Welcoming a new puppy to your home is an exciting time. You will have spent time thinking about the breed you would like to commit to and researching everything you need to purchase and do to keep your new puppy happy and healthy when you welcome them home.
When purchasing your puppy, ensure you buy from a reputable seller and not a puppy scammer.
This article looks at puppy scams and how you can spot them!
You will likely have considered where you would like to purchase a puppy from and have done research. You might want to offer a home to a puppy from a shelter, which is a great way to support puppies who have had a less-than-ideal start in life. You could want a puppy from a breeder, perhaps because you are looking for a specific breed. Whatever the goal, you will want to ensure you are getting a puppy from a responsible and reputable breeder.
So, how do you ensure you purchase from a reputable breeder? On a puppy listing site, the breeders register and provide information about their breeding business. There are other reputable puppy listing websites, such as the AKC website, among others. If a breeder follows the AKC (American Kennel Club) breeding guidelines, they will be committed to high standards for breeding and maintaining breed standards.
A responsible breeder will also likely be licensed and complete all relevant genetic screening, health checks, and vaccinations of both dogs and puppies. And they will be happy to show you the documentation. They will also welcome you to see where the puppies are whelped and raised and to meet the parents and puppies in their home.
A great breeder will also offer support and advice, diet, training, and socialization. Support should carry on until after you have taken your puppy home. Testimonials and reviews will also help you decide on a good breeder to purchase a puppy from. You will likely have to pay more for a well-bred puppy, but it will be worth it to ensure you have a puppy that has had a great start in life.
Puppy scams have become increasingly common, and the digital world has made it simple to create fake puppy ads. AI is also helping to make the process seamless.
Puppy scams usually involve someone pretending to sell a puppy online by posting non-existing puppies. Or they might be selling a puppy that is ill. Finally, they could steal images from another breeder and pretend to be the owner.
They can be convincing with stolen images, fake breeder profiles, and emotional text. They are very clever at drawing in animal lovers who are looking for a new puppy. They ask for all the money upfront and are charming to prospective customers. Then they disappear. The victim realizes that there is no puppy; this can be very distressing.
There are some clear signs of a puppy scam that look the opposite of what you are looking for in a responsible breeder. Signs of a puppy scam include poor non-specific communication or avoiding your questions. Their ads often contain spelling or grammatical errors. Information contained can be hard to check, such as AKC registration. The photos are also likely to be copied from a genuine breeder. They will also be unwilling to meet in person and may also pressure you to send money promptly. They will also be unlikely to ask you any questions to ensure you will be a suitable owner for the puppy.
Some scammers will use a real puppy, but it has been poorly bred and has feeble health or is very sick. You may end up purchasing a puppy that is very sick and may even die soon after you make the purchase.
Alternatively, your puppy might survive but suffer from a long-term medical condition with a significant cost. Long-term health concerns can be very stressful. The irresponsible breeder might also continue to pressure you for more money for vet bills, health tests or registrations that they have fabricated.
Facebook has become a significant distributor of fake puppy sales. The scammers set up fake profiles, copy pictures from other breeders, and may even use the text from other pages. They can also even use fake testimonials that may appear very genuine but are not.
There are also many incidences of puppy scams on Craigslist where people pay upfront for puppies that do not exist or may be very sick or ill. Often, the puppy pictures and text are copied. The sellers are very vague with information or use emotional stories to pressure you. Be wary of a puppy that is significantly cheaper than it should be for the breed.
If you believe that you’ve been a victim of a puppy scam, then you should immediately cease communication. Keep copies of any messages and the details, etc. Don’t challenge them yourself. Report to a consumer protection agency, the local police and local animal rescue centers.
If the scam was on a particular platform, like Facebook or Craigslist then notify them of the scam. Then you can file a fraud report with your bank and also keep a good watch on your banking and statements to ensure that you do not lose any further money. Take the advice of your bank on this matter. You might want to consider legal support if you have lost a considerable amount of money.
The internet, particularly social media, has made it possible for puppy scams to be so prevalent. These can consist of completely fabricated puppies with stolen pictures and fake testimonies to unscrupulous breeders selling very sick puppies. Do your research carefully when choosing a puppy, use a reputable site to find a breeder, like Puppy Hero or the AKC, and follow the guidelines for identifying a responsible and reputable breeder to give you and your puppy the best start together.
07 July, 2025