Puppy scam and puppy mill checklist

What it is

A checklist of warning signs that a seller is running a puppy scam or selling puppies from a puppy mill. Tick the ones you see. One red flag is a reason to slow down, and several together are a reason to walk away.

How to use it

Scammers advertise puppies they do not have, usually at a low price, and collect a deposit and then extra fees for shipping, insurance or a special crate. They push you to pay by methods that cannot be reversed, such as gift cards, wire transfers and payment apps, and they avoid meeting in person or on a live video call. Puppy mills breed many dogs in poor conditions and sell the puppies through websites, middlemen or meet-ups so that buyers never see where the dogs live.

The simplest protection is to see the puppy and its mother where they live, in person or on a live video call that you ask for, before you pay anything. Pay by credit card where possible, because a card gives you a way to dispute a charge. A reverse image search of the listing photos shows whether they appear on other sites.

What to do if you have been scammed

Stop paying, keep every message and receipt, tell your bank or card issuer, and report the seller to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the website that carried the listing. Adopting from a local shelter or rescue, or buying from a breeder you have visited and who has references, avoids most of these problems.

Where it stops being right

A checklist cannot prove that a seller is honest. It lists common signs only, and an honest breeder may have a few of them while a skilled scammer may have none. Use your judgment and ask a veterinarian or a local breed club for names of breeders they trust.