As the title suggests this is not about politics but does involve similar scumbags.
I being a huge fan of our canine friends thought this important to pass along to those who might be wishing to add a puppy to their life and or families lives.
Although this info maybe obvious to most, there are the gullible ones amongst our population who may be prone to act without thought when dealing with this decision. (Voting does come to mind, does it not?)
Thieves Target Pet Lovers In Scam
POSTED: Monday, April 12, 2010
http://www.clickondetroit.com/family/23130458/detail.html
DETROIT -- Pet experts are trying to get the word out about scams targeting people looking for a new best friend.
Jennifer Dolenic runs Bully For You, a nonprofit English bulldog rescue organization in Auburn Hills. She said she's seen several instances where families have thought they had found their pet but instead found a scam artist.
"Dogs are a huge industry. People look at dollar signs and say, 'OK, how can we make some money,'" she said. "People are just out to make money and you don't know what you're getting yourself into."
Dolenic said many of the new scams target people looking for purebreds.
Police and Dolenic said scam artists create legitimate-looking Web sites full of cute and cuddly pictures of dogs.
"You get attached very quickly, and they sound like they're really desperate to find a good home for them and you want to believe them, you want to help them out," Dolenic said.
Dolenic said the first warning sign of a scam is if the seller comes up with an excuse as to why the potential owner can't meet the dog face-to-face beforehand.
"You run the risk anytime you don't physically see the pet, of not knowing what you're getting yourself into," she said.
Most commonly, Dolenic said, the scam artist will say they're overseas and need money wired to them to take care of shipping and customs fees.
People will hand over the money, but never see the dog.
But it's not only happening overseas. Cathy Lee runs Best Friends Pet Care in Clinton Township and said she's seen the scam first-hand -- on sites such as
Craigslist.
"Someone will get that pet and then turnaround and flip it for money," she said.
But to complicate the situation more, Lee said the scam artists are not always being truthful about the dog's history.
"I actually ran into the same dog being resold for the third time. Come to find out, he needed $1,000 worth of surgeries because he was sick to begin with," Lee said.
Pet experts suggest looking for pets in places other than the Internet -- such as the Humane Society, recognized rescue organizations and breeders who have documentation.
Also, ask for vet records and go through them thoroughly.
To find out more about adopting from Bully For You, visit,
http://www.bullyforyou.org/
