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The High Cost of that Puppy Online

August 14, 2009, 12:32PM MT

By Turner Houston, Best Friends Network volunteer

One woman's experience of buying over the Internet.

It’s inevitable: the ads pop up whenever you search for anything dog-related online: “Puppies for Sale!”

The Internet is a new and burgeoning market for puppy sales, and unfortunately a new way for sick puppies to be sold to unknowing customers. While the Internet has been used to the great advantage of finding homes for shelter animals through Petfinder and other adoption sites, dog breeders—including puppy mills have taken advantage of the vast customer base on the Internet.

Earlier this year, Diane Powell of British Columbia, Canada wanted to find a “tiny” Chihuahua to take the place of a beloved “tiny” who had passed on. “Tinies” are extra-small Chihuahuas that weigh only a couple pounds at full size—the “runt of the litter,” if you will.

Powell said, “I was surprised and happy to find a sweet, tiny Chihuahua on the Internet from a breeder who said she was an AKC-registered breeder. Although I was leery of [buying] online, I called and talked a long time with the breeder who assured me she had been breeding and raising Chihuahuas for over 17 years and her mother had raised them for 35 years before her. She said that she loved her dogs and once I saw the puppy’s picture, I was smitten. I paid $3,500 for her.”

Diane and her husband flew to Raleigh, North Carolina to visit the breeder and pick up the puppy, but were told that the breeder was too busy to have a visit and would instead bring the puppy to the Powells at the airport. “We were surprised that the breeder herself didn’t come to the airport, but her sister dropped off the puppy while she was on an errand. The poor thing we were handed was so small and so lethargic and thin that she looked more like a rat than a Chihuahua. I figured that was what she was supposed to look like as a “tiny,” and that she was tired and lethargic because she was stressed by the move. The breeder had assured me that she was ‘perfect,’ so we took her home,” said Powell.

After putting the puppy on a high-nutrition food for a few weeks, Powell began to see improvements in the puppy’s eyes and coat and an increase in her weight, but the puppy was still lethargic and stumbled when she walked. She held her head low and staggered when she walked. Click here to see Powell’s video of her puppy.

By week three, Powell was so alarmed by the puppy’s physical state that she took the dog to the vet and after his first look at the puppy’s stagger, the vet sent the puppy for x-rays. “When he looked at the x-rays, he said right away that there was nothing he could do but put my puppy down. Because of a genetic defect, her spinal cord was not attached to her skull. Only muscle held her head anywhere near where it would normally be attached to the spine. As she had gotten bigger, she suffered excruciating pain and became less and less able to hold her head up or to walk. I was devastated,” said Powell.

“Buying a puppy online is probably the worst thing you can do when looking for a new pet,” said Kelli Ohrtman, Best Friends’ Puppies Aren’t Products Campaign Specialist.

“While I completely understand how adorable puppies’ photos are on the Internet, we caution people never to go this route. Breeders selling online are often not regulated by anyone depending on what state they’re in, and it’s a way for breeders to cater to customers who will never see the conditions they keep their dogs in.”

Best Friends was involved in a puppy mill case last year where a West Virginia breeder with 973 dogs was shut down. She sold puppies almost exclusively on the Internet. To read about the case, click here.

Many thousands of puppies are sold over the Internet each year. Approximately 20 percent of the sick puppy complaints that the Humane Society of the United States received last year involved Internet transactions. In these cases, people either ordered their puppy over the Internet or dealt with a seller whose ad they found on the Internet. Of all the sick puppy complaints received (Internet, pet store and otherwise), about 20 percent involved pups who died.

Although grieving, Powell contacted the breeder to inform her of the death of the dog and to see if she could get a refund of the $3,500 fee. Despite having the x-rays, a statement from the vet and the video of the puppy, Powell was told that she wouldn’t get a refund and that she had broken the sales contract by having the dog put down. She is still trying to get her money back from her puppy’s breeder, but there is little legal recourse for cases such as these.

“Puppy sales on the Internet are not regulated,” said Ohrtman. “Customers don’t have the same protections with online sales as they do even buying from a pet store, and we know that those protections, lemon laws and such, aren’t enough to ensure the best for puppies or customers.”

A Win-Win Alternative
An important fact to remember for people who want only a purebred dog is that approximately 25% of dogs in shelters are purebreds. If Powell had looked for a purebred Chihuahua on Petfinder.com, for example, she would have found 9,055 Chihuahuas looking for homes, like Agape, a female Chihuahua available for adoption.

There are hundreds of thousands of wonderful dogs in shelters, waiting for homes. Before you buy a dog, please consider opening your heart and home to a shelter dog. Besides finding a friend for life, you will know that your dog adoption will help decrease demand for puppy mill dogs and help to end the terrible suffering of dogs kept in puppy mills.

How You Can Help

Adopt Don’t Shop

Organize a Peaceful Pet Store Protest in your city.

Help spread the word about puppy mills.

Nine things you can do to help stop puppy mills.

Xray and photo provided by Diane Powell.

Comments

Posted August 17, 2009, 2:51PM by scratchtopaz

What an incredibly sad and important story! If you're looking for a pet online PetFinder or breed rescue are the only places to go. No, repeat, no responsible breeder is selling puppies to the public without a strict screening process. This happens before the puppies are born, all the puppies from a responsible breeder are spoken for before the dog goes into heat. Getting your dog online or from a store is a tragedy waiting to happen.

Posted August 18, 2009, 10:40PM by pawprintsup

What a horrible experience, it takes a very special person to share and help others learn from your pain. Thank you for being so special and hopefully providing some education about these "mills".

Posted August 19, 2009, 10:40AM by patvanil

I would bring a civil suit against this breeder just for the fact that she should not be breeding or selling puppies period!! This outcome is more the norm when buying a puppy online unfortunately.

Posted August 19, 2009, 10:45AM by odat80

Oh dear God, this story and the picture is so distressing there was no way I could watch the video. God bless this poor little mite who had such a wretched short life. Why would anyone pay $3,500 for a puppy, especially when so many dogs, purebred and not, can be found for adoption for next to nothing!

Posted August 19, 2009, 11:11AM by crazysleepingcatlady

idat80 I'm right there with you....I am barely able to finish reading this story. I will pray for this little pup who did not deserve this. This is incredibly, incredibly sad............. And I also agree with patvanil, bring a suit against this breeder....she needs to have her entire operation shut down for good. Everything about this whole situation was wrong. Breeders are only interested in the almighty dollar. I will never understand why people shell out huge amounts of money on animals when there are so many awaiting for a great home in our shelters and rescue groups.

Posted August 19, 2009, 11:41AM by Thyrals

Hideous just sad tragic and hideous, I weep to think of the pain that poor puppy endured, and how many more of these genetic defects are now passed along to the public.. my LORD this makes me ill!!! Puppy mills are atrocities! They are evil and the people who run them should be put in jail. EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION, I pray and hope that 100% of people are just ignorant of the deplorable business practices and conditions that these "mill slime' people generate, and once educated, would opt to adopt their pet from a rescue or a shelter.. It's sickening, we must educate!!

Posted August 19, 2009, 3:28PM by doggymama4

How many stories like this will it take to stop people from buying at pet stores and on the internet? I am sorry she lost this terrific amount of money but who pays that much for a puppy anyway? How do we get this word out? There is so much said about this and it is still happening. I can't bear to read this story again

Posted August 20, 2009, 11:9PM by nj2tou

That poor puppy!! This is such an atrocity... how can people be so cruel as to do this??? They should be behind bars. What also kills me is that people are willing to pay thousands of dollars for animals from "breeders" and yet I see them balk all the time at the adoption fees that are a fraction of that amount and a fraction of what it really costs for us to get them ready for adoption! I volunteer for a cat rescue group at my local Petco and we charge $100, with a discount of $50 for the second one if you adopt 2. That includes spay/neuter, shots, any meds they needed and food and shelter until adopted. They think just because they're "adopting", it shouldn't cost anything. Well, unfortunately it DOES cost us something, which we have to pass onto the adopter. Bring 'em to your local vet and see what it costs you for that! As others have said - there are so many pure bred animals out there, you just have to look! Unfortunately, we're all just preaching to the choir here. Sigh... I'm constantly telling people ADOPT! ADOPT! ADOPT! If I can get through to just one person, I'll be happy.

Posted August 21, 2009, 11:15AM by SharpeiPitBull

My heart broke watching that video of that poor Chihuahua puppy. This is exactly why puppy mills and backyard breeders must be closed. They have no morals and just see dollar signs. I adopted my two Pitties from the shelter. My feeling is save a life, adopt a homeless pet. There are so many wonderful animals waiting for their forever homes at the shelters.

Posted August 21, 2009, 11:16AM by eldad75

Please click here to read the sadest story about a puppy mill dog I rescued that was dumped at the shelter: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldad75/3369558940/ No happy ending here :-( Eldad

Posted August 22, 2009, 11:6AM by Shinyhide

Diana Powell Today at 10:56am I now look at this horror story as I truly rescued Jitterbug from the breeder's ignorance, even though it cost me to do it. It also cost the SPCA and other rescue groups to rescue animals from ignorant cruel people too. The breeders told me they would NOT of euthanized her. That I was to of shipped her back to them from the west coast of BC, Canada to the east coast of North Carolina Email from Stella sent, Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:19:56 -0400 .........I probably would have helped her through until she was just lieing there..................I'm thinking maybe a massage would have relieved her.....thanks stella Email from Stella Sent: April 17, 2009 1:30:40 PM Would I have put her to sleep, Well No, I would have not......................I do not want Vet records, registration papers, Nothing..........Stella Email from Frank Smith sent, Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:24:55 -0400 .....you put the dog to sleep and never contacted us at all when you were told as she grew she would suffer, this was our option, sorry Diana if you disagree ........You breeched this contract if that is even Chloe that you are saying is dead. (sent them picture's of her deseased to prove it was Jitterbug(Chloe) We would have told you NO, do not put her to sleep. That is our option NOT yours being that you feel you want something from us, you should have abided by the contract...... thank you frank smith Email from Stella, Sent: April 16, 2009 11:41:50 AM Hi Diane The survical instability as your vet said Chloe had is, There is no evidence published to date that the disease can be predicted by radiographic (x-ray) study,..................stella (Ignorant and wrong!) EMAIL from FRANK SMITH Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:48:57 -0400 ..............AND WHAT YOUR VET SAYS THAT SHE HAD, WELL IT HAS NEVER BEEN PROVEN THAT AN XRAY COULD REVEAL!!!............frank Email from Frank Smith Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:24:55 -0400 ...(YOU did not return the puppy, you had her put to sleep. THEREFORE YOU ARE ENTITLED TO NOTHING because you think you are above the law, I do not think that you are)..thank you frank smith (I was to off allowed Jitterbug to continue to suffer in their opinion, but I loved her to much to off done that to her.) Thanks for caring, Diana

Posted August 22, 2009, 5:58PM by Shinyhide

Here is another email that this AKC breeder wrote me before I got Jitterbug(Chloe). She wrote it because she knew I was leary of buying on the internet. Boy! Did she ever fool me about what kind of person she was. And she was exactly the kind of dishonest person I was trying not to deal with or run in to on the internet. EMAIL from Stella the AKC breeder Jan. 21, 2009 4:13:04 PM ................I do not know your beliefs, but I will let you know that I am a GOD FEARING WOMAN............I do not use GOD as a sales pitch, GOD sends me the perfect parents to my babies and I am greatful. ( Boy! that sales pitch fooled me big time!) Here's another email from this AKC breeder to me about internet selling, Date: Jan. 28, 2009 3:51:14 PM ............. It is such a great way to reach out around the world and let potential puppy owners chose what they want. And when one person has no morals and willing to do whatever they can at no concerns to the feelings of the person that chose that pup with their heart it is enough to lose faith in every other person you cross............ ( Again this AKC breeder did not live by her own words, but destroyed my trust and heart in dealing with a AKC breeder on the internet.) EMAIL from Stella sent, Jan. 29/09 'There are too many years backed up with me and my mother that I have never met a vet with the knowlege of a tiny as we are. A honest vet would tell you the truth. I know more of what I do with Chi's because of years with Chi's only.' When this AKC breeder told me, she was a good honest person and a knowledgable breeder of 17 yrs. and her mother for 35 yrs. I believed and trusted her, and fell for her lies hook, line, and sinker. And I honestly thought I was being cautious in asking all the right questions. This EMAIL was just forwarded to me that this AKC breeder wrote to this person after they let her know about Best Friends facebook site etc. Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:13:16 -0400 thank you so much! you are making me famous, please let diana know :) ......... (a statement like this just confirms that she doesn't care about hurting the people she deals with) This just goes to show that no matter how careful you try to be, you can still get scammed on the internet.

Posted August 22, 2009, 6:31PM by jeanie63

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, report this individual. She stated she had been raising these dogs for 17 years and her mother for 35 years. I can't even fathom the abuse and neglect these poor dogs have suffered in that time.

Posted August 22, 2009, 10:54PM by respectedone

And then we have this guy from Vancouver Island who "bought" a boxer online from the Far East, spent at least $5000, and got nothing--- THANK GOD! At least no poor animal got abused in this one. Just the human. If people want specific breeds, I hope they would think of going to the breed rescue sites first. That's what I did for one of mine as her breed wasn't available locally (SPCA, Petfinder, etc) at the time.

Posted August 23, 2009, 2:16PM by Shinyhide

Here are parts of two emails sent to me from a person in Texas today Aug. 23/09 I have never met this person in Texas before, who has sent me these emails. The first email is from the breeder of Jitterbug to this person. The second email is part of the responds from this person back to the breeder. Saturday, August 22, 2009 10:36:14 PM ...............without a doubt does not have water on the brain. you should ask your friend how many kids were grabbing at her when they dropped her on the floor. It is ashame my little baby got into the arms of someone so careless............. (This is another example of this AKC breeders false accusations and dishonesty, when she was given full proof of Jitterbug's diagnosis with vets report, x-rays, and video (from ourvet). And our vet even left this AKC breeder a phone message, which this AKC breeder did not respond too, and wouldn't call the vet back.) August 23, 2009 9:03:40 AM .........To tell you the truth Stella, I'd had your website bookmarked as a possible breeder to purchase a chihuahua from. Thanks to God, who works in miraculous ways, I found my way to Diana's video, started emailing her and found out you operated under AKC chihuahuas now. I remembered I had that name bookmarked. I thought it was Stelladorachis. God saved you from me Stella. And me from you. Even if it was just this one time, you still don't do the christian thing.......... (I am very happy that I saved at least one person with Jitterbug's story from potentially being hurt or losing like I did.)Diana

Posted August 24, 2009, 6:17AM by snugglesmommy

Hi, the "Organize a Peaceful Pet Store Protest in your city" link is not working. Can you fix? Thanks! And thanks for this great story.

Posted August 24, 2009, 8:35AM by cmoon

Hi Snugglesmommy--thanks for letting us know about the broken link. It is now working. Take care.

Posted August 28, 2009, 5:48PM by Shinyhide

Here is information on Atlantoaxial instability which is in Jitterbug's x-ray's.Iif you go to this link. http://accg.xplorex.com/page200.htm Which this backyard AKC breeder says cannot be diagnosed by x-rays.