I paid $700 to adopt a Chihuahua puppy – which ended up making me feel hurt and seek legal counsel

A WOMAN who bought a puppy for hundreds has come forward after the ordeal left her to seek legal counsel.

In August 2022, in Virginia, pet owner Felecia Colbert began looking for a new puppy to befriend her Pomchi named FeeFee.

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After being advised by a neighbor to search Facebook Marketplace for a dog, Colbert was reluctant but eventually began searching, according to local Washington DC news outlet WUSA9.

Although she had no luck on the social media platform, she came across a website called Pups Like No Other.

The site appeared to offer incredible deals on puppies, even offering a discount if a potential owner decided to adopt two.

“Buy a puppy today for $499 and get a second one for $300,” the website advertised.

Colbert eventually found the dog for her, a 12-week-old Chihuahua named Flower for $700.

After checking with her daughter, Colbert told the news outlet she had made the purchase and quickly received a confirmation email.

“The free shipping coupon is reserved and the puppy has been placed on hold and marked as sold to you in our system,” WUSA 9 said.

But soon after, the woman became suspicious.

Two days after making the payment, Colbert received another email from Pups Like No Other explaining that there was a shipping issue with their pup.

To resolve the issue, the site gave Colbert two options — pay an additional $620, which it said would be refunded after the pup’s arrival, or request a full refund.

She decided to cancel the order entirely, but Colbert never saw a refund after several weeks.

The news agency then contacted the website and spoke to a person named Eva about the situation.

After explaining that they were investigating allegations of consumer fraud, the chat disappeared and the Pups Like No Other website was taken down entirely just days later.

FALSE SALE

For Colbert, the situation made him uncomfortable.

“I thought I could catch things like that,” the pet owner said.

“You won’t get me. I’ve never been taken like this before.”

She added, “I feel hurt — I really thought … they looked authentic.”

According to The American Kennel Club (AKC), who said they are aware of what appears to be a fake organization, the site is said to be part of a major scam that has been going on for some time.

Brandi Hunter Munden, the club’s vice president of public relations and communications, told WUSA 9 that it’s not the first time cheating has been reported in relation to Pups Like No Other.

“We have reports from people who have been scammed by them before,” she said.

Munden went on to say that in a situation like Colbert’s, there was little they could do other than alert law enforcement.

“If you don’t register your litters and dogs with the AKC, we have no claim. We’re not the USDA,” she noted.

“We are an umbrella organization for dog sports. But we are also a private registry. We have no law enforcement agencies. If we see a bad breeder and know something is happening, we can bring this to the attention of law enforcement in the area and file a complaint. But that’s all.”

The AKC’s recommendation for those looking for puppies like Colbert is to browse their online marketplace.

Breeders operating on the site are registered and controlled by the club.

There is also protection if something goes wrong, as was the case with Colbert.

For more information on dogs, see The US Sun’s coverage of a man who also adopted a $700 puppy and was told he needed special care.

The US Sun also has the story of colleagues who said they found a stray puppy that wasn’t actually a dog.