Gwinnett County

Dog breeder warns of scam using her dogs

By Carl Willis
By Carl Willis

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A local dog breeder says scammers stole pictures of her dogs and ripped off victims who just wanted a puppy.

Channel 2’s Carl Willis learned some of those people were taken for thousands of dollars.

"It's disturbing,” dog breeder Carol Dean told Willis -- disturbing to learn that people are scamming innocent families by making them believe they're buying a puppy, when instead, they're just handing their money over to thieves.

Dean is a Labradoodle breeder. She told Willis that she discovered pictures of her pups were being used to lure unsuspecting victims.

“This is an international problem, this is not just a Georgia or United States problem. It's international,” Dean said.

Dean told Willis she's reported one site in particular but it just keeps resurfacing under different names.

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She said victims have dropped thousands of dollars after seeing the fake listings on social media sites.

Dean said the fake pages aren't just swiping pics from companies, they're also taking them from the social media pages of owners and families.

Lauren Huston from New Jersey spotted her dog Skylie being used in a bogus ad on Facebook.

"Skylie is one of probably hundreds of thousands of dogs whose identity has been taken to market a product or pet that doesn't exist," Huston told Willis on Skype Friday.

Dean and Huston said they're speaking out so that people in the market for a puppy take a moment before shelling out their hard-earned money.

"I'm sure they're furious. They're mad. Their money is gone. They don't know how to get their money back. They don't know who to contact," Dean said.

Unusually low prices, she said, are a red flag as are breeders who aren't transparent and won't pick up a phone.

"If you're going to be adding a dog to your family, you should be receiving a lot more information than a couple of cute photos," Huston said.

"Talking to breeders, calling them up, making sure you hear a voice on the phone," are all things Dean said you should do if you’re going to buy a puppy.

Cox Media Group

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