By Kathy Kristof • Published on December 18th, 2022 • Last updated on April 23rd, 2025
Basics:
PuppySpot maintains it’s a no-cost way for breeders to advertise the sale of their dogs, but it’s a disaster
Expected pay: NA
Husl$core: $
Commissions & fees: none for breeders; copious for customers
Where: Nationwide (remote)
Requirements: 18 or older
What is PuppySpot?
PuppySpot maintains that the site is a vetted, no-cost service for breeders to sell their puppies. Only families buying puppies pay the site.
But, in reality, you’re going to get a fraction of what they charge for your dogs and your dogs are not likely to be well-treated in the sales process.
How it works
Breeders fill out an application to list their dogs on the site. The application asks for contact information, as well as information about how many dogs you’re breeding, the breed, and whether you are USDA licensed.
You’ll also need to agree to a Breeder’s contract. The contract has some general requirements regarding vaccinations and animal health and requires the breeder to guarantee that if the dog is found to have a congenital disease in the first year — or is brought to a vet with a serious illness in the first 14 days — that the breeder will be financially responsible for taking the dog back, exchanging it or paying the vet bills.
This is the basis for the site’s “no puppy mill” promise, which says that if buyers are dissatisfied, they’ll get their money back.
But realize that if you buy here and get a sick dog, the remedy is usually to return it. And most buyers realize that the dog will probably die in the process. Given that puppies are living things, not defective handbags, few people do that.
PuppySpot review
If you’re a responsible breeder you should not sell here. And, if you are a responsible pet-owner, you should also steer clear.
Why? The site’s set up makes it impossible for buyers to know where their dog is coming from. So even though the site swears it will not send you a puppy from a puppy mill, there is no way to verify that.
Complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau (since taken down) indicate that this site is a disaster for anyone who loves animals. And while the company appears to be going through a whitewashing campaign to divorce itself from the terrible reviews it has generated over the years, we see signs that the problems persist.
Most importantly, the structure of the site simply creates unacceptable risks.
Why we’re negative
To explain: The site takes great pains to make sure that the buyer and the breeder never have direct contact. And, it takes great pains to ensure that you’d never see the same puppy listed for sale online.
How does it do that? Most of the contract with the breeder deals with advertising. It says you must advertise each puppy in a litter with a name that cannot be used anywhere else. You also have to give the site photos of the dogs that you don’t publish anywhere else.
Naturally, breeders can and do sell their puppies elsewhere. But they have to use different names and different photos. This insures that buyers won’t find out that they could buy the same dog for a fraction of the price directly from the breeder. And it ensures that they don’t even know where the breeder that they found on PuppySpot might be located.
PuppySpot also insists on handling shipping of the dogs at great cost to buyers. Buyers, again, have no idea whether their dog is coming from next door or across the country.
Because buyers cannot personally meet the dogs before they buy — nor talk to the breeder or see the conditions in which the puppies are raised — there is no way to avoid buying from an unscrupulous breeder.
Better alternatives
Customers shopping for dogs on competing sites like PuppyFind can search for local breeders. They can also get information about the breeder selling their dog and contact that breeder directly. None of that information is available at PuppySpot.
You will not be given the name of the breeder; the breeder’s contact information; any information about where your dog is located; nor have any chance to see your dog in person before you buy it. Even if you ask PuppySpot to get answers to basic questions about your dog’s disposition or food choices, you’ll get no answer. There is no way to get any information from the breeder through this site.
That sets up the idea situation for irresponsible breeders to hide behind PuppySpot’s marketing machine.
Ludicrous costs
The PuppySpot is willing to advertise dogs for free is because the site is charging more for them than the breeder. Therefore, they make money on the mark-up. This is likely why the site bars any communication between breeders and buyers.
The site also charges a host of fees to buyers. These include delivery fees — even if you pick up the puppy yourself. These fees add somewhere between $300 and $2,000 to the cost of the pet.
And, if you compare the prices of dogs on PuppySpot vs. PuppyFind, you’ll quickly see that PuppySpot is already charging about twice as much for the same breeds.
Sick animals
But what is most tragic about this site are the number of complaints about sick and dying dogs. (See what their buyer’s say below.) Animals sent with Parvo, Guardia, and parasites. Dogs with serious congenital diseases that are often the result of overbreeding.
People who try to get PuppySpot to pay for their dog’s medical treatment are often told that they can return the dog instead. Sure. What animal lover is going to do that?
Recommendations
Responsible breeders want to know who is buying their dogs and they have no problems answering questions about health and vaccinations and bloodlines. PuppySpot doesn’t allow that communication, which makes us believe that any responsible breeder would want to avoid this site like the plague.
It’s also a terrible site to buy a pet. It’s not only unnecessarily expensive, it is far more likely to deliver a sick or traumatized pet than when you buy the same dog directly from the breeder.
Better places to advertise (and buy) a purebred dog include Puppies.com and the AKC Marketplace.
What their buyers say (from Trust Pilot)
Everything went well until we got our dog. He was severely drugged I’m guessing by the transporter. Dog was matted in his own feces then sprayed with deodorizer when handed over with an injured eye and excessive bugs. Very disappointing paying a premium to get an animal treated properly and then have him abused. (8/2024)
As an elite breeder that offers lifetime health warranties on my puppies, I would not recommend using Puppy Spot….[they demanded] I start deworming my puppies at 2 weeks, which is unnecessary and harms their gut health. [We deworm at 6 or 7 weeks.] Second, the travel options include flying the puppies cargo. It is 100% unsafe for them due to their size and nature of the breed. But if I won’t allow my puppies to fly cargo I would not be accepted in the program. This was unacceptable. The health of my dogs would be at risk. I have safe means of transport for my puppies. But that was denied for use. (8/2024)
Huge mark-up
If you can figure out who the breeder is that your pup will come from – you can get it for about 50% of what they charge.”
Sick puppy
Our puppy arrived with double ear infections, one scarred injury on his rump one injury to his face. He suffered from diarrhea with blood in the stool, multiple dewormings and worse yet, malnurishment. Did Puppy Spot care ? Nope. Have spoken to Jenna in CS and she wouldn’t even acknowledge the conversation with an email stating they were looking into it . She refused! We sent the expensive doctor bill as requested by Jenna, no response! How’s the puppy now? He’s recovering. How are we? Some $4k deep and luckily we love dogs. So beware of this puppy mill. (8/2024)
Can’t talk with breeder
We were so happy to finally get our puppy home! One thing that would have been very helpful is if we could have had a conversation with her breeder to find out more about her habits and demeanor before we got her home. We attempted to do this through a Puppy Spot representative but our request wasn’t followed through and we were never able to have that conversation. (8/2024)
While I adore my new puppy and we are settling in, I’ve not enjoyed the process of a blind purchase. I had questions for the breeder but it seems none ever reached the breeder. I have no idea how she was raised or anything about them. Also the transport is traumatic for puppies. The breeder had shredded paper in the kennel and we cleaned out about two cups of paper dust from the kennel when she arrived at the airport. Nasty. And could not have been good for the pup. (8/2024)
What their buyers say (from the Better Business Bureau):
If I could give a zero I would. We have a two year old *******Recently diagnosed with trachea malformation and trachea collapse Terrible prognosis. The only alternative is stent placement which is about $6000 and no guarantee she will survive the surgery. If she doeslife expectancy would be only two years additional. Without the surgery Death is eminent. We are heartbroken. Our vet said this was congenital at birth. Do yourself a favor do not buy from this company under ANY circumstance.
Congenital ailments
My 16 month old puppy was diagnosed with bilateral elbow dysplasia and this company could care less. RJ’s breeder had another German Shepherd with bilateral elbow dysplasia in 2017, they did nothing! And when my dog arrived at the airport I had to jump through hoops to pick him up as PUPPY SPOT was going to leave him in a crate and travel another 8 hours to drop off other puppies. They don’t care about your dog or its health, they care about lining their pockets.
The day I got him I couldn’t even take him for a normal 10 minute walk at 9 weeks because he was already in pain. They said they didn’t know when he had obvious indications of hip dysplasia. The only option I had was sending him back and getting a refund just so he can be put down or keeping him and dealing with this by myself.
Delayed delivery
I bought a puppy one month ago. I was told the puppy will be delivered to the door. Then, they told me they couldn’t do it but to the airport. One day before the delivery date, they called me to tell me the delivery was canceled because of weather conditions. After that, they went radio silent: no emails no calls, no responses. My son is sad and frustrated and we have asked for a full refund. They are not responsible, they are not serious. I have my lawyer ready to call them because I am not going to tolerate this scam.
Communication with the customer NONEXISTENT once the **** has been paid. This isn’t an inanimate package we are waiting for- its a living breathing animal for which we paid top dollar.
Great until they get your money. Then they lie. Bought a puppy at 10weeks. Was told it was going to ship the 9th-13th. Another delay led to another to another. Then the puppy was supposed to be delivered on the 23rd. Had to talk to 2 separate people before getting $100 off for shipping. Then they rescheduled delivery for the 29th because the dog now has Giardia.
Breeder vetting?
If you are drawn to PuppySpot because of their “breeder vetting” and “No Puppy Mill Promise” – that is a lie, no one at PuppySpot could tell me anything remotely specific to the breeder of my dog or even my dog. They ultimately cancelled on me after changing the travel twice, due to a congenital defect present from birth. The defect is indicative of poor breeding. 2. If you are drawn to PuppySpot because of the “concierge service” and “puppy manager” – this is also a lie. You are not “assigned” a puppy manager. You will talk to random people every time you call or use the app. These random people will likely be reading from a script somewhere overseas.
They will not let you contact the breeder directly so all questions and requests for updates, pictures, etc have to go through puppyspot. They only require breeders to update pictures every 2 weeks. So asking for pictures is pointless. They ask you to be patient and give them several days to get back to you with responses and most of the time the responses don’t answer the actual questions you had and then you have to start all over.
Updated 8/16/2024
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48 responses to “PuppySpot: Much Maligned Dog Broker”
Antoinette Piesche February 1, 2019
I purchased what I was guaranteed to be a teacup Pomeranian. While they now state they make no guarantees to the size of the dog, they did listen to recordings and the agent did indeed guarantee this pup would be 5 lbs or under. At the “ripe old age” of 8 months, this pup is already 12 lbs. I called and spoke to the office numerous time, each time they assured me that they would get back to me. They blow me off, don’t get back to me and have not kept their word on any type of refund. Once the pup leaves them, there is no such thing as Customer Service. I paid $3,749 for a puppy that I could have rescued at the humane society for. Completely disappointed and let down by this organization and will NEVER recommend them to anyone I know.
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marilynn morton April 28, 2019
I am a breeder. I considered using puppyspot. Unfortunately the more I tried to work with them the more I realized that this was just a consignment pet store. They told you what they wanted but there was no way they knew whether or not you complied. They told you what they would you but nothing in writing and I have found out since that they don’t comply. This is not a place for a reputable breeder to sell a puppy. You don’t know what kind of home they will go into you don’t know anything about what’s going on this is a place where backyard breeders and puppy Millers can lie their heads off sell puppies inappropriately and make money.
If you have good puppies well cared for healthy and respect yourself and them you find your own new families so that you know they will be taken care of the way you want.
My one really big question is what the h is the AKC thinking by endorsing such a site? I think we need to find out.
Bottom line you have good puppies good protocols take care of it yourself you have puppies that you don’t know how to get rid of because they aren’t healthy they aren’t good quality and you really don’t care it’s a good site for you
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KB April 18, 2020
AKC does not know anything about the breeders on their pages. They only need to have shown a dog in an AKC endorsed show. I thought they would be a good resource to find a reputable breeder, but they are NOT.
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Cynthia Diemand January 5, 2021
I feel that AKC used to be a trusted organization, but through the years have found they are only on it for the money. I no longer trust them to be a reputable organization, especially when they link themselves to puppy brokers.
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Michele January 28, 2021
Marilyn- We are looking for a Bichon Frise…you don’t by chance breed them?
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Kathi Stanley April 30, 2019
No reputable breeder would ever sell thru a retail outlet or online. You will know you are dealing with a reputable breeder and not a puppy mill when you have access to the mother, father and the living conditions. NO breeder with any credibility is going to hand over a dog to you site unseen. PLEASE read reviews from Yelp, TrustPilot and the BBB. Purchasing a dog from Puppy Spot (or any like business) is supporting the puppy mill industry! Please DO NOT support animal cruelty!! Please know this is a for profit business. These are about $$$$s and nothing more. After speaking w/Keffe (sp) in Florida I confirmed what I already knew about this business. He actually told me NO breeder info would be given out until there was a commitment to purchase!!! Always consider adopting first, If you are breed specific there are rescue groups for every breed of dog. As a last resort find a reputable breeder. Do NOT support puppy mills!!!!!!
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Lucy Rodriguez October 11, 2019
We also fell victim to puppyspot..time to bring them to Justice
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Jackie sammartino June 2, 2021
I just had a horrible experience at puppy spot. I already have a dog from them a yr and half ago. All went fine. In March of this year we wanted another. Put the money down answered the question all like last time. Then we get a phone call telling us they were refunded our money and we can never buy a puppy there again. Why?? They said it was how I spoke to a sales girl. Must be the owners mother. ?? This sales woman was hyper and I had her last time. They blocked our emails too. We are 67 yrs old and have never had this happen.
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Anna November 24, 2019
I raise Toy Poodle and I used to use purebred Breeders also known as Puppy Spot to facilitate the sale of my puppies. First off, they sold my puppies for $2700 plus shipping and I would receive $900 for puppy plus $310 for shipping, when I asked why I was told that they hold insurance on puppy for 10 years, true or not, I don’t know. One day I got a conference call between Puppy Spot, the prospective buyer and myself, after they were done asking me questions I was to be disconnected and Puppy Spot continued talking, the buyer. They in fact did not disconnect me and I heard the buyer ask them what kind of set up I had and if the puppies came from a clean environment, Puppy spot told them what they wanted to hear, (although their answer was true) the buyer asked how they knew for sure and puppy spot BALL FACED LIED TO THEM and told the buyer that the actually came to my house and inspected everything!!!! They have never ever been to my house! Needless to say, I never used them again.
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Barbara Backman January 13, 2021
Thank you for you post. I almost bought a minature poodle from them. I some how found this page my mistake. I have had a cockapoo and 4 mixed dogs. Due to my allergies I will keep looking for a poodle who wants to be spoiled. Thank you for speaking up. Barbara Backman If you know any rescues please let me know. I can also do a cockapoo and can fly to get it.
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Laly March 18, 2021
I just purchased a teacup poodle yesterday from them and I am so concerned and feel uneasy about what type of dog I’m gonna get and if it’s going to be healthy I don’t know if I should cancel my order and do a reversal or chance it because I can’t find a teacup poodle anywhere
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Karla Zastoupil January 25, 2020
I lost my sweet Lucy due to the horrible antics of PuppySpot. We only had her overnight. She died of parvo during the early morning hours. Picked her up at the airport around 11 pm. My husband tells me Lucy was lucky to feel the love we gave her that night. She deserved more. PuppySpot doesn’t care if your pet comes from a puppy mill. Do research; make sure you can visit; contact the breeder. Horrible experience. I give them a negative million rating.
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Mike March 29, 2020
I just bought a puppy from there. They told me they were going to drive it up from some place in Indiana and it would be ready in three to four weeks. After reading all of these negative reviews I’m glad there is at least one person that has had a positive experience. I hope mine will be just as good.
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Kris February 1, 2021
Was it positive?
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laly March 18, 2021
That’s where they said my tea cup photo is from Indiana
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Marnea Rodgers May 3, 2021
I just had the worst experience on puppy spot.com to the point I don’t even want to purchase a puppy anymore, on Friday 04/30 I started the process of purchasing a cocker spaniel geb #647947 because my bank has a daily limit I paid half on Friday & the next payment on 05/01,both payments cleared my acct but puppy spot put a hold on my purchase saying my second payment was suspicious & that I need to pay again with another credit card so I literally went to my bank with a rep from puppy spot on the phone to clarify my payments cleared I was so embarrassed st how the rep basically called the bank teller a liar & hung up in my face,I reached out to a manager Ian McCallum who came off as really helpful at first as if he was really going to help me if I can provide a authorization code for my payment my bank had no idea why thats needed & they don’t provide that ,I got a email today telling me my second payment has been refunded back but they keeping my first payment & the puppy I ordered is going back up for sale but they still have my first payment,I just called to request my full money back because I’m still trying to wrap my mind around how my first payment went through with no problem no changes but my second payment on their end was suspicious & was put on hold using same credit card I should have took heed when I read some of the reviews but because of this I no longer want to purchase a puppy anymore do not trust puppy spot.com
Angela M. April 19, 2022
I received my Portuguese Water Dog on March 26, 2022. I asked a lot of questions and called them very often. One thing I must say that once purchased you are not assigned to one agent. Each time you call, you find yourself repeating your entire story over again. I can say that we were called a week before the first PWD, Hawk, that we purchased was to arrive, and were told that he had a defect, a wry bite which is when one side of the jaw grows longer than the other. They offered to give us a full refund or that we could apply it towards another pet of our choice. We chose to stick with a PWD. I must note that the price had increased quite a bit. When questioned about the price, I was told it was what the breeder charged. We were also given a $300 discount for purchasing another because the other one was a replacement for our cat who had just passed away. I appreciate their thoughtfulness in giving me a call, even though I was saddened. When Sailor arrived, I had him checked through PetSmart’s Banfield Hospital vet (a free certificate was included) and thoroughly checked through my personal vet that I have known for years and use for my Cavalier King Charles and Peekapoo. Banfield Hospital stated he was healthy, but when my personal vet told me that he was 100% ok with the exception of where the breeder tried to declaw his nail on one paw. The breeder was successful in removing the full nail on the other paw, but did not remove it completely from another. Because of that incomplete removal, he will have to have it trimmed often to keep it from curling and hitting a blood vessel. This is a minor issue for me, but I feel sorry for the declawing of his paw. My pet was checked from head to toe with my mobile vet and there are no parasites, Giardia, etc. I am thankful he is healthy.
Sailor is the cutest puppy! He is playful, and gets along well with my other two pets. I would not take anything for him. I did review online before purchasing and I mentioned the “puppy mill stories” that I had come across to PuppySpot. She did admit that something of that nature took place in the past, but that now they check every breeder before selling the puppies.
Good luck with your new arrival! I hope yours arrive healthy.
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Savannah February 20, 2020
I got a golden doodle puppy from Puppyspot a month and a half ago. I am livid with my experience.
Before the puppy arrived:
I asked Puppyspot questions regarding my puppy that they never answered. The first red flag should have been that they keep the breeder anonymous and offer no proof that you aren’t buying from a puppy mill. I called multiple times asking questions and they were very good at not being direct and avoiding the questions at all costs.
Puppy’s arrival:
Puppy spot and/or the breeder chose to put my puppy on a non-direct flight (I am sure it was cheaper), which made a 4 hour journey into an 8 hour journey. My puppy was so shaken up upon arrival, he wouldn’t eat, come out of the crate and he was covered in his own urine and feces. He was so weak he could barely stand or walk.
Puppy now:
When I went to the vet the day after my pup got to me, he had double ear infections, completely matted ears covered in black gunk and yeast, and a nasty infection on his private parts. He had clearly not been in clean conditions or been tended to. He had such bad anxiety he wouldn’t go to the bathroom outside, he wouldn’t let people touch him, and he now has severe separation anxiety. I have spent thousands on training and materials to try and fix the situation. Every trainer has said that there was likely neglect going on (although I can’t prove this).
I would NEVER recommend getting a dog from puppy spot for all of these reasons.
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Peggy March 12, 2020
We too have been husk-Ed by PuppySpot. This health guarantees don’t seem to exist. Dog arrived with scratching her ears. After 2 visits of not seeing an infection, they did a culture! EARMITES! $266 to pluck the fur and clean out the ears. Just heard back from PuppySpot that I cannot prove she came with them (Hello- scratching from day 1). Also has a hernia and tear staining (which I specifically asked about). Then Third Party Pet that they are teamed with are a scam. Still waiting on AKC papers! Learn from our mistakes before you buy!
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Ericka Wood March 31, 2020
Have you received your puppy? My daughter and I just gave our deposit?
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Mike L August 22, 2020
Ericka how was your experience?
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Deb Fredrickson February 9, 2022
I bought a puppy from a local breeder. She came with a hernia too. It was fixed when she was spayed. No extra cost.
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Kelly brooks March 13, 2020
Oh wow. I was just looking for a puppy the other day on there and I kept holding off. I guess it was the good lord making me wait on it. Thanks guys. Although it breaks me to not want to help those puppies get away from all that. And I really wish that people would not call a puppy or a dog poor quality bc it’s a living being not food..
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R.Ward March 23, 2020
I have had a totally different experience with PupSpot. I am a breeder and have successfully sold over 10 puppies. I am still in contact with each of the families. The staff has always been very professional with me. As a breeder I will continue to use Puppy Spot to place my babies.
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Sus March 18, 2021
What kind of puppies do you breed? I’m looking for a tea cup poodle
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Jeryl Payne April 27, 2020
I paid for my puppy who was 7 weeks old. got the app on my phone, by the way does not work. A so call puppy manager does not exist. Once the company got my money, you can’t get in touch with them. Now my puppy is 9 weeks old and no sign of travel plans. I requested to talk with the breeder, but that has not happened. No one will answer the phone. Two of there websites had my puppy listed at different ages. Also the company had lisited my dog a champion breed, but registered as a apri which is for a puppy mill breeder. Not sure if I will get my puppy or money back. Will contact my Lawyer.
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Terrance thrasher August 4, 2020
I have had the exact same experience,. One excuse after another in failing to deliver the puppy. No customer service. They don’t answer their phones,don’t return calls. I’m wondering if the whole deal is a scam
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Sharren LK Shoemaker October 10, 2020
I am grateful to read the reviews about Puppy Spot. I will never buy from Puppy Spot.
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Ida Mccarthy October 20, 2020
This place is a scam. They expect you to pay thousands of dollars for the dogs and they won’t disclose the breeder name. If you have been sold a sick or dying dog from puppyspot, please fill out our pet shop complaint form. Thank you! https://www.caps-web.org/your-action-plan/caps-complaint-form/
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Cyrus October 21, 2020
Woah, I really regret buying now.. We just bought our Pomeranian puppy off of the website. All of my questions have been answered and we have gotten updates regularly. I hope my puppy arrives in good shape or else I’ll be heartbroken. I don’t want to see another one of my dogs get cremated..
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ellie January 19, 2021
Do you have an update on your experience?
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Christine October 29, 2020
“We make lives better by placing healthy puppies into happy homes. “
This is what this business claims. But this is a BIG LIE, PUPPIES ARE FROM PUPPY MILLS and the site does nothing to monitor or hold the breeders they use to account!
Our problems began from the very beginning. Originally the puppy we selected was advertised as a boy name Cody. About two days before we were supposed to receive it, we were told that it was a mistake, and that Cody is in fact a girl. We thought this was an odd mistake but did not think much of it and decided to move forward with the adoption. We have so much love to give and the pup needed a home. We named her Eevee.
The problems began shortly thereafter. Our sweet girl vas not growing! She started having diarrhea and would throw up no matter what we fed her. After numerous visits to the vet, she was diagnosed with an extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (a common genetic defect that arises from irresponsible breeding). It was at this point that we were referred to a surgeon.
An exploratory laparotomy was performed, and the aberrant shunt vessel was identified, however her caudal vena cava was absent cranial to the shunt. A liver biopsy was obtained and Eevee was recovered from anesthesia as the surgeon could not move forward.
An Abdominal CT scan subsequently performed the following day (8/11/20) to ensure that a shunt closure could be safely performed. She was found to have segmental aplasia of the caudal vena cava but the surgeon was able to plan accordingly and move forward.
Eevee was taken back to surgery on 8/12/20 and an ameroid constrictor was placed on the portocaval shunt vessel. This was Eevee’s second surgery in a 72-hour period, the incision spanned most of the length of her body.
At the time Eevee was 4.5 pounds and barely made it. The pain and suffering we had to endure was tremendous and her medical costs were approaching $10,000 (she is only 1.5 years old). She will likely still need medical attention her entire life!
We then contacted Puppy Spot with our concerns, namely that Eevee had genetic disorders synonymous with irresponsible breeding. We explained that we used the site specifically to avoid a situation like this. We did not ask to return her but requested they provide some sort of refund for the purposes of helping with Eevee’s growing medical bills. After longer than a month, numerous follow ups and after Puppy Spot’s own vets reviewed the medical records and agreed with us, we were made the following offer:
50% store credit from Eevee’s original purchase price to be applied to the next purchase of a new puppy from their site OR Monetary compensation in the amount of $587.50 representing ¼ of Eevee’s purchase price.
We were then told the offer is made as is and to just choose an option.
This was a complete slap in the face! They offered no sympathy, took zero responsibility for their lack of due diligence, and essentially dismissed us. We originally went to this site knowing that we would end up paying a much higher price for a dog but that at least we would have some assurance that it was not bred in an irresponsible and amoral manner. We have learned our lesson the hard way. These guys are no different than a puppy mill. They do not do their due diligence; they do not seem to do anything to ensure that the animals are bred humanely. They could not even tell the difference between a boy dog and a girl dog.
Make no mistake, the animals advertised on the site are exactly the same as you would get from a puppy mill, they just found a gimmick that allows them to slap a much higher price tag on them. The irony that such a business would only further encourage the spread of puppy mills was not lost on us either.
Please do not EVER buy from them. These people are part of the problem. They are complete frauds!
Do your research better than us. Make sure to ask what steps are specifically being taken by any company making claims such as these to insure said claims are actually true and not just a marketing gimmick used to jack up the sticker price. Check the return policy, Puppy Spot gives you a whopping three days to discover and report any disorders such as this, this was a major red flag that we missed. Do not make the same mistakes we did, a puppy’s life could very well depend on it.
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Concerned4ThePups November 7, 2020
A close relative of mine was duped into getting a puppy earlier this year, who arrived underweight, with multiple infections and parasites.
Just check the employee reviews on indeed.com. The kind, helpful ‘pet consierge’ —who helps you get your puppy— is paid on commission, and gets fired if they fail to sell a certain number of puppies within a particular timeframe, which forces them to rush the puppy sales. Employees mention struggling to meet ‘impossible quotas.’ Employees also allude to the use of puppy mills.
You shouldn’t be able to pick out a puppy online as quickly and easily as a pair of shoes. Remember that.
Continue to remember that as you find any of their canned responses to negative consumer reviews here and on the Better Business Bureau customer complaint section. Their concern is more scripted than sincere. The sheer number of people suggesting illnesses one finds primarily in a puppy mill setting should tell you something. This isn’t an anomaly or one tragic mistake. It just is how they do business, and who they do business with.
PuppySpot, if you attempt to respond to me, I have nothing to say to you. You exploited someone I care about who is otherwise completely alone. Now I have to worry for the next few years if their heart will be broken because you couldn’t actually investigate your breeders properly. You support some very unethical breeders who treat their animals worse than livestock.
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Sunny December 19, 2020
Puppy spot has done nothing but string me along and make empty promises. They have changed the arrival date so many times that I have missed so much work. They told me I have to take the dog to another state for first check up. The transportation company tried to get me to give them more money on top of what I already paid. They have an excuse for everything. I still don’t have a dog and quite frankly don’t know if I ever will. They are nothing but slick sales people with zero customer service and the conscious of the devil. I have wasted so much time that I will never get back with these fools. Please don’t be like me and fall for this scam. The only guarantees they have are pain, suffering, and a massive waste of time and money. Sincerely, the latest victim of the puppy spot scam.
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Sunny December 19, 2020
I purchased a puppy that was supposed to be delivered for my kids Christmas gift from Santa. When I called them out for their shady business practices this is their response.
Good evening, Sunny,
We are reaching out from the Client Services team here at PuppySpot regarding Ivy. We do understand that you are unhappy with your customer experience, and we acknowledge how the previous delays in travel would contribute to that. However we must stress that the sole reason for those delays was to ensure that Ivy’s health and wellbeing remained our #1 priority, and that she was not yet ready to travel at that time.
We do apologize for any unhappiness or frustration that your customer experience has caused. With that being said, we acknowledge that PuppySpot may no longer be the best fit for you, and so we believe it is best that we issue a full refund of your purchase price and allow you to seek out a puppy solution that would be a better fit.
We did try to call a few times but were not able to reach you — we will be in till 9PM EST tonight and can be reached at 1-866-706-7337. Thank you for your time.
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Suzi March 22, 2021
My husband bought me a Boston Terrier Puppy from them back when they were Purebred Breeders (2015), when he was 8 month old we found out that he had a liver shunt. We took him to a specialist to try and have surgery to correct it but unfortunately after opening him up they realized there was nothing they could do due to the type of shunts. Purebred offered that we could either send him back, which was completely out of the question as we were in love with him or they would give us a refund. We did get a full refund from them eventually but that did not even cover all the cost from the surgery. We had to really fight with them to get the refund, he had to send them all the paperwork from the specialist proving that he did have a shunt. They told us that Charley would live half his life and he would have to be on prescription dog food. He lived to be only 5 years old, we had to put him down on January 1st this year when his liver basically failed. He was doing fine one minute and then they next he could not stand up and then within 48 hours his liver just started shutting down. We were and still are totally heart broken, he was part of our family and if he had been healthy he would still be here with us. I hate that this company is still in business! I look at the puppies on their site and it breaks my heart.
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Jane Edwards November 21, 2021
I’m am so sorry for your loss. But I thank you and all for speaking out and sharing. You all saved me from the same heartache. My Boston terrier is 10 and dying of cancer now. I could not take more heartbreak. I will be looking for a local breeder and praying for you all and the puppies.
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Mike March 23, 2021
Purchased a 17 week old Lab through Puppy Spot and was told that she was potty trained (she isn’t) . Was also told she was healthy and she arrived with hookworms and coccidia. I was also told she would be flown to us, not in a crate, but would be seated with the other passengers for an additional cost of $900 however she was brought to us by ground transportation. Beware of purchasing a puppy through Puppy Spot. Their prices are also exorbitant.
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Linda Gilbert April 21, 2021
I just bought a puppy from PuppySpot a few weeks ago. It’s been a horrible experience! He’s had Giardia from day 1! After doing some research, I discovered the person I was speaking to on PuppySpot was actually the breeder. She never let on that she was the breeder! I feel duped! I would never recommend buying a puppy without seeing it first! If I had seen my puppy, I would have turned around and walked away! He’s not potty trained and is hyper as hell! He’s also food aggressive and goes after my other dog if he has a bone. All in all, it’s been a nightmare!!! To top it all off, he jumped up to get a toy out of my hand and when he landed he broke his leg.( $6,000.00 for surgery) This has been one very expensive puppy!!! $5000.00+ for the puppy and travel expenses! Over $11,000.00 so far!!!
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Elaine Spinelli May 11, 2022
Beware of PuppySpot The best advice I could give someone who was considering using PuppySpot to add a new fur baby to their family, would be: demand to know who the breeder is, and check them out yourselves.
After much conversation back-and-forth with Lisa at PuppySpot, I was assured (because the window for socializing had long ago shut) that the 5-1/2 month old Schnoodle we were considering had been completely socialized, lived in a house with the breeder and their three young children, and that PuppySpot as a business, especially loved this breeder.
Our puppy arrived with extremely long toenails, smelling like a garbage truck (no exaggeration), had the infection Giardia, was at the very lowest weight of the acceptable weight for her age and when I asked the vet why she kept her legs stiff and straight when we picked her up, we were told this was an indication that this puppy, at 5-1/2 moths of age, had never been held by humans.
When we brought our new puppy to our groomer of 10 years, the comment was made directly to me, that “if it wasn’t you bringing her in, I would say she came from a puppy mill!“ When I asked why she had made that comment, she explained that the puppy would have to be shaved because her undercoat was so extremely matted to her skin that it had caused some skin breakdown and there was no other way without causing the puppy a lot of pain, than to shave it. She said “this is a major sign of a puppy mill. A responsible breeder would never allow her fur to get like this or her nails to grow so long!”
When I called PuppySpot to tell them they sold me a sick puppy, the “Puppy Manager” responded by telling me “it was my puppy and it was my responsibility to make sure the puppy got treated by a Vet.” We got no satisfaction, no make good, no follow-up.
We paid a lot of money to PuppySpot to “RESCUE” this dog and have her flown from Indiana to New Jersey, an hour from our home. When she arrived, she was lethargic and hours later came out of her “haze”. We have no idea what she was given on the flight, or if she traveled with a “Chaperone” as we had been told. We arrived at the airport where a gentleman met us outside in the parking lot in 20 degree weather!!). The poor pup was shaking it was so cold. That should have been the clue that this would turn out to be one shady operation. We love our pup to pieces, even though she is extremely skittish around people, due to the lack of socialization. We will get her to fully happy and healthy adulthood with much more work than it should have been, and who knows what other health problems she’ll show as she grows. We would NEVER get another dog from PuppySpot, and would NEVER recommend them to anyone. Don’t walk, RUN from PuppySpot!!!
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Paola Sanmiguel November 9, 2022
I will never use PuppySpot again. In fact, I wish someone had written this review and warned me before I lost nearly $5K & went through a painful emotional rollercoaster. What you should know about PuppySpot: 1. They are not puppy experts—they advised that I get a male-female to raise as bonded pair where that should NEVER be done for the breed. 2. They don’t check on living conditions —one of my puppies were raised entirely indoors, allowed & trained to potty on hardwood floors which made the transition to home living & potty training incredibly challenging. 3. That same puppy, was allowed by breeder to chew & ingest plastic—PuppySpot didn’t see anything wrong with this and called me hysterical, even though my vet said it could lead to intestinal blockages and THOUSANDS of dollars in surgery and medical charges. 4. Puppies live in unsanitary conditions—One of my puppies couldn’t fly b/c he had a terrible case of worms. They couldn’t clear it and flew him anyway, leaving me with $100’s of vet bills & endangering his long term health. 5. Behavioral problems originating with breeder become your problem—the breeder for one of my puppies didn’t socialize my puppy properly, imparted no discipline nor dealt with aggressive behavior. When he came home he was aggressive towards my other puppy, didn’t accept training and would repeat bad behavior over and over. PuppySpot said I should hire and pay for a trainer as neither they nor the breeder was liable for his aggression. 6. YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR MONEY BACK—PuppySpot will re-home the puppy back to the breeder but will not reimburse you A CENT. Which works out great for them because they will turn around and sell that puppy again. There is NO SITUATION—even if the puppy was raised in unsanitary conditions, made untrainable by the breeder or made sick by the breeder—You will not get any money back. 7. Breeders get paid about 50% of what you pay PuppySpot—The up-charge from PuppySpot is considerable, especially as all they do is coordinate logistics BADLY. I was handed from one person to the next, they didn’t schedule flights for my puppies that were convenient for me and never provided any of the information I needed. In fact, I only got communications from them when things went wrong and it had become an emergency. That NIGHTMARE is what you are paying THOUSANDS of dollars for. It’s a total rip off for the breeders who are actually doing the work.
Go online and find a breeder you like. Skip Puppyspot. They are a rip off, making excuses to keep you hard-earned money and harm puppies.
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sjrogers April 24, 2023
I was an administrator for reputable breeders in the state of Indiana for 5 years (NOT puppy mills), and this is my honest review of PuppySpot.com.
Note: I have never listed a puppy on PuppySpot as a breeder, so I have nothing to gain/lose by giving this review. I merely want to give an insider’s perspective.
1) Communication: Unless you managed to get in touch with someone in management, communication with the regular puppy managers was always hit or miss and often frustrating. They hound breeders for updated photos and information but take weeks to respond to time-sensitive emails (i.e. when is my puppy traveling so I know when to take them to the vet, did the photos I sent make it to the new puppy family?…etc).
3) Outrageous costs: Whatever amount you’re paying PuppySpot for your new puppy, please know that the breeder who raised those beautiful parent dogs, trained them, feed them, love them, and helped them bring that beautiful puppy into the world…that breeder is only getting about 1/3 of what you’re paying PuppySpot. “Well, it’s worth it for the Health Guarantee,” you may say. That’s fair. Except that those expenses are ALSO paid by the breeder, not PuppySpot. Just something to keep in mind.
3) Transparency: Never once have I seen someone from PuppySpot actually go to visit any of the breeders I worked with or meet the puppies they’re selling to you. So, if puppy managers are telling you all about the personality and home environment of the puppy you want, they are 100% lying to you. They don’t know that puppy at all.
4) Exclisivity: Breeders who list puppies on PuppySpot are not allowed to list their puppies anywhere else, period. If they find listings on other sites with the same puppy name and photos being used, it counts as a strike against the breeders’ profile and their account is disabled until all other listings are taken down. Three strikes, and a breeder is banned from PuppySpot for life. This is unfair to both the breeder, the families looking for a new puppy, and the puppy itself, as not everyone can afford PuppySpots outrageous prices and breeders often would rather talk directly to a prospective puppy family than go through a PS rep.
My advice: If you’d like to find a new fur-ever friend without breaking the bank or supporting businesses like PuppySpot, I recommend looking on Puppies.com and AKC.com, where you will deal directly with the breeders. Here are some things to look for in a good, honest dog breeder:
They have been raising the same breed of dog for at least 5 years, preferably more, and know a lot about that particular breed. They welcome prospective families to their home to meet the new puppies and parents. They have well-behaved and socialized parent dogs. They can show you parent pedigrees and OFA documents. They do health check-ups at 6 weeks and can provide that information to you. TALK to them on the phone, don’t just email.
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