how can I tell if this is legit or a puppy scam?
It all seemed legit, but when I started reading about puppy scams I wondered if it was one! Now I don't know... I mean it could be totally legit. We found a new home for our sheepie several years ago through this website, we drove him to his new home and the new family paid us for the gas money to get there. So maybe this is the same kind of thing... but maybe not! Can any of you tell me what to look out for, or how to tell if she's for real? She did ask me lots of questions (family, living conditions, other pets) and ask if I would please keep in touch so she could see how the pup is doing. But she also said we would only have to pay shipping costs... Thanks for your insight! Rose |
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| I think the only real way to ensure that it is not a scam is to go through a licensed rescue, otherwise you are going to be taking a chance.
I would be really skeptical of this, I doubt this family is having that hard of a time rehoming a 12 week old OES that they would not ask a rehoming fee and ship the dog instead of finding someone local. I would ask for references, specifically vet references to ensure that the dog actually exists. |
| It would not be difficult for someone to rehome a 12 week old OES - they wouldn't need to be searching a classified for someone who wants one. And if they are legitimately trying to rehome one, then they would most likely have an ad placed themselves, right?
If you've posted in a local classified ad, why would someone who is not local find the ad and say all you have to pay is shipping? A 12 week old OES is free? RIGHT. I don't want a 12 week OES who is FREE. There is most something terribly wrong with a free OES puppy as even "pet quality" would normally cost many hundred dollars at the least. Even BYB and puppy millers would cost that and you know they're not healthy. You're not going to find a healthy purebred 12 week old for free. Guarantee if you continue communicating, pretty soon it's going to be "send your account information for the shipping company's charges", etc. Come on. Yes, it's a scammer. If you want proof, ask the person for their phone number so you can chat about the puppy. Find out where they're located. Let us know what she says. |
| I would be extremely leery of the situation you're describing. No 12 week oes puppy is going to be free as mentioned above. If the pup is healthy and from a reputable breeder, that breeder would insist the pup be returned to them ( I know I would)
If you're looking for an oes I'd recommend contacting breeders and rescue organizations. |
| Too many possibilities for problems:
there's no pup, they collect the shipping fees and are gone, not an OES or only part not 12 weeks but rather older left over from a puppy mill litter (hence socialization problems from no human contact) deaf parasite problems or other illness Nope, if I were doing business away from where I could see and hold the pup, I'd only go thru a legit rescue or a reputable OES breeder. |
| I agree with all the above. IF there is a 12 week old oes, they've only had him for a few weeks, and I couldn't imagine why the breeder wouldn't take him back. Unless, of course, the breeder is a BYB or a puppy mill. But in that case, they also wouldn't want to be giving the pup away - they'd want to recoup some of their investment as well.
RUN, don't walk, in the opposite direction. |
Quote: But she also said we would only have to pay shipping costs...
If she's shipping the puppy, the puppy requires a mandatory health check within 10 days of flying... the paperwork accompanies the puppy during flight. Ask for the vet's name, address and telephone number... verify online that this business and number are accurate. Call and speak with the vet about this puppy and its owner. I guess the big question is that IF a puppy actually does arrive, what will you do if it turns out to be a different breed all together? Rescues at times get calls from people swearing they have an OES only to find out the dog is something completely different. Request pictures of the puppy. |
| if you are looking to adopt an OES, I think your best bet (and a sure fire way of avoiding scams) is to contact your local OES Rescue! The dogs will have been in foster care, so you'll know of any behavioral issues that may exist. And you will have the assurance of knowing that your dog will come to you with a complete vet-check. PLUS you can feel great about helping out a dog in need of a home! |
| I'm skeptical because I would think you would have some idea of relocation before you purchased a puppy. Assuming she is not the breeder and got the puppy at a minimum of 8 weeks it doesn't feel right. |
| Hi
everyone thanks for telling me what I already knew!  I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else.
The thing that bothers me is that I don't think you have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to get a great dog and you don't have to charge a huge rehoming fee to find a great home for a dog. We got our first oes from a farm for $250. He was a totally healthy beautiful gentle dog. And when we had to find him a new home, we found a great home through this website, we didn't charge them anything (they paid for the gas to drive him to them!) We trusted our gut about them and we were 100% right. We still keep in touch and he's doing great. There are always exceptions to the "rules" about getting or rehoming a dog, unfortunately this wasn't one of those exceptions. We have contacted area rescues, but there are either no dogs available or we can't rescue from them because we have younger children. I find the whole process to be a bit of overkill, and it feels like even if we did get a dog from a rescue they would never really be our dog anyways since you have to sign so many things about letting them check in or call our vet, or take the dog back. How hard does it have to be..... I think there would be a lot less unwanted dogs if the rescues made it easier to get a dog from them than from a breeder. Sorry about the rant. I love dogs, appreciate and respect people who have rescues and I'm just really frustrated. |
| Have you considered buying a puppy? There are very valid reasons for not buying a cheap one from a byb. Believe me, you don't want to see my vet bills. Either rescue a homeless dog or go through a reputable breeder that also tests for genetic health conditions known to affect the breed. Bypass those pumping out puppies every time they can breed their female.
Quote: "...You say you love this breed so much so please choose one carefully. And consider the parents of your pup it's your responsibility. Your new pup should come from someone dedicated to pups and parents. Not someone who simply dumps them, for money and it's merits." It's sometimes the parents who suffer neglect in order to provide us with a puppy. Please select your new puppy's breeder with care. Don't be part of the problem." If you want to bypass rescue all together, search Craigslist and other similar ads. Understand that the dog you're getting may come with some unknown baggage so steps must be taken to protect both the dog and your children for at least the first 6 months?? maybe longer. These are big, powerful dogs. And find a good trainer to work with the first week he/she is home. Quote: I find the whole process to be a bit of overkill, and it feels like even if we did get a dog from a rescue they would never really be our dog anyways since you have to sign so many things about letting them check in or call our vet, or take the dog back. How hard does it have to be..... I think there would be a lot less unwanted dogs if the rescues made it easier to get a dog from them than from a breeder.
It may feel this way to an adopter but you need to understand the rescue's position. Good rescues work this way... they will take a dog back for any reason. My Panda will go back to NEOESR if something happens to me and my husband or if we just can no longer care for her. Rescues don't want the dog they've put time and money into to end up in yet another bad situation... dumped at animal control, turned loose, given to a friend that isn't prepared to handle the breed, etc. Some of these dogs arrive with no history at all... some have a history that a former owner may have sugar coated or omitted important information from. There are people who will say anything just to get rid of their problem dog. A good rescue will do their best to learn about the dog while it's being fostered rather than simply transferring a dog from owner to owner. But they still may only see a glimpse of the dog's true nature... it can take months for a dog to settle in and they often just aren't with a rescue this long. I know of 3 cases over the years where an OES had bitten someone in the face... only one case ended nicely for the dog. Rescue's first responsibility is to the dog and matching it up with a home that meets it's needs. An adoption won't work if the dog and the people don't match. Rescues will often err on the side of caution when there are children in the home. Then again, they may know a dog but have no idea how well the children are trained to respect a dog and how well the children will be supervised. Good luck to you with your search. |
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