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A dog owner has issued a warning to fellow pooch fans about buying new pets online after she was met with a scary surprise. When buying a dog, there are a few options of where to get a new furry friend.
These vary from rescuing at a sanctuary, perusing the endless online listings or tapping up a certified breeder. Many animal charities, such as PETA, have spoken out against dog breeding as “cruel and irresponsible”, due to the amount of pets that are currently in rescue centres waiting to be adopted and rehomed.
Dogs that have been bred also carry additional risks of health complications, and can put them through unnecessary stress, reports the PDSA.
But, when influencer and ‘dog mom’ Shelby Susnick was looking for a new pet, she browsed on the advert site Craigslist. In a video posted to Tiktok, Shelby said she “shares about the dangers of getting a dog online”.
What she thought was an innocent rehoming transaction was actually a blatant scam from a puppy farm breeder, who she fears sold her dog for a discounted price for a sinister reason.
She said she got her dog, Russell, from the site as she thought the owner was not a breeder, but rather someone just looking to rehome their pet. “Russell was listed as a rehome dog,’ she said.
“The price to rehome him was the same price as adopting a dog at our local shelter.” However, after taking her new dog to the vets, Shelby said she believes that she bought Russell from a “backyard breeder” for a discounted price.
In the UK, a backyard breeder is regarded as a puppy farm breeder – an individual mass breeding dogs for profit; often with very little regard for care.
She had been told her dog was an Australian Shepherd, which it was quickly clear he was not. “When we took him to the vet, our vet gave him a 50% chance of surviving because he tested positive for parvo.
“I share my story because people with the best intentions, even trying to get a rehome dog, can fall into this trap”. Parvo, or canine parvovirus, is a very infectious disease that can be fatal.
The disease attacks white blood cells in the dog’s intestines, which means they are unable to absorb vital nutrients and will become very weak and dehydrated. Dogs that are rescued from shelters are often mongrels or mixed breed, and are less susceptible to disesases such as Parvo.
Although Russell thankfully survived, Shelby wanted others to know about the dangers of adopting a dog online. The pair now post wholesome doggy content on her TikTok page, @booplethesnoot.