Story 1: Web Pet Purchasing Scam

July, 2007 -- From WFAA

A North Texas woman is speaking out in an effort to warn others after she said she fell victim to a pet-purchasing scam.

As Pat Birmingham-McMillan began to search for her future pet, she said a friend led her to a popular web site.

"Up popped two of the cutest little Maltese," she said.

The pictures caught her attention and she decided to contact the breeder, who told her the puppies had been adopted. However, she said she did have another option for McMillan.

"I have a lady that bought two females from me and she got transferred to Lagos Nigeria," McMillan said the breeder told her. "I'll give you her email."

When McMillan wrote the breeder she responded back by informing McMillan that she was willing to sell the two puppies for $400 each. McMillan said the woman asked for half the money up front and the other half when the puppies arrived.

"I thought, well great, because I thought that's a good person who would trust me," she said.

McMillan said she sent the money but never heard anything back. Finally, she said she received an email.

"She says they're going to have to have special crates," McMillan said the woman told her about sending the puppies.

The special crates were going to come at a cost of $150 each, which McMillan said began to make her suspicious.

She called Delta Airlines Cargo to check on the breeder's story and happened to get a hold of an employee who told her the story was all-to-familiar.

"She says, 'You're in a scam,'" McMillan said. "She says, 'Each day we have several people come in waiting for pets to arrive and they never arrive."

McMillan soon learned the employee was right, and wrote the woman in Nigeria back asking for a refund. The woman agreed, but unfortunately the scam wasn't over.

The refund came in the form of counterfeit money orders, and in the end, the scam cost McMillan thousands of dollars to cover all expenses.

McMillan did not make the deposit and said she hasn't heard back from the woman.

While she said she isn't going to pursue the incident any further, she said she has learned a life lesson from the scam.

---

Story 2: Beware of buying an animal from a roadside seller

Aritia S. and her boyfriend couldn’t resist snatching up a pit bull puppy for $100 on the side of the road.

The seller was in a hurry to unload the dogs. Solomon would soon realize why.

“The guy kept saying he just needed to get rid of them,” Solomon said. “His wife didn’t want him to bring them back home.”

The couple bought the 6-week-old puppy May 5, a Saturday. The next day, they took the sluggish and emaciated pup to a veterinarian, who immediately recognized the problem: The dog had parvo, a viral disease common in puppies.

A few days later, the couple took the frail dog to the County Animal Control Shelter to be euthanized.

Animal Control officials have seen the problem before. People unwittingly buy sick dogs or cats from unscrupulous strangers on roadsides. When the animal dies or incurs expensive vet bills, the seller is nowhere to be found.

Roadside sellers like to frequent high traffic areas and flea markets. They can also be found outside of stores such as Wal-Mart.

Aritia said she and her boyfriend bought the pit bull puppy on impulse as a birthday present for her.

Some present.

The veterinarian bills cost them $300 for a dog they kept only a few days. They don’t know who sold them the dog.

Aritia said she has learned her lesson.

“I’m just scared to buy another pet,” she said.

Buying an animal from a reputable dealer, shelter or a friend or co-worker is a safer bet, experts say.