PUPPY SCAMS ARE ON THE RISE - HERE'S WHY!

Covid. Time at home to train, loneliness, a desire to do something for the kids and general depression have lots of people looking for the same thing - a new puppy, man's best friend and companionship! The frantic search began the first week of March and has shown NO SIGNS of slowing down with tons of new posts on Facebook forums every day with a family looking for a new puppy. Sadly, many of them have just come up with this idea and don't realize they are weeks behind the masses in their search. Unfortunately, most reputable breeders (if not all) are wiped out of puppies. Several I know have even sold younger dogs they were intending to keep in their breeding program simply because they felt so bad for the families searching. Breeders I talk to and work with are getting bombarded by tons of inquiries every day, getting labeled as unresponsive because they can't keep up and yet have nothing left to offer except a position on a waitlist. 

High demand, low supply and desperation results in a several things: 

• Frantic consumers many who may have mentioned a puppy to the family before understanding the shortage. 
• Increased prices putting healthy puppies out of reach for some families. 
• Impatience and frustration from consumers who can't understand why there aren't puppies available. 
• Frustration and exhaustion from breeders who have nothing left to offer.

The exact same thing happens around Christmas. Now you can better understand why this is a perfect storm for two types of people: 

1. Disreputable Breeders - These are the breeders who don't health or DNA test their dogs. They may be high volume (like a puppy mill) or low volume (often called a backyard breeder). They've often been on the news for bad breeding practices but since customers are buying on the internet and relying on recommendations from someone they don't even know, the consumer is none the wiser until it's too late. This breeder knows once you've purchased and fallen in love with a puppy you aren't going to return it so they can offer worthless health guarantees and take advantage of your desperation, They know people will put down a deposit on anything right now and aren't doing their homework because they fear if they don't get this puppy then they will never find another one! 
2. Scammers - Disreputable breeders are bad, but at least they have puppies to sell. The other person taking advantage of the Covid puppy crisis is simply a scammer. They post fake puppies, respond to your forum request on FB telling you they have a puppy. They have photos. They may even have a website. What they don't actually have is a puppy to sell but again consumers will put down a deposit on ANYTHING right now and even if they get your $50 or $100 they're happy because they did nothing for it! As an attorney, I get asked to represent people in scams ALL THE TIME. Puppy scammers are the worst. They use your emotions. They have multiple fake names and follow you so they know what you're looking for. They show you a photo and tell you they have it -they don't.

Here are a few ways to protect yourself: 

1. Search their names on the forums and see their previous posts. 
2. Look at when they joined the forum, how many friends they have on their FB profile and whether or not you can actually find photos of them WITH their dogs. 
3. Ask to see the AKC pedigree of their breeding dogs. If they actually provide them (most don't), research the dog's names on the OFA to see who REALLY owns them.
4. Ask to see the DNA tests for the breeding pair. DNA testing can be forged or stolen from other sources but most scam artist are looking for low hanging fruit and don't go through this much effort.
5. As for their cell phone number and FACETIME them. Ask the see the puppy and parent dog (unexpectedly). If they don't answer, don't leave a message to prepare them for the call, just keep calling back. 
6. Search Google with their name (alone) and then followed by "scam" and "puppy mill." Also do this with ANY breeder you are considering. Just this simple search will turn up all sorts of information. It amazes me every single day that people recommend a breeder that they have never even searched themselves. 
7. Never WIRE money. If you are purchasing online use a method of payment with protection for your purchase!

As I've said many times on this page, I don't expect you to take my word on any topic - do your homework. If you don't think puppy scams are happening all around you here are a few links from one coast to the other: 
Better Business Bureau Report on Covid Puppy Scams
North Carolina Department of Justice Puppy Scam Alert
Three Oaks Farm Christmas Puppy Scam in Charleston
Concord News Article on Current Puppy Scams

Please protect yourself. Please check your local shelters as dogs will be surrendered every day due to job loss and related issues. Please find one to two breeders you trust and get on their waiting list - before you know it you WILL have that perfect puppy! 

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