As we near Christmas, a lot of wishful children will have “a new puppy” on their Christmas list for Santa. And a lot of them will be lucky, waking up on Christmas morning to the sound of barks.
However, a lot of families find that they aren’t able to care for a dog and there are more dogs being abandoned or left at shelters than ever before. We would like to remind you that a puppy is for life, not just for Christmas.
If you are wanting to buy a new puppy this holiday season, know that you need to be sure that you will be able to train it, take it on walks, take it to the vets, and care for it as it gets older. For example, dogs often suffer from joint pain as they get older and orthopedic beds offer superior support than normal beds so it will be your responsibility to get them products like this. You must be able to care for them throughout their life, and this means keeping them regularly exercised and engaged. For this to be effective, they must be well trained. Some people prefer to train their dogs themselves, whereas others will go to a dog training company for help.
On top of this, we also ask that you carefully consider where you’re going to be buying this new puppy from. There are lots of beautiful dogs available for adoption in kennels but if you want a puppy, make sure it’s from a reliable breeder and not a scammer that will leave you out of pocket.
And this is because few things pull at a person’s heartstrings like an adorable puppy or cuddly kitten. Unfortunately, scammers know this, and our recent uptick in BBB Scam Tracker reports prove it.
So how does this scam work?
Oftentimes, scammers claim they are breeders. Other times, they act like distraught pet owners who must find a new home for their beloved dog or cat.
Either way, once you’ve found these adorable puppies or kittens online, and fallen in love with their pictures and videos, scammers ask you to wire money to make the purchase.
Once the purchase is complete, the “owner” promises your dog or cat will be shipped right away.
But there are always “unexpected” problems: The airline requires a specific pet crate, you must pay for an expensive vet visit or the shipper requires costly pet insurance. If this was genuine, you could ask to simply get the pet and get them treatment once they are with you, be it with CBD Dog Health products or by taking them to the vets. Many people do have legitimate pets through this kind of method that they nurse back to health.
However, with each problem, scammers promise that they will refund the unexpected costs as soon as your pet is delivered. Unfortunately, your dog or cat never existed in the first place. So, how can you protect yourself from pet scams?
• Never wire money to people or companies you don’t know or trust. Once money is wired, it is gone for good. The same goes for pre-paid debit cards or gift cards.
• See the pet in person before making a purchase. This is the only sure way of being certain your cat or dog exists and will be delivered to you without fail.
• Research prices. Make sure you know roughly how much the specific breed you are interested in costs. If someone is offering a purebred puppy at an extremely reduced price, chances are it’s a fraud.
Check out www.bbb.org to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, report a scam or read tips.
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