A new puppy scam in China is breaking the hearts of dog lovers around the world. It’s a good reminder to be cautious with whom you leave your pets at home. A woman surnamed Chen lives in Shenzhen, China. She decided to find a new home for her Labrador Retriever puppy when she could not afford to take care of him.
She thought she’d found a suitable home, but soon the “adoptor” threatened to send the puppy to a butcher unless Chen paid a ransom she couldn’t afford. pay. It’s hard to believe that any human can be this heartless.
Puppy adoption was wrong
Chen decided to bring home the puppy Duobao when she ran out of time and money to take care of it. She asked someone to adopt him on an online platform and a man contacted him almost immediately.
The man who lives in Huizhou promises to give the puppy a good life. He sent 8.8 yuan ($1.30) to the woman as a gesture of goodwill and that convinced her to trust him.
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Chen was heartbroken to have to say goodbye to her pet dog, so she asked the man to send her an update on how Duobao was adjusting to her new home. But two days later, she received a threatening text instead of a healthy one.
The man said he sold Duobao to a dog butcher and the only way to prevent the dog from being slaughtered was if Chen paid him 5,000 yuan ($725). Sadly, Chen has no such currency.
A heartbreaking trend
When Chen asked the man why he was doing this, he said he didn’t need the dog. Chen told him that she needed some time to get the money, but the man refused to wait. So Chen went to the man’s apartment to find the puppy. This place has a few dog kennels inside, but it was empty. The man and Duobao were not found.
Chen let the police in, and they told her it was a common scam. About 30 million dogs are slaughtered every year in China, so butchers will have to pay a lot of money for the dogs. Officials said that the 8.8 yuan the man sent over was a gift used to gain Chen’s trust. He will probably sell the puppy for more then.
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When officials confronted the man, he admitted to selling Duobao to a dog peddler. However, he will not admit that he blackmailed Chen. He said the dog was his when he adopted it, so he had the right to sell the dog for money.
No one knows if Duobao is safe, and it’s unclear if the man will face any punishment. It is easy for people to adopt pets in China after registering with the authorities, which is why this scam is so common. If possible, it’s best to bring your dog home with a rescue organization or someone you trust to make sure the adopter won’t mistreat them.
Featured pictures: Flickr
