New Year’s resolutions of health and wellbeing can often include the purchase of a new, four-legged friend for companionship and morale, but many Coloradans fall victim to puppy scams each year, according to Veterinarians.org.
Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2022, Coloradans lost $50,813 to more than 50 puppy scams, data on the website shows.
People who are looking to purchase a new puppy online should be aware of some red flags, said Leslie Boyette, an animal control officer with the Longmont Police Department.
“Any reputable breeder is going to want your phone number, and they’re going to want to talk to you on the phone, say if they’re an out-of-state breeder,” Boyette explained. “If they’re in the state or a close state, then they’re going to want to meet you, and for you to meet the puppy and the puppy’s parent.”
If the seller only communicates through text messages or messaging apps, that’s a red flag, she said.
Another warning is if the seller only sends one or two photos, and no updated photos, Boyette explained.
“They should be wanting to give you all the information, and show you the parents,” she said. “If anyone’s being like ‘oh the parents are here’ but they’re not giving you information, that’s a pretty good sign.”
Another sign that you’re corresponding with a scam artist is if they’re asking for a payment in an unusual way, Boyette explained.
“Like if the person you’re writing the check to isn’t the person you’re talking to … or they’re asking you for gift cards,” she said.
Most breeders will ask for part of a down payment if you’re buying the puppy before it’s ready to be adopted, and many sellers have high standards for choosing who gets to buy their puppies, Boyette said.
“I’ve found from friends who’ve bought purebred dogs, that breeders have interview paperwork for the person buying the puppy — I had a friend who literally had to fill out a 10-page packet before he could even be accepted as someone who could buy the puppy,” she explained. “They’re going to want to know as much about you as you do about them.”
Buyers should always try to meet the breeder in person, but if they live too far away, they should be able to provide precise details about when the puppy will be flown in, she said.
“If the ship date keeps changing or anything kind of weird like that, it probably is a pretty good red flag — they should be pretty specific as they want that dog picked up the second it lands.”
Scam artists often lure in buyers with excellent deals on puppies, so if the deal seems too good to be true, it likely is, Boyette explained.
“A lot of breeds, especially purebred dogs, they’re expensive, and the reason they’re expensive is that true, good breeders put a lot of money into their puppies,” she said. “Those big prices are because of all the work they did.”
If someone is selling puppies for around half of what other reputable breeders are selling puppies for, that’s not a good sign, she explained.
Colorado is the sixth-worst state for puppy scams, according to Veterinarians.org. On average, each Coloradan who falls victim to a puppy scam loses just under $1,000, the website’s data shows.
California, Florida and Texas are the top three states for puppy scams in the country.
