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Puppy Scam

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Puppy Scam Reports & Reviews (519)

- Manchester, NH, USA • Jun 10, 2024
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I placed an order on 6/5/2024 with Johnson Yorkshire Puppies to purchase a puppy. They charged me, but the puppy never arrived. They were flying the puppy from Georgia to New Hampshire. They emailed a contract and I have to print it out, signed & return back by email. The puppy was supposed to arrive on Sunday, 6/9/24. They continue calling me very aggressively asking for more money & that's when I figure I was scammed.

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- Tampa, FL, USA • Jun 10, 2024
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I was looking for breeders online when I came across a business profile on Facebook. We proceeded to communicate of what to do. I asked if there was a delivery fee to which the breeder said no. Once I paid for my puppy. They refused to send my puppy until I send more money($1000) for shipping fees. When I refused to send anymore money due to them not giving me adequate information prior, they refused refunds and to deliver my puppy. I have screenshots of all the transactions. I can send all of them if someone follows up with me.

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- Rock Hill, SC, USA • Jun 10, 2024
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My daughter and I made contact with a person we believed to be Henry Stones of Sunshine Papillons in Colorado Springs, CO on Saturday, May 18th. The website (Sunshinepapillons.com) listed about 6 Papillon puppies For Adoption at a cost of $700 each. The application allowed us to inquire about 2 puppies. We inquired about Louie (male) and Luna (female). We received an email response from "Henry Stones" in regards to Luna the female. I also received a text message to my phone which I had provided on the questioner. We exchanged several emails about the puppy and after a few hours, I felt pressured to complete a purchase. I explained that I was not yet comfortable completing an adoption and would need at least the evening to continue discussing with my daughter. The response I received back was a pressurized, "hopefully another family doesn't get her first." I didn't appreciate the response but we continued our conversation and I ultimately ended the conversation saying I would get back to them on Sunday, May 19th. Knowing Colorado operates 2 hours behind SC, I received an email at 7:56am Sunday morning. I told my daughter I felt it was very strange for them to send an email at roughly 6am their time.

However, my daughter, who is a rising senior in college, was so in love with this possibility of adopting this puppy and taking her to college as her emotional support dog, I put ALL me gut instincts and apprehensions aside and continue the conversation about payment. We were asked to send $400 deposit (puppy price was $700 plus $300 air travel) by Zelle or Apple Pay. My daughter completed the $400 payment using Apple Pay to 443-235-4017 which was not the same number that had contact me by test message. I have recently discovered the 443 number belongs to a woman name DeShonna Williams in Atlanta, GA.

This number has request my daughter send an additional $400 prior to air travel. I stopped my daughter from sending the money because that was not the agreement. That's when I began researching Sunshine Papillons and discovered they are on a Pet Scam list. Sunshine Papillons actually exists in Florida and the breeder is named Francis Sullivan. She has been trying to get the scam website taken down since March 2024.

I have no hopes in recouping the $400 deposit but I do not want anyone else to fall victim to this scam. My daughter needed this puppy and has now been depressed the past two days and is seconding guessing her own instincts. I do not like that!

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- Rowlett, TX, USA • Jun 10, 2024
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It started out we had been looking for a Brussels Griffon puppy as a playmate for our Brussels puppy. On Facebook We saw Mike Brussels Griffon Company in O’Neill, Nebraska. He had puppies for $800.00 which included home delivery to my home in Texas. We inquired about one and he sent us pictures and info. All seemed legitimate. We sent him $800.00 on Zelle. I inquired how he was so cheap for that breed and he said it wasn’t a business-he just did it for the love of finding good homes. My first warning sign I. Ignored. He went to the airport. Said he left the dog for shipping and we would have it by 8:30pm on Monday, 6-10-2024. He sent a “tracking #” and the link to the shipper-AirPetProsInternational.com-another part of the scam. Both “companies” are in it together. Well, Monday rolls around and I get a email and text from “Breeder” about 9am saying the crate was rejected due to weather conditions and a air-conditioned crate had to be rent or bought and money would be refunded. “Breeder” said I would hear from them. The “shipper” called me and explained there were two crate options, $1,200.00 and $4,000 and he had sent the paperwork to my email address. I saw nothing, I gave him a second web address-nothing arrived. He said well if we don’t do something quick the puppy will miss his flight. I didn’t want to see this happen so I believed the lies and sent him $1200.00 to the “shipper”. The excitement of a very nice looking pup overcame my better judgement. Then at about 2:30 pm I got a call from the “shipper” saying the puppy was in New Mexico and now required insurance. Two options of course, both refundable. The $1000.00 policy, $950.00 refundable, and the $2,000.00 policy. This is when we said enough. Then we started demanded documentation and they all of a sudden were able to send a bogus “insurance certificate” that had the wrong name on it and not even proper English by a pet insurance company I can find no record of there where no address’s, phone numbers, email address’s, nothing you would expect to find on a insurance certificate. We told them enough is enough and want our money back. That’s when the “breeder” said we are abandoning the pup and we are liable and blah, blah, blah. There is not a puppy and I don’t believe there ever was. The money is one thing. My wife is dis-baled and I am the sole bread winner so it hurts financially. But mostly, I don’t want these thief’s (and I do believe they are a team) to take advantage of anyone else.

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• Jul 03, 2024
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Hi,
I'm sorry this happened to you & me & another person I have just met. I appreciate you posting your experience to help someone avoid these pos's from taking further advantage of someone else. I don't know if the contact information is the same but I do know that they are both, Mike & Shipper, Asian. I'm would bet that there is something they may have missed & if you're willing we can exchange & share info we have on this scam in an effort to deliver the karma way past due & much deserved.

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- Inverness, FL, USA • Jun 09, 2024
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I purchased the dog from her on cash app for $800 and she immediately bought it to the airport to be shipped. I got a tracking number from the airline and it all seemed legit. Before the flight could leave skyline courier express limited contacted me and said I needed to purchase $700 mandatory insurance or they will not fly the puppy and it would be refunded back to me in cash at delivery of the puppy. I paid the $700 and she got on her flight. When she landed in Tampa airport I got another email saying I needed to pay another $250 for shots she already had and a $400 registration fee which would also be given back to me at delivery. If I did not pay the puppy would be returned and I would be charged with animal abuse. I refused to pay the additional $650 so then they said ok just pay $400 and I told them to use the $700 they already had. They said they couldn’t do that and that they were going to send her back to the breeder. They said they would send me new tracking info saying so and I never received tracking info. The lady who was the breeder said she would give me the $800 back within 30 days but I highly doubt that’s going to happen.

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- Harrodsburg, KY, USA • May 26, 2024
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Posed as a Cavapoo Breeder. Provided videos, legit shipper website , all communication very professional. Then when my bank blocked the final Zelle transfer, they got pushy and I looked at things more in depth and they refused to FaceTime or Google meet. My bank and Zelle notified and they are working to retrieve my 600

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- Tampa, FL, USA • May 24, 2024
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I saw a Teacup Yorkie puppy online that I was interested in that cost $550. I made the inquiry via the breeder's website. I received a reply saying the puppy was available. Through a series of 2 online payments via Payoneer - First payment of $450 (initial deposit) and second payment of $350 (remaining balance of puppy cost and transport fee) for a total of $800, I paid for the puppy and the transport of the puppy via air. The puppy was to be delivered to my home on May 23, 2024. The puppy was to be on a flight the morning of May 23, 2024 from Washington, DC to Richmond, VA and then a second flight from Richmond, VA to Tampa, FL. I received an email from the transport company, Intermediate Logistics, indicated that my puppy had fell ill during the first leg of travel due to the travel crate not being efficient and had been grounded at Richmond International Airport. I was told authorities at the airport would not allow the puppy to continue travel in the crate it was currently in. I was told by the transport company that I needed to pay an additional $1455 for a climate controlled/soft sided crate and an insurance policy. I refused to make any further payments. I had a text message conversation with the breeder who indicated he would "chip in" on the additional cost and that I would only have to pay an additional $750. Again, I refused to send any more additional money. I then received a call from a person from the transport company asking me what I wanted to do with the puppy. I told him I was not sending any more money and that the breeder should be responsible for the additional funds since it made the decision on what type of crate the puppy traveled in in the first place. Ultimately, communication ceased and I never received my puppy and have not been given a refund of my $800.

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- Chisago City, MN, USA • May 20, 2024
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To send a puppy. Pictures very kind and trusting. Don’t fall for it. Well, i totally understand your concern ma’am.  We’re a small family breeder we breed strictly healthy cavapoo puppies for their new homes. We believe no amount of money can buy our babies so all we’re most interested in is their success in their forever homes. I just want you to know our puppies are real and i am a real and honest person just looking for a loving and caring home for them If you have made up your mind to have the puppy home know that you’ll get the puppy.

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- Monument, CO, USA • May 18, 2024
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My mom was scammed out of $300 from this [censored] “John Dale” for a dog. He contacted her when she joined his Havanese dog lovers page. After receiving 300 dollars as a deposited for the dog, he was asking for another $200 for “shots” for a 1 year old dog. Suspicion started to set in for her around this time. My mother had arranged to drive 5+ hours to get this dog in Dumas, Texas. She refused to give the extra money until she could physically see the dog, which was the next day. She decided to make the drive even after realizing that something seemed off. When she got to the house, it was a little old lady who knew nothing about a dog. He blocked her once he realized that she knew it was a scam, having reached Dumas to find no dog. Needless to say, DO NOT GIVE THIS [censored] MONEY! He does not have a dog for you, and he only wants your money.

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- Cocoa, FL, USA • May 16, 2024
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We were looking to buy a Vizsla puppy, the website seemed legit and had testimonials, we talked via email back and forth for quite some time. It seemed very legit, looking back there were certain grammatical errors and details in the email that seem sketchy. I don’t feel he vetted us enough for being a reputable breeder. He asked us to put a deposit down via cashapp but asked us to deposit cash into the cashapp account prior to sending- so our bank wouldn’t flag. When we have never had to do that before bc it’s linked to our bank account so when we tried to send the money our bank immediately flagged it. We asked to call him and when he answered he was an Indian man/ stated name was Charles Darwin (looking back this should have been a giveaway) and when we asked him about it he immediately hung up on us and went completely unresponsive. The website depicts the breeder or being in business for years and the website age when I went back and searched was only a year old with no location info. I should have known better. Luckily he got none of our money, just my address and phone number. But hopefully you can remove this website so no one else gets scammed. Thank you!

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- Tacoma, WA, USA • Apr 28, 2024
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We found a puppy we wanted from Dachshundhills.com. They emailed us videos, and extra pictures of the puppy, and emailed us back each time with answers to our questions about shipping the puppy, etc. We sent them a deposit via Zelle and agreed to send the deposit after they sent the tracking information. We received the tracking data the next morning through Ruanlogisics.com , with an elaborate tracking codes and details. But after we sent the final payment, we got an email from the shipping company that they needed $900 more for an AC crate for the puppy to travel in. We immediately knew something was off and requested a refund. The contact: James Hopkins, refused to take our calls and refused to refund us ( via email communication).

During the process of making sure we were the right family, we have them details about our family including ages etc.

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- Pinckney, MI, USA • Apr 26, 2024
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On Monday, April 22, 2024 as I was searching online for a Vizsla puppy to purchase, I encountered the website cheeryvizslas.com. This very beautiful and elaborate website offered Vizsla puppies for sale for $700, and included lots of testimonials and pictures of beautiful puppies and families/children with their Vizsla puppies. I was interested in purchasing their puppy “Bella“. The person who responded to my inquiry, Charles Darwin, (That should have been a tip off for me!!) required a $500 deposit in order to hold the puppy for me until I could pick it up in Colorado Springs. Mr. “Darwin” also offered an option of “safe shipping” for the puppy for an additional $200 to be added to the $700 purchase price, but I told him that I would prefer to drive out to pick the puppy up, He said that his business was too small to process credit card payments. I asked if I could pay using Apple Pay and following a delay up about 15 minutes, he got back to me to say that that could be arranged and that he would get back to me with the phone number to be used for that. After about 15 minutes, he emailed me with instructions to send a text saying “I Love Bella” the phone number +1(575)-973-8184. I did that, and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to process the ApplePay payment to the number, I texted him that the system was saying Invalid Recipient. A few minutes later he texted me back saying that he would try requesting the funds to see if that worked.. He then sent an Apple Pay request for payment and I was able to process the payment . We were in regular contact by email and text message over the next couple of days, all of which was very cordial and seemed appropriate and he was always providing appropriate information when I had questions about the puppy and about the street address where we were to pick up the puppy. He gave me the address of 1085 Hunters Ridge Drive in Colorado Springs.

On Wednesday, April 24th, as I was googling that address to see what it looked like so we would know what we were looking for when we drove out there, I discovered a link to an article on reddit.com which was entitled “help I don’t know if a dog breeder is fake! : r/Dog Breeding” which talked about a scammer using the same Hunters Ridge Drive address that “Charles” had provided to us.

All of my communication with him was by email or text’other than one phone conversation on Monday, when he asked for my phone number so he could call to discuss my buying the puppy. He called me from 575-973–8184, which appears to be a number from Ruidoso, NM. In researching that number, it appears to be a Joel Kaydahzinne with 7 other names that he uses, at 14420 W. Lisbon Lane in Surprise, Arizona 85379. How appropriate! I do not know if it is relevant or not, but during that conversation we became disconnected. I thought perhaps I had accidentally dropped the call, and so I called him right back, and he said that during our conversation he had started hearing a beeping tone. Of note, he does speak with a distinct accent, though I cannot identify it. I would say it seemed European, perhaps German but not exactly like age or an accent, but something similar.

Once I discovered the concern about a potential scammer using that Hunter Ridge Drive address, I emailed “Charles“ to let him know that I had just learned that my granddaughter has recently been diagnosed with an allergy to dogs, which is true, and that I would not be able to complete the purchase of Bella and I requested a refund of the deposit. He said he was very sorry about that and that he would refund the deposit. That was on Wednesday. Yesterday I followed up to ask again for the refund and he said that yes, they were going through their procedures for refunding the deposit and that he would be refunding it, but that the procedures take a little time and that I had nothing to worry about. That is where things stand currently.

He does not yet know that I realize he is running a scam.

Should I tell him that now or should continue to maintain communication with him while he keeps stalling me in order to help with shutting him down to prevent others from being scammed asI was?

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- Milwaukee, WI, USA • Apr 24, 2024
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I wanted to get a puppy that I saw on Facebook. This guy, the seller, James Michaels needed money for gas to drive the dog here. I said OK so I sent $100. then he said he had to take the dog to the vet to get checked out before he dropped him off, and he needed me to send $108 for vet. So I sent that money (he was out of work) After the vet, he wanted $102 to get her dewormed. So I sent that because he had no money and the vet said she was badly infested. The vet had to get the medicine from a pharmacy. The pharmacy said that they couldn't deal with my bank. So I would have to resend it to a different name. The vet said that the dog would die if I didn't send the money again. And also that she was in her crate all day and wasn't fed. And they would not release her. The vet threatened to have me arrested because I didn't pay again (I did pay, and did everything they asked) but they keep texting for 2 days now and still threatening me. Today they started calling me through messenger at 6 AM looking for their money again or have me arrested. (I recorded the messenger number)

I did call our local police station #6, and my bank Chase to file a claim (who stopped the second payment through Zelle). I also contacted my vet regarding this, along with the IC3.gov, FTC, IPATA. I have all of their Facebook and SMS texts and recorded the number of the messenger call.

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- Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA • Apr 23, 2024
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Seller asked for questions regarding information if you are good fit at home for the puppy. Price of puppy 750, shipping to location because they just relocated to San Diego is 300 for flight with dog nanny. Send a picture of puppy when asked for verification with piece of paper next to it with new owners Name, today’s date, and name of puppy.

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- Duncan, SC, USA • Apr 19, 2024
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I contacted a doberman pincher breeder in Miami Shores Florida about purchasing a 10 week old male by the name Captain. I sent my phone number in the email. The contacted me thru a text message regarding the puppy. Captain cost $650 on the website, but for them to send him to my home or the local airport would be $850. After puppy was purchased I was told that it would be taken to the airport the next morning. We had a full conversation about my full grown Doberman Pinscher who is 11. The next morning they text saying that they were going to register the puppy. Then they send me the tracking number and all the information I needed to have him delivered to his new forever home. I continue to speak with the breeders the second day after they gave me the tracking number. Continue to speak with them until he was registered at 8:45 that morning on April 18th 2024. After it was registered the shipping company contacted me through email saying that I needed pet insurance for him to fly and that he would be on hold until the insurance was paid. So I paid the $1,200 pet insurance to have him sent on the plane to be sent to South Carolina. About an hour after I paid for the pet insurance they came back and said that pet control rejected the kennel that the breeder brought the puppy in. They then proceeded to say that I would have to buy a new crate that has a/c in it, because the one that the breeder sent it in was wooden and had no AC The information that the breeder sent me has it confirmed that he had it electronic AC unit confirmed, With the registration papers. I had already gave him them $2050 and I had no more to give That's when we figured out it was a scam I called multiple times to the breeders and no answer. I spoke with the shipping company once and he hung up on me my husband called back from a different number he hung up on him he called him back he refused to answer the phone he was from overseas maybe Africa or India.

We then knew it was a scam.

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• Apr 29, 2024
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We were looking into purchasing a doberman pinscher from this breeder but the cheap quality of pictures of the dog we were inquiring about made it look very suspicious! I'm sorry you went through all that mess, hopefully your bank can reimburse your money. Thank you for sharing your experience with this non legit business.

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- Alpharetta, GA, USA • Apr 19, 2024
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We found the website only and contacted them through their site. They responded back by email and text. They sent me photos of the dog and claimed to be in Atlanta Ga. They said we could place a deposit of $500 on the dog and come pick it up. We told them it would be Sunday 4-21-24 and the transaction took place on 4-18-24. Once I sent them the money via PayPal, I requested a video phone call. Customer said once they go home off work they would. Never heard back and they stopped responding.

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- Johnson City, NY, USA • Apr 16, 2024
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Promised me a puppy and if I changed my mind I could have my down payment back. I got scared and asked for my money back. They blocked me

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- Whitehouse, OH, USA • Apr 11, 2024
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They have a fake website with AKC badges, hopefully they are caught

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- Catano, PR, USA • Apr 11, 2024
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The person introduces herself as a Cockapoo breeder, she tells me that she delivered to the entire US, that the procedure was half of the payment, the documents were filled out for her to sign, after receiving the signed documents, she had to send the other half of the pay. The total was $980 and included shipping the puppy first class. It all happened on Monday, April 8 and she was notifying me about the puppy and that she would receive the puppy the same day (from Fort Lauderdale to Puerto Rico) and that was strange to me. In the afternoon she informs me that they will send me an email from the agency that was transporting the puppy so that I can follow the trail. I received the email from Rapid Logistics Express ([email protected]). Then she writes to me that the company required a type of kennel, which is the company's requirements, and that I promised to take care of the puppy. I received the email that did not even have a phone number, which asked me for $700 to rent a special kennel, since the weather was bad and it was a danger for the puppy, or to pay $1,200 if I ended up keeping the kennel. She also indicates that if I rent, it would be returned to me once the puppy was delivered. I complained to the owner and the result was that she asked a friend or family member for money. We started arguing and he blocked me everywhere. I tried to call the delivery company and there was no one there either. This is the page https://rapidlogisticexpress.com/ and which this person is in cahoots with. I reported to Facebook, but according to friends, they tell me that they follow the page on Facebook. I also reported to Paypal, but they closed my case because the payment was authorized, but they do not understand that it was a fraud.

I told that person that she was going to report her and there she gave me another address, different from the one she had told me at the beginning. She had told me Fourt Laudale and then Jacksonville. I am from Puerto Rico, but the information you request does not give me the option to enter Puerto Rico.

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- Wayland, MI, USA • Apr 11, 2024
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Seller of the puppy wanted $200. Agreed on an offer of $150. Puppy shots were to be all up to date before purchasing. The seller wanted credit card. Then they changed her mind to gift cards. Received a gift card through text messaging of $150 of going to Dollar General to pick up the Apple gift cards. Received text pictures of puppy shots that were for a male puppy and not a female that we agreed I would purchase. The parents and the puppies were to be AKC registered. Did not receive copies of the parent s or for the puppy. Received an AKC form to sign to put the puppy to transferred from ownership. Said that the puppy needed to be paid for in full that was owed another $50. Contacted the gift card. The gift cards have indicated that all three gift cards were completely clear of the $150. The gift cards were no longer available for me to get the money back. Seller of the puppy had told that they were going to send the the puppy to me with a delivery service called tradewinds logistic LLC and for me to contact the agency to follow up with the delivery service. Delivery service had text and said that it would be $300 and would get back 98% after puppy was delivered. $100 for an additional shot. Get back 98%. Said if there was any damages from the air-conditioned crate that there would be a $500 fee that I would have to pay in full and I would not get any of the $300 or the $100 back.

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