ROELAND, Mo. (WDAF) — Johnny Turnage thought he’d finally found the perfect pet in a Craigslist posting for Clover, an eight-week-old teacup Yorkie.
“[The seller] described Clover as a really cuddly dog,” said Turnage. “… I really got excited because I was able to see exactly what my therapist had began telling me that it would do.”
He hoped Clover would be an emotional support animal to guide him through mental health struggles triggered by losing his eyesight and mother in the same year. After finding Clover, who was priced at what he could afford, Turnage says he began the purchasing process.
First, he got an invoice for $300: It contained the supposed name of the seller, the seller’s addresses, and the seller’s driver’s license number. He paid the $150 deposit, but then problems began.
“After the deposit, he kept hitting me with fees,” said Turnage. “At every turn, I did what you asked me to do, and there was no follow-through on his end.”
But he was still hopeful. He tried to meet up at the mall to get Clover, then at a local police station but the seller was a no-show each time.
“It was very hurtful, overwhelming.”
Turnage even spoke to police officers who talked to the seller on the phone, but still no puppy. Then the seller made another proposition.
“He said if you sent another $100, I promise to get you the puppy.”
They agreed to meet at a gas station, Turnage now paying over $500 total.
“My brother parked where we could see all three entrances, and he never showed.”
It’s been radio silence ever since, and Turnage doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else.
Neither does the American Kennel Club, a nonprofit dog purebred registry that the seller claimed he was involved in. Brandi Munden with AKC searched their records. He and his dogs are not.
“It’s very disheartening to us. We try to keep our constituency as educated as possible. These scammers, they will not stop scamming,” said Munden.
Munden says paying fees on fees on fees red flag.
“Most of the time, it’s all wrapped up into one price. They’re not trying to nickel and dime you,” said Munden. She added that it’s best to know the going rate for a particular breed you want, too.
Nexstar’s WDAF asked if $300 for the toy/teacup Yorkie that Turnage wanted was too good to be true.
“That absolutely is,” said Munden.
Turnage knows. And he hopes you do too.
WDAF reached out to the Better Business Bureau for tips on how to avoid being scammed. It happens often enough that the BBB has a page dedicated to ‘avoiding becoming a victim of a pet scam.’
They advise people to see the pet in person, conduct a reverse image search online to ensure the photo isn’t taken from another site, pay with a credit card for fraud protection, and consider reaching out to a local animal shelter.
Additionally, Johnny’s brother has organized a GoFundMe in hopes of keeping his brother’s dream of getting an emotional support dog alive.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
