for one of these scams is to raise the dog just as you planned. Mutts are awesome too! It might be disappointing to not get the dog you wanted, and you may be upset that you’ve been ripped off by a stranger. You should definitely report any scams you come across to the police to avoid letting these deviant people continue to make money off of unsuspecting buyers who just want a puppy for their family.
How do I know?
There are a few things you can do to see just how credible your source is when buying a new dog. The first thing to do is to thoroughly research the dog breed that you are looking for. Search as many photos as you can so you know exactly what to expect from your new puppy. In many cases these fraudulent advertisements will have stock photos of the dog they are claiming to sell, and pose them as the mother and father of your new puppy. If you see the photo from the advertisement elsewhere online, RUN.
Another common theme with these scam artists is the price seems too good to be true. If the breed of dog you’re looking for typically costs around $1,000, and some nice man you met online wants to sell you one for $600, that is a major red flag. In these cases, they often ask for money over a wire transaction or through gift cards. These forms of payment are unable to be returned after the fact, which is why they are so commonly used in scams. NEVER send money for a dog before you have seen it yourself and are ready to take it home. Too often people send money for their new puppy and then simply never hear from the seller again, losing their money and their chance at a new puppy for the family.
It’s unfortunate that people really do this, but that is the world we live in. Hopefully we were able to make things a little bit easier to determine whether or not you can trust the person you’re buying your next dog from. Here is a list of known scams in the last 3 years. Take a look at the emails and website names, and share with your friends! These sites must be avoided at all costs.
Sincerely,
The Lilly Brush Team
