The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) reports that internet and classified ad scams for pets for sale or free have elevated dramatically as con artists take advantage of the national media campaign to put a stop to animal abuse. Noble organizations, certainly worthy of national media accolades for offering to foster pets belonging to military personnel deployed to the Middle East have given the con artists the opportunity to create their ignoble scams.
Frequently an ad will warn prospective buyers that if their pet isn’t adopted soon, it will have to be euthanized. Some will even say the pet is “free to a good home,” if the buyer will only pay, in advance, of course, the shipping cost. One cautious buyer chose to use Western Union to transfer money to a seller, but once she emailed him the code to retrieve the money, she never heard from him or succeeded in finding him again. He presented himself as a missionary going overseas to do good works for needy natives in India.
Through a loophole in state and federal laws, puppy mills also sell via internet or classified ads, exempt from registering and being inspected as bonafide breeders are required to do. Most of them will not allow you to come to their place, but will offer to meet you somewhere and bring a selection of dogs or cats from which you can choose. This is not to say that puppy mill puppies are not in desperate need of rescue and placement in loving homes, but patronizing the puppy mill owner is what allows them to stay in business.
It is the puppy mill operator who kills dogs when they get sick or when they can no longer breed, puts several at a time in cages with no socialization or human touch, and spends minimum time and money on feed, water, exercise, and vet care. These are not people who love pets. They are in it 100% for the income potential. In most cases, puppy mills deal in small breeds because they are popular, bring high prices, and are the least expensive to keep.
If your heart is set on a particular breed, make a local rescue or shelter your first stop so that you can put your eyes and hands on a variety of dogs and cats to be more sure that the animal of your dreams is what you envision. A tiny, wiggling lab puppy is delightful to hold, but how delightful will it be when it weighs 70 pounds and its back is higher than your knees? Chances are a rescue or shelter has a dog or cat exactly like you think you want at every stage of growth and age for you to actually see what you’re getting yourself into with that breed.
Realize that what you are told by an internet scam predator or a puppy mill operator is likely not to be truthful. If what they have is as good as they say it is, ask why the seller is not taking it to a shelter in his or her own locale, where the buyer can find him or her if something goes wrong. There are tens of thousands of rescue organizations and both private and municipal shelters across the country, so there is no excuse for not taking an animal there instead of trying to dispose of it on the internet.
If you think you just must have the animal that was advertised, insist on the seller taking it to a vet for a health certificate, or to a shelter or rescue where you can arrange to pick it up. In most cases, the scam artist will refuse, frankly exposing that all he or she really wants is your money. If you aren’t an easy mark, they will find another sucker who will fall for their story without so much hassle.
If you have a pet that you can no longer care for, love it enough to take time to find a reputable rescue organization where you can be assured that it will find a new home instead of advertising it as “free to a good home”. The other kind of predator lurking on the internet and skimming the classified ads are those who will give you a good story, and then sell your pet to a research lab or to a dog fighting operation as bait for the dogs they want to train to maim and kill.
Forthright and honest disclosure with a shelter or rescue organization about the pet you have to relinquish will help the organization find the right new home for it, bad habits notwithstanding. Shelters and rescue organizations have access to trainers who can work with your pet to decrease its bad habits before it is re-homed. The majority of animals adopted from shelters and organizations are returned because the new owners were not advised of behavior problems. When they are returned, they go to the bottom of the adoption list and are often the first ones euthanized when space is needed.
Also be assured that when you approach a shelter or rescue organization, you will not be bombarded with a ‘hard sell’ to go home with one of their animals.