Don’t buy holiday puppy until you do your research.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I want to remind my fellow citizens to be careful when buying a puppy from a pet store, newspaper or website without meeting the parents. Puppy mills and online scammers use this time of year to take advantage of customers by marketing puppies as gifts. The Better Business Bureau advises to “give yourself time to do the research you need to find a trustworthy breeder or consider adopting a pet from an animal shelter.” And also advises, “Unless you can visit the breeding facility before purchase and bring your puppy home personally, avoid purchasing a puppy from a website.”

Few things make us fall in love faster than a baby puppy, but the origins of that puppy could end up costing thousands of dollars in vet bills. Consumers need to make sure they aren’t acting on impulse and research before they buy.

Please be sure to visit BailingOutBenji.com and research before making any purchases. If you aren’t meeting the parents of the puppy, then you are likely supporting a puppy mill.

– Lori Dale