Arkansas Bear Creek Goldens and Doodles

Puppies for Sale in Arkansas

Puppy Scams: How to Avoid Them Especially During the Holidays!

The perfect puppy for you

Avoid Puppy Scams — **Courtesy:** Sonja Kalee / Pixabay

Are you thinking about adding a puppy to your family for Christmas?
First, do your homework to avoid a broken heart from a puppy scam!

Be Aware of Puppy Scams — **Courtesy:** Tara Winstead / Pexels

With the holiday season, pet scams become more prevalent in the hopes of attracting and defrauding unsuspecting and emotional buyers for a new puppy, kitty or other pet.

According to the Better Business Bureau, online puppy scams rose sharply in 2020 to the tune of almost 4,000 pet fraud complaints in just the United States and Canada!

Keep reading to learn how to avoid puppy scams with our nine tips below.

Watch the video, “Scam Stories: Buying Your Pet Online” here.

Beware of Online Puppy Scams: 6 Tips

Searching online for a new puppy? Experts warn you are more likely than not to encounter a puppy scam!

So how do you avoid being taken advantage of online when searching for a new dog or pet?

Use Buyer Protection to Avoid A Scam — **Courtesy:** Miloslav Mamrik / Pixabay

Never buy a new pet sight unseen. If you can’t meet in person, use a tool like Zoom to virtually meet the owner and the pet first! Or ask for videos of the puppies and pictures of the parents and past puppies.
Avoid common puppy scam websites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Also be careful of online classified ads (including Google’s search results!) and even social media platforms where no vetting is done. Also, be suspicious of spelling and grammatical errors!
Only use a protected form of payment (like a credit card, PayPal and Venmo) when purchasing a pet for buyer protection. Many scammers cannot process credit cards and may ask for alternative methods of payments like gift cards or prepaid debit cards. A reputable pet seller will never ask for payments like that. Avoid sending payments through wire transfers, Zelle or CashApp or other apps where your payment may not be protected.
Never accept an online listing, website or sad story at face value. It’s easy to throw up a professional-looking website with fake addresses and reviews! Also, be wary of “sponsored links.” Scammers understand that boosted online listings lure users into believing they are legitimate. A study by the BBB in 2017 found that 80% of all sponsored search links may be fraudulent!
Be wary of sudden demands for more money or the sudden addition of new charges for transport, medical costs, pet insurance or “climate-controlled crates.” These are all potential red flags, so buyer beware!
Even if a transaction was not completed, but if the seller has your credit card number, contact the credit card company to prevent potential fraud.

Click here to read the 2017 Study by the Better Business Bureau,
“Puppy Scams: How Fake Online Pet Sellers Steal from Unsuspecting Pet Buyers.”

Beware of Puppy Scams — **Courtesy:** Kim Hester / Pixabay

Avoid Puppy Scams: 3 Additional Tips

Buy You Buy Check Pet Scams — **Courtesy:** PetScams.com

Whether you’re buying online or in person, beware of someone who offers a purebred dog for free or at a steeply discounted price. It could be a scam. Also be suspicious if the seller is unwilling to meet in person or speak on the phone.
Do a reverse online image search of any photos you receive. Many scammers will steal and use real images from legitimate websites and pass them off as their own for a puppy that may not exist!
Check the PetScams’ Puppy Scammer List to check if the seller is listed. As of October 2021, they detail 23,000 illegitimate pet websites! Just a quick search could protect your wallet and emotions!

Puppy Scams: Few Final Notes

Not all people selling adorable puppies and kitties are scammers even on Facebook and Craigslist. But avoid being lured into false security by a fancy website or heartwarming images.
Always do your research and understand all the policies regarding deposits and payments! If you have questions, ask! Legitimate breeders will be happy to answer all your questions upfront.
Finally, never be rushed into a purchase to ensure the best possible outcome for you, your family and the puppy you want to add to your family!

How to Avoid Puppy Scams — **Courtesy:** Ralf Bitzer / Pixabay

Arkansas Bear Creek Labradoodle — **Courtesy:** Arkansas Bear Creek Goldens and Doodles

ARKANSAS BEAR CREEK GOLDENS AND DOODLES

Mini F1b Labradoodles Available for Deposit!

We are a small and reputable family breeder located in the heart of the Ozarks in Northern Arkansas and are dedicated to finding the perfect addition to your family.

All our puppies come with a health guarantee against genetic and congenital disorders for their first 12 months of age.

Please text or call us at 870-404-0127 or 870-404-1189 or use our Contact Form here for more information about upcoming litters.

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      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 16 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Ariel Whitley 
 May 10, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I got a little boy doodle from here and he is a great dog! He has the best of both breeds in him. The perfect personality and has been so easy to train. He is a great addition to my family and a perfect companion for my Pomeranian. I couldn’t be happier! I am out of state and the whole process to get him was very smooth and I have no complaints. Would definitely recommend them!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Monica Hamilton 
 April 24, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We Love Our new Aussie doodle Duke! As a first time owner Mona was very nice and helpful about puppy care.  She answers all questions!! She made coordinating picking up our pup supper easy!! She provided all documentation and goodies to send home with duke making his transition to his new home smooth! If you’re looking for an Doodle mix puppy I would recommend them!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Clinton Baird 
 April 23, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A great experience with obviously very experienced breeders.  Our journey was clear the whole way.  The team was great in explaining.  Could not be happier with the Goldendoodle addition to our family.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Jim Conerton 
 April 11, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our Sammy Joe is now 10 months old and what a beautiful dog. We have had Goldens for over 20 years so we’re very familiar with the breed. He is very healthy and very smart. Mona was so helpful when we contacted her in our search for a dog. We told her what our lifestyle was and what type of puppy we were looking for. She definitely recommend the best dog for us (thanks!) hopefully I’ll get a recent picture of Sammy and add to this post. Thanks again Jim & Paulette
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Mollie Duddleston 
 April 11, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Mona and her family were wonderful to work with. She consistently gave updates as we waited for Oakley to be born. We enjoyed selecting our puppy and then receiving weekly pictures and updates as we awaited picking up Oakley to bring her into our family.

Oakley is an incredible dog!! She is spunky, yet gentle. She LOVES people! She has been a fun puppy and very easy to train. She follows instructions well, and we couldn’t be more pleased with this addition to our family.

We highly recommend Arkansas Bear Creek Goldens and Doodles for beautiful, well bred dogs who are sharp, smart and easy to train. Mona is wonderful to deal with and Oakley has been a wonderful addition to the Duddleston family.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Robert Thompson 
 April 10, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. They were very professional. And they even met us half way. Quality animals. Very Healthy. Definitely would recommend this Professional Organization
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Suzy Tusing 
 April 10, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Three years ago we bought our golden retriever From Bearcreek,   she was 10 weeks old.  The next day Mona called us to check on her.  Throughout Riley’s life, Mona was always there to answer questions and to help us.  They truly love their dogs and it shows.  I recommend Arkansas Bearcreek to anyone who wants a happy puppy.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Rebecca Moreira 
 April 9, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Could not be happier with my experience with Arkansas Bear Creek Doodles. They raise the puppies like their own with so much love and care. They were so easy to work with and brought Lexie with everything I could need to get her thorough the first few weeks of transition, including medicine in case she got sick and her favorite toy. She has been the BEST dog.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Pamela Benskin 
 April 9, 2022.
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our family has purchased 2 puppies from
Mona's family. Both of the are wonderful dogs.
They're not only adorable, but they have great
temperaments and are extremely smart. Both
puppies were housebroken in only a few weeks.
They're both wonderful family members. I would
definitely buy another puppy from them.