AKC, BBB Warn of Puppy Scams

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) are warning consumers about scams targeting unsuspecting puppy buyers.

Both the AKC and the CBBB have recently received a number of reports from consumers throughout the nation who have lost money after responding to online or newspaper classified advertising. Commonly, the scammer —posing as a breeder—will place an ad offering free or inexpensive puppies. Communicating solely through emails, the scammer may claim that he/she is affiliated with a religious organization and is being relocated to a foreign country and needs to re-home the puppies.

“The consumer can be taken in by the sincerity of the scammer, who’ll say that they don’t care about money and just want to find a good home for their beloved puppies,” said Bill Moak, President of the BBB Mississippi. “But then the fees for shipping the pet mount up and the consumer can lose hundreds of dollars before realizing they’ve been conned and will never get their puppy.”

“This is certainly not the only scam to be aware of, but it is a common one,” says AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “Because of the emotional investment, consumers are more vulnerable to being taken advantage of when it comes to a cute cuddly puppy than with any other purchase. A dog is a major investment -- a living, breathing being who will rely on you for 10 years or more. Take time to educate yourself on the hallmarks of a legitimate and responsible breeder.”

The AKC and BBB offer the following advice:

• Do your research. Ask if the breeder is a member of an AKC-affiliated club and contact that club to verify membership or check recent listings of available AKC Litters from breeders at: http://www.akc.org/classified/index.cfm. You can also check with the BBB (http://www.bbb.org/) and the AKC (919-233-9767) to see if there are any complaints about the breeder. Request references and speak to other people who have purchased dogs from this breeder—especially if the breeder does not live near you.
  
• Beware of breeders who seem overly concerned with getting paid. Any reputable breeder will be far more concerned with the appropriateness of the potential pet home than what and when they are getting paid. Make sure you have clear expectations – ideally in writing – of how and when the pup will be paid for. Be especially wary of any breeder who insists that you wire money and who calls to ask for more money to be wired to cover last minute shipping fees.
  
• Don’t be fooled by a slick web site. Unscrupulous breeders and even outright scams can be represented by professional-looking web sites that lure you in with fraudulent pictures of adorable puppies. At the very least speak with the breeder on the telephone and ideally meet the breeder, the puppy and the dam in person. If you locate a breeder online, never send money without checking their references and credentials first. The AKC recommends that you first contact the national organization for the breed (Parent Club). It is essential to visit the breeder at their home to see the entire litter and the care and conditions given to the puppies prior to purchasing.
  
• Take your time. Beware of breeders who claim to have multiple breeds ready to ship immediately. It’s highly unlikely that your perfect puppy will be available for shipping on the very day you call. Gestation and socialization of a litter takes months -- no puppy should be separated from the dam before 8 weeks of age.
  
• Report a scam. Anyone who has experienced a dog-related scam should report it to their local authorities as well as their local BBB (http://www.bbb.org/) to file a complaint. Consumers can also direct questions and concerns to AKC Customer Service at 919-233-9767, or e-mail info@akc.org.
  
• “If you are sure you are dealing with an actual breeder who has a dog to sell, there are still things to be aware of,” adds Peterson. “If you expect the dog you are buying to be AKC-registrable, you must obtain documentation when you pick up the dog. Be wary of excuses such as ‘AKC hasn't sent the papers yet.’ If a breeder is doing his paperwork in a timely manner, there is no reason the AKC Dog Registration Application form should not be available, so wait until you receive it before you pay for and take home your puppy. Once you have completed the financial aspect of the transaction, there is little recourse for an unsatisfied buyer.”
  
• To learn about the hallmarks of a responsible breeder, visit:
  http://www.akc.org/press_center/facts_stats.cfm?page=responsible_breeder

How to keep your kids safe in the age of MySpace

In an age where it is commonplace for kids to know more about technology and the Internet than their parents, do you know how and where your children spend their time in cyberspace?

In a report entitled Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later, researchers found that approximately one in seven youth (10 to 17-years-old) received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet.

With kids using the Internet at school, with friends, and at home, it is important for parents to be aware of what their children are doing online, what the risks include, and what you can do to keep them safe.

Social networking groups like MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster can be a great forum for teenagers to express themselves and make friends that might have common interests. However, such groups can also be dangerous if young people get involved with predators. Many of these websites allow users to create profiles with contact information, pictures, and journals.

Child abductors and other criminals may use such websites to lure kids into meeting in-person by lying about their age and interests. While MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster cater to teens, other sites advertise themselves as offering chat for “Kids.” Don’t be taken in by the name. They often do not screen for age and allow adults, pretending to be children, to participate.

Make sure to not only check on the names of the sites used by your children, but to visit the sites and use them. Remember, if a site allows your child to post information such as an email address, a full name, or a street address, your child can be contacted by anyone who sees that post online.

If your child is under 13 years of age, a site that allows posting without prior parental permission is probably in violation of the Guidelines of the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (“CARU”) and of Federal law. If you have any question or complaints regarding websites used by your children, contact CARU at http://www.caru.org/. Additional information has been published by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1478.