How much is that puppy in … your browser?
National Puppy Dayhas come and gone, but that won’t stop the online puppy scammers from striking.
“If you buy a puppy online, you run a very real risk of getting scammed,” John Goodwin, senior director of theStop Puppy Mills campaignat the Humane Society of the United States, tells PEOPLE. “Even if you get the puppy you ordered, she may have come from a puppy mill that posts misleading pictures which mask the realities of the miserable conditions the puppy’s mother is living in.”
Auscape/UIG via Getty Images
The publishers ofCanine Journalconcur with the HSUS’s stance, so much so they’ve created a sharable infographic to help educate consumers with the following nine tips and warning signs to watch out for when purchasing a puppy.
Canine Journal/Sadie Cornelius
Prices are too good to be true, or the price is negotiable, on sale or at a discount.
Puppy is free if you pay for shipping.
Seller won’t talk on the phone and only communicates through emails or texts.
The only way to get the puppy is to have it shipped to you, and you can’t pick it up.
After you make a payment, there are suddenly more expenses (e.g., shipping insurance, vet bills, crate fees, etc.).
The seller tells you a sad story about why the puppy is for sale for reasons such as a family hardship, relocation or death.
If the seller says something like, “We’re not breeders. Our dog just had puppies, so we’re trying to find them a good home.”
Red flag that it’s a potential scam: The puppy’s photo is in other ads (discovered when you do a reverse image search).
However, if you are compelled to buy from a breeder, the HSUS advises to always meet the breeder and the mother dog, and see where the mother dog lives. That may be the only real way toavoid an online puppy mill scam. But better yet, the HSUS suggests going to your local shelter and adopting a dog there.
The HSUS also tells PEOPLE that it encourages anyone who thinks they may’ve fallen victim to a scam or been involved in one to notify theFBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
source: people.com
