Better Business Bureau Warns Against Shady Breeders

The Better Business Bureau says they haven't been able to resolve more than half the complaints they received against Texas dog breeders over the past three years. It's not for lack of trying; it's the lack of regulation and enforcement that gets in their way.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted an internal audit and found that they were doing a wretched job of inspecting puppy mills and enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. But it's not just puppy mills — the USDA has nothing to do with breeders who aren't selling their pups at the wholesale level. So all those people advertising their puppies in classified ads, online, with signs in their yards or at flea markets fall into a big black hole of regulation.

When the puppies wind up chronically ill, dead, or are never delivered to the buyer in the first place, irate would-be puppy owners call the Better Business Bureau. But there's little the agency can do, especially in growing arena of online puppy sales where even commercial breeders can be impossible to track down.

"As the puppy industry continues to grow, consumers may encounter more and more unscrupulous breeders," the BBB warned.

It's not the first time that the BBB has raised red flags about bad apples in the dog breeding business. A few years ago, they joined with the American Kennel Club to warn puppy buyers to watch out for scammers. When you shell out money to a breeder over the internet, you don't just run the risk that you'll end up with a sick puppy ... you may not end up with dog at all (and you'll never see your money again).

So what can the puppy-buying public do? My first piece of advice is always to choose adoption, even if you have your heart set on a purebred dog. An estimated 25 percent of dogs in shelters are purebred and most breeds have active rescue groups with dogs who need homes. (Don't confuse breeder scams with the way rescue groups use the internet to find homes for pets.)

If you're absolutely certain you don't want to adopt, I'll still try to convince you to save one of the millions of homeless pets who needs a good home. But if you're still on the lookout for a breeder, there are a couple things you can do to find one that's not cheating you or the dogs:

• Do your research. A cool website has nothing to do with the ability to raise dogs, so look beyond the homepage. Get references from vets and customers, find out if they belong to any breed clubs and if they already have a rap sheet with the BBB. Shop local so you can visit their home and meet your puppy's parents. Also, the breeder should question you to make sure the dog is going to be a good fit for your lifestyle.
• Puppies are a lifetime commitment, not a blue-light special. Anyone who is trying to cut you a deal, rush the transaction, or offer you the dog of your dreams, ready to ship overnight, is up to no good. They're either going to take your money and run, or they don't care about their puppies.

If you do get cheated, report the breeder to your local authorities and your local Better Business Bureau.

Like every other sector, the internet has changed the business of selling dogs and it's the puppies who are falling through the regulatory cracks. Tell your state representatives to pass legislation that regulates and enforces responsible standards for selling puppies online that protect consumers and the dogs.

Photo credit: ngader