Puppy Scams Have Hit New Heights

The term “pandemic puppies” is now common vernacular amongst dog professionals. Since the first shutdowns began in March, people have turned to pets like never before. Some people chose to adopt a pet during this time, because they were lonely and wanted companionship. More often, people saw an ideal window of opportunity to bring home a new companion. Suddenly, they were home all day, able to attend to their puppy’s needs like never before. So, people started buying and adopting puppies in unprecedented numbers. Rescues and breeders were running waitlists. Even well-qualified people felt like they were battling to find a dog. They felt that way, because there simply weren’t enough dogs in the system to meet such a huge spike demand.

Enter the scam-artists. I don’t know who these people are, but they’re out there. They keep tabs on trends and watch for opportunities to swindle people out of their money (sidebar: I’ve always wondered why such hard-working creatives don’t get a real job). What’s the con? Scammers post puppy sales or rescue advertisements and convince people to pay fees, shipping costs, or veterinary bills without ever catching a glimpse of a wiggly tail. People who have been desperately seeking a pup for their family are convinced to the tune of (on average) $700. And the scammers win, while the families are left heartbroken and feeling bamboozled. 

This is no tiny operation. The Better Business Bureau reported that pet scams comprise 25% of all online scams reported to the BBB in 2020. Whoa! It is becoming one of the most common internet shopping scams out there. In addition, they are considered to be the riskiest scam by the BBB’s risk index, in part because 70% of the people targeted by these scams end up losing money.I find those numbers to be astonishing!

But perhaps I shouldn’t. It’s so difficult for people to get solid information about the process of buying a pet. It’s a huge industry, with many dark and shady corners, and even those of us who are closely tied to the world of dogs have to work hard to keep abreast of the facts.

So, here’s how you can protect yourself and your friends who are pet-shopping:

1. Skip the sponsored ads (80% of them are scams…eighty percent).

2. Don’t buy a puppy sight-unseen.

3. Copy some of the text from an online site that pertains to the puppy and paste it into a google search. If it comes up on multiple sites, it is likely to be a scam.

4. Use referrals. Ask your friends, or your local dog trainer/walker/daycare for tips on where to hunt for a puppy.  

5. Trust your spidey-sense. If it’s tingling, walk away.

Last, if I may, please avoid rushing into a purchase out of eagerness or frustration. The puppy you are meant to have is going to find you. Wait for him or her to come to you and feel the joy of that connection when it arrives.