As consumers finalize their Christmas shopping plans, the Humane Society of the United States encourages families to avoid buying puppies from pet stores and online sellers. Pet stores typically source from puppy mills–which often are associated with hidden illnesses, overwhelming veterinary bills and a cycle of suffering for mother dogs–as do online puppy sellers, and that’s if the puppy in the photo even exists! Too often, either of these choices lead to heartbroken families.
Here’s how to avoid falling victim to a puppy scam or supporting a puppy mill if you’re looking to bring a new pet into your home this holiday season.
Scam alert! Why you should never buy a puppy online:
- The cute puppies in photos on legitimate-looking websites and in online local classifieds are almost too cute to be real. Often, they aren’t.
- Internet scammers have crept into the realm of online pet sales, stealing money from unsuspecting people who think their new dog or cat is on the way to his or her new home, when in fact there was never really an available animal at all. The only party harmed in these scams is the person who is out hundreds or thousands of dollars.
- One scam promises you a free puppy—as long as you pay the shipping. Once the scammers get your “shipping” costs, the scammer says your puppy is stuck at the airport due to customs complications or a mix-up with the vaccines or crate size, and you are asked to send more money. Finally, the scammer (and the puppy who never existed in the first place) disappear. In many cases, victims think their dog is at the airport waiting for them after they’ve sent two or three money orders.
- Internet pet-selling scams often include a long-distance seller—claiming to be in another country doing military service or missionary work—who cannot keep the dog because the climate is too hot, or because of their frequent travel or similar reasons.
- In other cases, the seller claims to represent an animal shelter or a good Samaritan, offering the breeds for “adoption.” In these cases, it’s important to remember that reputable shelters do not place puppies by sending out mass emails and then shipping animals to people.
Buyer, beware! How to avoid falling victim to a pet store scam and/or supporting cruel puppy mills:
- Consider adoption from a shelter or rescue group first. You can find adoptable pets near you by visiting ShelterPetProject.org or visiting your local animal shelter.
- Those who choose to purchase dogs should take steps to make sure that their purchases do not support mass breeding operations, also known as puppy mills. Responsible breeders will show you the loving and healthy environment your puppy has been raised in and will allow customers to meet the mother. Consumers should never buy a puppy without seeing where the puppy and his or her mother live.
- The HSUS has consistently found that pet stores routinely assure unsuspecting consumers that their puppies are healthy and come from reputable breeders, when in fact they often came from dismal mass-breeding facilities. You can learn more in our recent investigation which linked over 50 popular pet stores around the country to dismal puppy mills in the Midwest.
- The HSUS has heard from thousands of consumers who bought pet store puppies they were told were healthy, only to have their joy turn to heartbreak when the animals fell sick and sometimes died shortly after purchase.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
