Excerpts from "Inside Edition" News story airing 2/7/2007

"On Line Puppies"

by Deborah Norville, Reporter

More than 400,000 people buy puppies online every year, most without ever having actually seen the pet. But while the internet can be a convenient and economical way to buy a puppy, as an INSIDE EDITION investigation found, it can also lead to heartbreak.

Eleven-year-old Casey learned the hard way how risky it can be to buy puppies over the internet. Her parents ordered a King Charles Cavalier puppy from brushycreekkennel.com. The dog cost $1000 dollars less than what local breeders were charging.

Casey's dad, Dan, told INSIDE EDITION that they worked out all the arrangements, sent the company a check for the dog and went to pick him up at the airport.

"I just wanted to like hug him forever," Casey told INSIDE EDITION. But within days the puppy started coughing. They say they took him to the vet and found out that he had chronic lung disease, so they sent the puppy back.

It took nine months, but Brushy Creek finally sent a new puppy. "When we first saw him, he was just shivering and cold, and he was just like very sick," Casey said.

Dan said the dog looked comatose. "He couldn't drink, couldn't eat, and woke up in a pool of his own vomit," he said. They spent close to $2000 trying to save the puppy, but after two days, he had to be euthanized.

Brushy Creek was owned by David Moore and was operated out of a modest looking ranch house in Hockley, Texas, about 40 miles outside of Houston.

Carol Ritter, of Houston's Better Business Bureau, says they've received dozens of complaints about Brushy Creek. "I think they're taking people's money. They're taking advantage of people.

INSIDE EDITION also spoke to Lisa Bushman, a Houston area breeder who used to be in business with Moore. Bushman says he sold her dozens of sick dogs. She sued him and won a nearly $350,000 judgment.

She says Moore would knowingly ship sick dogs to families with kids. "He brags about the fact that once they have the puppy they're not gonna bring it back because it's gonna break the kids' heart," she told INSIDE EDITION.

Moore, did not respond to INSIDE EDITION's requests for comment and Brusy Creek Kennel is no longer doing business on the internet.

Following are some tips on buying a puppy:

  1. Never buy a puppy from anyone unless you see where that puppy was born and raised and the conditions that the puppy's parents are kept in.
  2. Avoid puppy mills by buying dogs from local breeders or adopting from a shelter.
  3. Learn about the importance of AKC Registration and purebred paperwork.
  4. When you've found a knowledgeable breeder, learn about their business history and practices:
    • The breeder should only breed one or two types of dogs.
    • Puppies should be kept within the home and not in outdoor kennels.
    • The puppies should appear healthy and happy.
    • The breeder is willing to show you where the dog is kept - should be in a clean, well-maintained area.
    • You should be allowed to meet the parents.
    • A history of veterinary records should be provided.
    • Make sure you get a written contract and health guarantee.

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