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Important information

• Additional Info:

  In January 2020, BBB received a pending BBB complaint concerning sales practice issues.
  
  Specifically, the complaint alleges the business was asking for $550.00 for the animal and $50.00 for shipping, however the consumer stated it would not normally cost $50 for shipping from Florida to their state.
  
  BBB found that the business website was created on December 31st, 2019. There is no corporate filing in Florida for the business. The business website advertises shipping options for those "not local to the Texas area", beginning at $189.
  
  BBB also found that the images of puppies on the business website do not appear to belong to the business per Google Image searches. The picture for "Boomer" on https://paradiseyorkieshome.com/ is the same picture as "Squigy" on https://www.royorkiebreeders.com/.
  
  
  For More information about Puppy Scams please read BBB's in-depth study with tips on how to protect yourself at: https://www.bbb.org/globalassets/local-bbbs/council-113/media/scam-studies/puppy-scams-bbb-study.pdf
  
  Tips for avoiding puppy scams:
  
  Don't buy a pet without seeing it in person. If that isn't possible, conduct an internet search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, its likely is a fraud. You also can search for text from ads or testimonials, to see if the seller copied it from another website.
  
  Avoid wiring money, or using a cash app or gift card. These payment methods offer no recourse and no way to get your money back if you are the victim of a fraud. Fraudsters may claim to accept credit cards, but may steal your credit card information to use it in other scams or inform you that payment didn't go through and request the payment via wire service or gift cards.
  
  Research prices for the breed you are interested in adopting. If a purebred dog is advertised for free or at a deeply discounted price, and then other payment is required for services like vaccination or shipping, it could be a fraudulent offer.
  
  Consider reaching out to a local animal shelter. Especially during this time of quarantine, many shelters are looking for fosters to help relieve the animal's stress and reduce overcrowding at their facilities. Humane Society of the United States refers consumers to local shelters.
  
  If you think you have been scammed, report it to BBB Scam Tracker and the Federal Trade Commission. In Canada, contact the Canadian Antifraud Centre. You also can report it to petscams.com, which catalogues puppy scammers, tracks complaints and endeavors to get fraudulent pet sales websites taken down.