How to Buy a Puppy Online Safely

Are you ready to welcome a new puppy into your life and home, but unsure how to go about finding the right one, safely?

There are many ways to buy a puppy, but what most people don't realize is that there are also many pitfalls to watch out for in this process. Before you go ahead and buy a new puppy, it's important to keep the following information in mind - Being prepared will help you avoid scams, and will help make the process go through as smoothly as possible.

Here are some useful tips that you can keep in mind to buy a puppy online safely.

Locate a reputed breeder

Not all the breeders that you come across on the internet are in a position to deliver the best service as per your expectations. Hence, it is important to take your time and find a reputed breeder. By going through the customer reviews, you will be able to get a better understanding of the reputation of the breeder that you are going to deal with.

It is a good idea to pick a breeder that breeds only a few dog breeds. You should also confirm that the breeder has a clear understanding of the breed. For example, the breeder should provide prompt and accurate answers to the questions you ask about the history, characteristics, and developmental concerns related to the dog.

Try to adopt a puppy from a rescue club or shelter

Instead of buying your puppy from a breeder, you can also think about adopting a puppy from a rescue club or shelter. This is a convenient method available for you to avoid scams. On the other hand, you will be able to support the great initiatives of the rescue clubs and puppy shelters, which try to contribute a lot towards reducing pet overpopulation.

Sign a contract

Even if you are purchasing your puppy online, you should sign a contract. This contract must be associated with a health guarantee. In case if you cannot take care of your puppy, your dog breeder should agree to return. The reputed dog breeders often do it. On the other hand, make sure that your breeder is providing all the documentation related to the breeding of your dog. You should also get confirmation documents that indicate the puppy you buy has been tested for health issues.

Never use unsecured methods to make payments

You need to be careful at the time of making the payments to the dog breeder. You should refrain from sending money through unsecured payment methods such as MoneyGram and Western Union. If things don’t go according to how you expect, you will not be able to get back your money. Hence, you must always use a debit card or a credit card, where you can open a dispute against the transaction. You should also ask for the merchant number of the breeder before you handover the credit card number. Then you can call the credit card company and make sure that you are dealing with a legitimate seller.

Look for the warning signs

There are some warning signs, which you need to keep in mind while dealing with an online puppy breeder. For example, you need to make sure that the breeder is from your local area. Your breeder should be willing to develop a healthy conversation with you. On the other hand, the breeder should be able to provide personalized photos to you based on your requests.

If you can keep these tips in mind, you can buy your puppy safely online.

Top 10 Dogs for adoption and Dogs for adoption websites

We ranked the best Dogs for adoption websites so that you can find what you need.

Last updated: 2024-12-02

Rank

Provider

Description & Features

Site

1

★★★★★

152 Data points

Adopt-a-Pet.com
Adopt-a-Pet.com
Pet Adoption - Search dogs or cats near you. Adopt a Pet Today. Pictures of dogs and cats who need a home. Search by breed, age, size and color. Adopt a dog, Adopt a cat.

2

★★★★★

141 Data points

Petfinder
Petfinder
Petfinder has helped more than 25 million pets find their families through adoption. Search our extensive list of dogs, cats and other pets available for adoption and rescue near you.

3

★★★★★

130 Data points

- Florida Dog Rescue - ADOPTIONS - Rescue Me!
- Florida Dog Rescue - ADOPTIONS - Rescue Me!
"Click here to view Dogs in Florida for adoption. Individuals & rescue groups can post animals free." - ♥ RESCUE ME! ♥ ۬

4

★★★★

121 Data points

Dog Adoption | Petfinder
Dog Adoption | Petfinder
Puppies for adoption are available all-year-round at animal shelters and rescue groups on Petfinder.com, a great place to begin a search on where to adopt a puppy. Meeting the puppies in-person helps decide if a large, medium or small size, or breed matches your home, lifestyle, and activity level.

5

★★★★

112 Data points

Dog Rescue ― ADOPTIONS
Dog Rescue ― ADOPTIONS
Dog Rescue Information: Dogs have a reputation for being "man's best friend" for excellent reasons. Dogs are wonderful companions. Many breeds, in addition to being affectionate, devoted members of the family, are useful working dogs and guardians.

6

★★★★

103 Data points

Adoptable Dogs in Your Local Shelter l Adopt a Pet l ASPCA
Adoptable Dogs in Your Local Shelter l Adopt a Pet l ASPCA
Adopt a Pet; Adoptable Dogs in Your Local Shelter. Thinking about adopting a four-legged friend? Check out our nationwide database of dogs looking for good homes. Search by zip code to meet available dogs in your area! If you live in New York City, don't forget to check out the dogs available at our ASPCA Adoption Center. ...

7

★★★★

96 Data points

Free Puppies | Puppies for Adoption
Free Puppies | Puppies for Adoption
Free Puppies and puppies for adoption on here come from world reknown breeders that are looking for homes that would adopt these puppies for free, be sure to scroll through our listings for free puppies.

8

★★★

89 Data points

Cats and Dogs for Adoption: PetSmart Saves Lives
Cats and Dogs for Adoption: PetSmart Saves Lives
Pet adoption saves the lives of homeless dogs and cats. Many breeds available, even puppies and kittens. Let our adoption program help you find your next best friend.

9

★★★

82 Data points

Adopt | Lucky Dog Animal Rescue
Adopt | Lucky Dog Animal Rescue
Lucky Dog is committed to finding loving forever homes for each of our dogs and cats. Our customized adoption process is designed to find the best fit for adopters, whatever they may be looking for.

10

★★★

76 Data points

Rescue Me! ― Adopt Dogs, Cats and More ―
Rescue Me! ― Adopt Dogs, Cats and More ―
"Click here to view thousands of rescue dogs, cats, horses and birds. Individuals, rescue groups & shelters can post animals free." ― ♥ RESCUE ME! ♥ ۬

Dogs for adoption videos considered

We analyzed 1,472 hours of the most informative Dogs for adoption videos. These videos stood out the most:

Local Dogs for adoption near you

Muddy Paws Rescue

Manhattan, NY 10003

Best Friends Lifesaving Center

307 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013

See Spot Rescued

Jersey City, NJ 07302

Korean K9 Rescue

Queens, NY 11101

ASPCA Adoption Center

424 E 92nd St, New York, NY 10128

Waggytail Rescue

New York, NY 10002

AMA Animal Rescue

Brooklyn, NY 11223

Pupstarz Rescue

New York, NY 10001

In Our Hands Rescue

New York, NY 10003

Useful Dogs for adoption Resources

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This comparison site is made up of our own opinions and views. The ranking is determined at our discretion and is not to be used for accuracy purposes. We can provide this service at no charges thanks to a combination of referral fees and advertising income we receive from various publishers and service providers. These payments may affect our rankings and the score we assign to websites, products, and vendors. Our ratings do not imply endorsement of any kind. This website's information, rankings, and vendor list is subject to change without notice at any time.