Pet Travel Question: How to Avoid Puppy Scams

Name: Kendra
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: English Bulldog
From: Amsterdam
To: Utah

I've been in contact with someone who has an English bulldog puppy for adoption but they say they live in Amsterdam and are willing to ship her to me for free, but I was wondering what requirements or paperwork I would be needing to fill out to have the dog shipped.

Are there any special forms or requirements by Amsterdam or by the US that I might not be aware of? Is it even safe to fly a puppy this far?

Thank you so much for your help!

Thanks,

Kendra
 

Hi Kendra,

Thanks for contacting us. Shipping puppies is generally safe after the dog has reached 16 weeks of age, and these are the pet import requirements for the United States.

That being said, based on the details you've provided and our own experiences, we must warn you about the prevalence of puppy scams. Sometimes people offer to give you a dog for free and then they attempt to add transportation costs and ask that you wire them money, when in reality there is no dog.

Because there are so many scammers out there, we advise to never do business with someone you don't know, and instead of buying a dog from afar, try to find one locally (at a rescue shelter in your town, for example). Pet lovers are unfortunately taken in by puppy scams quite frequently, so please proceed carefully and never wire money to an unknown source. Here is more information about how to avoid puppy scams.

Please contact us if you have any questions, Kendra. We'd be happy to speak to you further!