Pet Scams Are on the Rise. What is a Pet Scam?
According to the Better Business Bureau, pet scams have dramatically increased in recent years with 80 percent of pet ads possibly being fake. Fraudulent puppy sellers post deceptive online advertisements for non-existent litters and impersonate legitimate breeders to exploit prospective pet owners.
Pet sale bans have made the issue worse. After California passed a ban on pet stores selling dogs (and cats) several years ago, puppy scams surged by 350 percent. With pet sale bans in place, people are forced to navigate unregulated online marketplaces without the health guarantees and consumer protections that ethical pet stores provide.
Without proper caution, you might find what looks like the perfect puppy, but receive a sick pet from a shady source—or, even more likely, not even receive a pet at all after sending payment to the fake “breeder,” never to hear from them again.
While these deceptive listings commonly appear on sites like Craigslist, sophisticated scammers position themselves as reputable, authentic breeders to establish false credibility.
How Can You Avoid Pet Scams?
For starters, you don’t have to get a pet over the Internet. Licensed pet stores operate under strict regulatory oversight, offer warranties, and can serve as valuable sources for both information about responsible pet ownership and access to healthy animals from verified sources. You can also see and interact with the animal yourself.
If you do choose to seek a pet online, here are some red flags to look out for:
- No phone calls.
- Messages that are pushy or not about puppies.
- Messages contain typos, poor English, and misspellings.
- Copycat or stock photos.
- Sketchy payment. Paying by credit card or PayPal Goods & Services are typically the safest options.
- Price is too good to be true.
6 Tips to Safely Find a Puppy Online:
- Do your research!
- Read the reviews and referrals. Check with the Better Business Bureau to make sure there are no complaints about the breeder/seller.
- Conduct a reverse image search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, it’s likely a scam. Search for distinctive text from ads or testimonials to see if the seller copied it from another website.
- Get documentation. Check the breeder/sellers’ credentials and that they are affiliated with the local and national breed clubs like the American Kennel Club and ensure the animal has received the proper veterinary care.
- Meet with the breeder or puppy seller. Try to meet in person when possible. Always ask to video chat to view the animal, meet the breeder/seller, and evaluate the facility.
- Do not pay any money without seeing the pet in person. This is the only way to confirm the puppy is real.
- Do not wire money, pay in cash, via Venmo, or by gift cards. These payment methods offer no way to get your money back in case of fraud.
- Be patient and compare prices. If the seller seems anxious to get your deposit or complete the sale as soon as possible, be wary. If the price is significantly lower than other breeders are charging, it is probably too good to be true!
- Ask questions! Responsible breeders and puppy sellers will be happy to answer any of your questions and educate you on dogs. Do not be afraid to ask anything and everything about available puppies, the breeder, the specific puppy you intend to purchase, or the general dog breed.
Suggested Questions to Ask:
- Ask about the parents.
- How do the parents compare to the official AKC breed standard and other breed traits?
- How big are the parents?
- What do they look like?
- What kind of temperament do they have?
- How old are the parents?
- Have the parents won any AKC titles or awards?
- Do you have proof of health records and screenings for the parents?
- Ask about the puppy.
- How old is the puppy?
- What is its size?
- What has the puppy’s behavior and temperament been with the puppy’s littermates?
- Has the puppy been seen by a licensed veterinarian? What is the puppy’s shot schedule? Do you have the health records?
- Ask about the facility.
- Do you breed the dogs yourself or do you source them from somewhere else?
- Where do you keep the puppies?
- What is your routine in taking care of the puppies and mother?
- How long do you keep the puppies with their mother?