It seems to me there are a couple of issues here. I don't think a shelter wants just any JoeBloe walking in one day to say "hey I'd like to help by walking your dogs". The shelter needs to know something about its volunteers though a criminal check might be a bit much. If someone has been volunteering at a shelter for some time so the staff knows them and now new policies are being put into effect, then the shelter should have some sort of informational meeting/handout for all its volunteers so they know what and why. And even when volunteers have been accepted, some mini-training should be included for handling dogs. Many shelter dogs have been abused so I wouldn't want a volunteer who grew up under the "old" system of training with spanking and collar yerking now handling a special needs dog. Actual certification for dog walkers - no - the government intrudes enough.
Google Sues a Guy, Alleging 'Puppy Fraud'
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Here’s an article that describes a guy using the internet to sell non existent puppies kinda like we’ve warned people to watch out for.
Google Sues a Guy, Alleging 'Puppy Fraud'
Google has sued a man for allegedly abusing its services to trick droves of would-be pet owners into forking over money for non-existent basset hound puppies.
On Monday, the great and mighty search engine filed a lawsuit against Nche Noel Ntse, of Cameroon, accusing him of violating Google’s terms of service by using its platforms to engage in a vast “puppy fraud” conspiracy.…
It continues via the link in the headline. Thanks Gizmodo!
Don’t order your puppy off the internet. Network and contact a breeder. Call them, answer their 1,000 questions and then ask your own. Go visit them.
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@jengosmonkey While looking for a B breeder here I was subjected to SO MANY SCAMMERS! They were mostly on Facebook and I reported as many as I could. It's frustrating the number of cons but also frustrating the number of fools. Why don't people do their homework? Scammers are easy to spot as long as you know what questions to ask! Obviously if it's some sort of master con-artist, that's one thing, but those are few and far between from my many months of searching.
Anyway, THANK YOU GOOGLE for shutting that guy down! Win!Michelle Chiang
www.instagram.com/coconutroux -
@roux - Agree, but the problem is that people do not research and these days are so used to buying on line... not sure why they believe that buying a live animal on line is the right thing to do, but that is the reality of the situation. It is too bad that FB does not take these scams as a real threat.. and will not remove them. And many of these scammers just change their url about every couple of months so it looks like a different person... sad as that is... Please pass this along to anyone on how to spot a scammer. This comes from the Basenji Club of Northern California... https://bconc.org/finding-breeders-red-flags
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The article articulated that many victims were older. I know a prosecutor who heads an elder fraud unit. Elders are preyed upon online constantly. We need to look out for them and coach them. Here’s my two cents… a puppy will turn into a 15 year commitment, hopefully. That’s a long time. I’d want to know that I was supporting the breed, supporting the standard, and getting a dog that isn’t affected by Fanconi or Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). Both are preventable.
Networking, finding a breeder, talking to them take time and effort. Invest the time. Find one that you like and travel to them. If they say it isn’t convenient… that’s a HUGE RED FLAG! Never send money before you meet them. Never. Responsible breeders want to meet you. They will be there to coach you through soft stool, biting, nipping, pulling, chewing, etc. All the things that Basenjis go through. Responsible breeders are protective of the breed, the standard, their pups, and you. If they’re not move on. Find one that is.
Basenjis are a special breed that take commitment. Responsible breeders know this! If they aren't interested in meeting you… RED FLAG!
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I cannot imagine committing to buy a puppy without seeing the animal and if possible the sire and dam. OTOH, a rescue (or adoption of an older dog) is a different thing. My last two Basenjis came to me sight unseen, and turned out to be wonderful dogs, but the breeders I got them from wanted to place their dogs in an experienced Basenji home, and I only paid the cost of getting the dogs to me. One came by air, one was personally transported to me by his breeder. If she hadn't been happy with what she found I expect she would have taken him back with her when she left. I also had to commit to return him if ever I couldn't keep him. Good breeders care about where their dogs end up.
