St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 9, 2021 – The demand for “quarantine puppies” and other pets increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing with it a spike in scams that has persisted even as virus-related lockdowns have abated. Online pet scams — in which an online search ends with a would-be pet owner paying hundreds of dollars or more to adopt a pet that ultimately doesn’t exist — are especially pervasive during the holiday season, when families may be looking to add a furry family member as a gift. Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) advises extreme caution if shopping for a pet online.
In addition to a shortage of puppies available due to high demand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suspended imports of dogs to the U.S. from 100 countries deemed at high risk of rabies. The U.S. imports 1 million dogs each year.
People currently shopping for pets online are very likely to encounter a scam listing in an online ad or website. Knowing the red flags associated with this scam can help consumers avoid heartache and losing their money.
A St. Charles, Missouri, woman reported losing $800 to a pet scammer in August 2021 when she and her husband tried to buy a French bulldog puppy via Craigslist. The woman told BBB Scam Tracker the breeder provided videos of the dog and an American Kennel Club breeder license that looked authentic. The breeder requested the woman send money via Apple Pay to a pet shipping company, which subsequently demanded additional fees for insurance, a crate, and a distemper vaccine. After the shipping company told the woman the dog was in critical condition at a New York airport, the woman requested video proof, but received one of the original videos the breeder had shared with her. She concluded she had been scammed and reported the incident to BBB Scam Tracker.
If you are looking to add a furry friend to your family this holiday season, consider adopting a dog at your local animal shelter, such as the West Plains Regional Animal Shelter or West Plains Animal Care and Control.
If you are looking to purchase a pet from a reputable dog breeder, visit this link to find BBB Accredited dog breeders near West Plains, MO: https://www.bbb.org/search?find_country=USA&find_entity=05195-000&find_id=05195-000&find_latlng=36.728115%2C-91.852371&find_loc=West%20Plains%2C%20MO&find_text=Dog%20Breeders&find_type=Category&page=1&sort=Distance
