You’ve heard the expression BUYER BEWARE and certainly most people do their research prior to making major decisions whether purchases, career changes or adding a member to the family. This expression also holds true for kind hearted individuals who just want to provide a home to a homeless animal.
Unfortunately, a wave of puppy and dog brokers are popping up daily. These are fly by night organizations that list themselves as rescues. You can stumble upon them easily when visiting Petfinder or browsing Craig’s List or your local newspaper. AWARE wants to help consumers become more alert to what these organizations “look like.” If you are thinking of going through a rescue for your next companion animal, print out important information by clicking here.
Many unsuspecting consumers are adopting (essentially purchasing) puppies and dogs from these organizations only to discover an array of health problems, sometimes fatal, that came with the animal. Temperment problems can arise from overbreeding, inbreeding, poor socialization and the like. Whether your new companion animal has health or temperment issues, it is sure to bring heartache and distress to those who only wanted to help an animal in need.
A good place to start if you are thinking of purchasing a companion animal or adopting from an organization represented on petfinder is the rescue representing the breed you are interested in. A list of rescues with good practices are listed under our Members Page.
Just as the Better Business Bureau compiles a list of complaints regarding businesses, AWARE also maintains a list of consumer complaints. To make a complaint regarding a rescue, please complete this form (available by October 15th). Your information will be stored in a database and used to warn other consumers.
We have received complaints and concerns from consumers on the following groups:
Thyme and Sage Ranch
Cazenovia, Wisconsin