Help! Save the puppies

The photo of that innocent face... Only a couple days or weeks old.

Your heart is breaking. You cannot believe anyone would harm that gorgeous little bundle of new joy!  A rescue is trying, pleading for your help anyone's help, to raise money to save this puppy. They only need a small amount, under a thousand dollars to save the puppy. They are going undercover to buy it from the mean old breeder. There are some medical needs or it is a litter of pups. How on earth can you resist, as you wipe the tears out of your eyes and reach for your credit card.... 

WAIT!  Before you donate, please, please consider this. Who is that rescue? Have you ever heard of them before? Do any of your friends know who this is?  How do you know it is not an actual scammer making this plea?

WHAT!  No one would do that!

You try to convenience yourself, they must be real, and they have a Facebook page.  They even have a web page. They are doing a fundraiser on a popular online fundraising website.  REALLY? 

Let me assure you this kind of heart breaking misuse of your love of dogs, especially Bostons, is going on right now. This misguided use of your emotional state is being used with greater numbers almost daily...  OH, YES, we are watching one "rescue" right now that is doing exactly what this article is about.  BUT, because I am not sure it is even illegal, and it is in another state, all I can do right now is alert you to be careful.

Here is how this scheme works....

1. You might be presenting yourself as a despite private rescue, friendly breeder, helpless neighbor next door, or maybe you have saved a stray mom who just dropped a litter of sweet BTs or another breed. But then again this might be an old photo of a puppy(s) from several years back being used.

2. You have sort of established yourself as a "rescue", maybe you even worked with a true, well known rescue in the past. 

3. You decide you want to make a little extra money, you know, to pay for the expense of having a litter or just some pocket money to buy that new TV or game console, etc. you have been eyeing.

4. You set up a fundraiser, dedicated to appeal to all those tender-hearted folks, who are trying to "save" the poor puppies from the "puppy mills or amateur breeders."  Your appeal might sound something like this, "As you all may know, some may not, we rescued some very scared Bostons from a breeder this year... (or "a very pregnant, scared stray covered with fleas, just had five puppies under our front steps!"). None of them knew any kind of a human touch, or what love was. Well, this breeder is back at it. To insure these babies never have to end up the same way, we are trying to save them from this fate. Help us make sure they get nothing but the best homes possible, where they know love. Help us save them from the horrible fate of being breeder moms, or left outside for years, in a kennel, and fed like wild animals!  Help us help them!" or you might plea for help with that thousand-dollar medical treatment this abandoned special-needs dog must have. There are many ways to get an emotional reaction from the public which results in "donated" money to save these dogs. 

5. You set the "amount needed to save the puppies" fairly low, under a thousand dollars. You can always set up another fundraiser on the site, or a different one later, if you need more money.

6. You sit back and when the money comes in you pay off your vet if you really are having a litter.

7. In the meantime, you put your "puppies" up for sale on breeder "for sale" sites, because you know that rescue folks do not pay attention to "for sale" sites, because they are too busy trying to save the poor dogs in need of rescue, from shelters and owner releases, Craigslist, etc.  ...

8. With the vet bills paid for, you sell the pups at about 8 to 10 weeks, unsprayed and not neutered...  for, oh I don't know, let us say, about $300 a piece. They are papered and full blooded dogs. This litter had 4 to 6.... not bad, all bills paid for and mostly profit...

9. Just in case someone is paying attention, the puppy you show that you're trying to save, well that is a photo from the last litter... When you post your "for sale soon" photos, no one will notice that you're 'fundraising for rescue' and the photos you post "for sale" by breeder are photos from the same litter.

10. The other deviation to this is, you "save" puppies from owner releases, shelters, etc. and let it out in your rescue circles that you "rescued some pups" and need help to pay for the vetting, etc.  Once again the vet bills for the puppies from your litter are paid for, then on your "for sale" sites you push the pups for sale....So nice of those folks to help cover your vet costs..

YES,THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING, in fact, we are watching a "rescue" right now.  However, what they are doing may not be illegal, just unethical... This rescue has not stated they are a 501 in its current pleas for money.

Lately there have been many pleas from individuals in need of help for medical vet bills that they cannot afford and they are trying to save their precious dogs .. I would be careful about this one also.  One safer way to help those truly in need is to never pay a third party, only pay directly to a vet clinic or hospital for the medical services, and not into the pockets of an unknown person. If they are legit, you should be able to contact the vet for information about what you want to help with.

 Edited by Jan Mitchell

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