The purchasing of a puppy is a happy and exciting adventure. The experience itself is quite thrilling and enjoyable but be careful while buying one, as you need to avoid a puppy scam. There are many people out there who can steal money through various means.
Before you buy a puppy, you must do in-depth research to avoid any scams and ensure that the seller is genuine. Some people believe that adopting a rescue dog from a shelter is always more praiseworthy. Finally, if you have decided to buy a puppy of a specific breed or age, then be careful of the increasing online puppy scams over the past few years.
In a study conducted by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) on Craigslist puppy scams (and other similar internet sales of dogs), it was found that 13% of all reported online purchase fraud was related specifically to puppy sale scams as consumers filed ten thousand of reports.
Don’t worry, it takes a bit of extra work and know-how to protect yourself from being scammed. Let us know how to avoid puppy scams:-
Table of Contents
Be cautious about the back story
While purchasing from an unknown person and there is a tragic story behind the adoption. So be careful.
Scammers mainly use the tactics like the owner being sick and unable to look after the pet anymore or the owner suddenly passing away. It is always better to do some research before taking any emotional decisions.
Use legitimate adoption agencies shelters and breeders
After doing proper research contact legitimate businesses and communicate with them, rather than individuals using online classified websites or social media. Enquire for your breeder’s membership number with the official breeder associations and find out their legitimacy and presence on the net.
Some serious animal welfare concerns come up from using unregulated sales platforms. The scammer’s make use of fake or hacked user accounts and stolen photos of pets.
Scammer plans to request you wire money to transport the pet to you, claim the money and cease communication.
Meet before you agree to anything
Due to covid situation, scammers might use social distancing as an excuse to not meet in person. They can even claim that they need payment to transport the pet across the state borders. Don’t fall in such scammers. Wait for the right opportunity of meeting them in person.
Before you agree to adopt, meet up with the pet and breeder. Also, check the puppy or kitten’s temperament and health by checking the ears and eyes. You should bring home a healthy puppy after reviewing all the official paperwork.
If you are using a breeder see how the pet interacts with the fellow siblings and pet parents. You should ensure that the breeder’s property is clean and well cleaned.
Say No, if you are in doubt
If you do not like the puppy, you can always say No and walk away. You can even walk away if
- There are gaps in information and information is not clear.
- The seller pressurizes you to buy.
- The price is too good to be true.
Sometimes fake websites can be convincing. During the pandemic, if you are seeking to buy a pet online then you should have a video chat with the prospective seller.