English Bulldog Puppy Scams Lead to Family Heartbreak

I am T.O.’d today!  Thank goodness it is Tuesday and I got a fresh dose of my Lamb Chop (Adam Lambert) on American Idol tonight to bring my spirits up.  Maybe you guys already know about this pet scam business, but in case you don’t I’ll caution you to beware.  And if you do already know, thank you for allowing me to vent.

I would LOVE a dog.  I grew up with dogs and they are special to me.  I love my hammies and my turtle too, but there is just something about a dog that warms my heart.  Hubs has to this point resisted, though, and I understand his point.  Our house was too chaotic the first few years after the adoption and we did not need another responsibility.  Also, we have a small yard, no place to really run, and a smallish house, mostly carpeted, that isn’t really dog friendly.  Lastly Hubby is anal.  (No Ma I said ANAL!  I wouldn’t insult him here at Her Family Blog.  I do THAT sort of venting at another blog without many readers, where I can swear and stuff.)   He is anal about the house.  Puppy paw prints, dog hair, drool, poo poo… these things which are inconvenient to most of us are earth shattering to him.  But lately something has changed.

All four of us fell in love with Rob Dyrdek’s dog “Meaty”. (Rob & Big, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory).  Have you seen this pooch?  He is the coolest dog.  He rides skateboards, runs around a little bit, then needs a nap.  Just like us! The perfect blend of energy and chillax for our family.  Plus they don’t get too big so they will fit nicely in our home.  There’s a big draw back though… the price.  I have seen them priced as high as $4,500! The price is justifiable, though, from what I understand.  Bulldogs are so so expensive because they are difficult to breed due to body structure.  Females often have to be artificially inseminated.  THEN she has to have a c-section because of the head size.  Once the bulldog puppies are born there is danger of being accidentally squashed by mama so a lot of time has to be spent nurturing the puppies and giving them to mama at feeding times.  After all that work and expense, the litter could be small and pups often don’t survive.  So I can understand why they cost so much.  But still, I can’t pay that for a dog.

We’ve talked about rescue adoptions and we are actually on some waiting lists.  This is very appealing to our kids, 9 & 13, having been through adoption themselves and being familiar & passionate about the cause. English bulldogs are in demand, though, so it could take years for our turn.   I was referred to some websites last weekend that got me excited, though.  I found private people who had to give their bulldog puppies away because of relocation or some other reasons.  They don’t want to sell them, they just want to find a good home.  Sounded perfect!

It would take too long to exactly explain this, but I am 99% sure that it is a scam.  Everyone is heartbroken.  I emailed the guy with our interest and a little about us.  Then he emailed me back explaining why he was giving the dog away and asking me the same questions I already gave him in my last email.  I wrote him back and answered the questions and asked how we will be making the exchange.  (The dog was supposed to be in Michigan but is now supposedly in Texas; the guy moved).  He replied with the EXACT duplicate of the first email he sent me.  As if he wasn’t even reading my emails but sending out these “form letters” to every request he got.  I poked around some more on the internet and found a really sincere seeming guy and emailed him.  He replied that he is in CAMEROON! (West Africa).  He said he will miss his precious baby but he is unable to take care of it anymore and if I would just send him the shipping fee he will ship him to my doorstop on a 19 hour flight in a crate with his toys and his paperwork.  Crazy-puppy-peddler-running-scams-from-Africa say what?!  I googled some more and found out that pet scamming is common!  Send them the money and never receive your pet.

I know people steal from people every day.  And I know a lot of these scams originate from underprivileged places overseas.  But how can anyone prey on the heart of a child like that?  Shame!

So.  The moral here, as well as the recommendation of advertisers is to always BUY LOCAL.  When it comes to pets you should always pick up in person.  Don’t send money to any private sellers before you receive your product.  Shop with confidence, but buyer beware.  And the other thing you learned today is that I am on a hunt for an English Bulldog puppy.  So if you here of one, and it’s close enough to pick up from Mid Michigan, let me know!!!!