Unfortunately Puppy Scams are on the rise. We at BarTin Kennels would like to give some advice and tips to apply in your search for your next perfect puppy.
#1
Look for breeders/sellers who have a searchable history such as a website, social media, Instagram etc, with years of history. If the puppy you are considering is listed by a person who has no other dogs or pictures to show you that is a huge red flag!
#2
Ask for more pictures, preferably videos of the puppy that you are considering. If the seller is unwilling or makes excuses as to why they are unable, they most likely don’t own the puppy in the pictures and the pictures were stolen from another breeder.
Tip: Ask for a current picture of the puppy – including in the photo a card with your full name on it. This will verify that the puppy is currently in their possession.
#3
If the price of the puppy you are considering seems to good to be true,…. IT MOST LIKELY IS! Puppy scammers steal pictures of high quality puppies from top breeders, then post these pictures advertising them as a puppy they’re selling at a considerable discount. A tactic Puppy Scammers use to explain the low price is SOB STORIES. They will tell you things like “This litter wasn’t planned and I just need to get rid of them“. “My sister was killed in a accident and this was her puppy/litter, I just need to sell them fast“. The point is, they play on your heart strings and tell you stories that are hard to dismiss.
#4
NEVER SEND $$$ WITHOUT A SIGNED AGREEMENT!!! Puppy Scammers will play on your emotions, telling you that there are many interested parties and that they just need a deposit to hold the puppy in your name. While a deposit to hold a puppy is normal amongst breeders, it has to be done the proper way to protect both buyer an seller. The proper way being- Both parties, Buyer and Seller sign and date a Puppy Purchase Agreement. The Puppy Purchase Agreement should detail the Specific puppy being sold, the specific Sire and Dam that the Puppy is out of, the puppy’s date of birth, the total price to be paid, the buyer and seller’s full names, address, phone number, and email. Along with any other details that were agreed upon. AFTER this step is complete you can feel confident in sending funds.
We have known several people who bought into puppy scams. In the moment they were so excited that they found an available puppy, just what they were looking for! And the price was so low compared to others of the same breed. The seller told them that they need a deposit to hold the puppy. Many times they will say that the deposit is the cost of shipping. Our friends sent the funds and as soon as they did that the seller stopped all correspondence. They were left with no puppy, lost money, no information on who they sent the funds to, nothing in writing that proved what the money was sent for and totally heartbroken as they and their family had gotten attached to the beautiful puppy in the photos. They ended up finding another puppy from a recommended breeder at the going rate cost for the breed.
If you apply these 4 tips you will save yourself a lot of time, frustration, heartache and money!
Whether you are purchasing a Whippet puppy from us at BarTin Kennels or somewhere else, We wish you well. We hope you find the perfect addition to your family.
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