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Nov 10, 2008 9:53 pm US/Central
Buy Internet Puppies At Your Peril
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Shopping online is more popular than ever, and now some people are even buying pets online. CBS 2's Pam Zekman says it could be a big mistake.
The pictures are irresistible. With the click of a mouse, you can shop for the exact puppy you're looking for much less than pet stores charge.
"The dog was $450, and that seems like a steal of a price for an English bulldog," says online puppy buyer T.J. Gajda.
But the woman he dealt with for more than a month kept adding expenses, totaling more than $1,000. He never got the puppy, and she didn't return phone calls to CBS 2.
"She threw the bait, she reeled me in," Gajda says. "She scammed me and she conned me."
If you actually do get a puppy online, experts say you're making a big mistake if you buy it without visiting the breeder to see the puppy and its parents.
"If the mother is sick or the dogs come from an environment that's dirty and diseased-filled, of course the puppy's going to be sick," veterinarian Sheldon Rubin says. "Don't buy blindly."
One Addison couple learned that lesson the hard way after they ordered a puppy from Puppies On Wheels. They paid $900 -- $100 of it for delivery by a truck they had to meet at 1 a.m. along the highway. The dog appeared sick.
Puppies On Wheels is operated by Kathy Bauck. As CBS 2 Investigators disclosed last month, Bauck now faces animal-cruelty charges in Minnesota. The cruelty charges were based on video taken by an investigator for the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS). It shows Bauck dunking dogs in a diluted but toxic insecticide.
The CAPS investigator did see a veterinarian examining puppies before they're shipped, as required by the Department of Agriculture. The Addison couple's puppy came with a certificate saying it had no signs of infectious, contagious and communicable diseases.
The USDA is reviewing the CAPS video and could revoke Bauck's breeding license, but that won't necessarily change things.
"Internet sales are not regulated by the USDA," Deborah Howard of CAPS says. "Even if she's convicted … she'll still be able to run Puppies On Wheels."
Some Internet sites help shelters find homes for rescue dogs.
"I felt comfortable with it because I thought I was adopting a puppy,saving a dog's life," says Holly Peeples.
The Website warned that the puppy had weak legs but was doing great. But days after Daisy arrived, she was diagnosed with serious problems.
"She had a blood disorder, she had pneumonia very badly," Terry Peeples said. "She was dealing with some parasites."
Even with vet bills totaling $3,000, Daisy had to be put to sleep.
Bauck's attorney says that if puppies are sick she does not ship them.
She has pleaded not guilty to the cruelty charges. Her attorney claims that the CAPS investigator fabricated evidence when he recorded conditions at her breeding farm last spring.
Since then the USDA cited Bauck for not providing adequate vet care to sick animals. Its last inspection report found no violations, but the agency is now reviewing the undercover video for possible future action.
To protect yourself when buying puppies, check out these Websites:
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Companion Animal Protection Society
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USDA Animal Care Program --
American Kennel Club --
National Humane Society
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Video: CBS 2's Picks To Click
