Victims launch Puppy Scammers podcast

Marc and Lindsey Charbonneau bought Lincoln, a border collie puppy, in part to ease the loss of their first family dog, Diva.

But instead, it turned into a nightmare for the St. Catharines couple and their two young children, who in short order had to say goodbye not only to Diva, but also to Lincoln a few short weeks after bringing him home.

It was a nightmare that opened their eyes to the world of puppy mills in southern Ontario.

This summer, after discovering their border collie, Diva, was nearing the end of her life, Marc and Lindsey decided to buy a puppy of the same breed. They thought it would help the transition for their two children.

But, within days of bringing young Lincoln home, they began running into problems, as the pup became violently ill. The vet thought perhaps it was some gastrointestinal problem and prescribed antibiotics. A week and a half later, they were back at the vet's office for a second visit. Then a third.

A second opinion from a different vet brought the news they didn't want to hear: Lincoln was going to die soon too.

I couldn't absorb what he was saying," said Lindsey, a nurse who's witnessed trauma first-hand.

The likely culprit was distemper. By the end, the dog was so sick that when they made the decision to put it to sleep, the puppy died from the pain meds before the euthanasia drugs were even administered.

Like many, the Charbonneaus bought their puppy off Kijiji. And, as they've since discovered, like many, they didn't realize how important it was to research first, ask questions, and ensure they were buying a puppy from a reputable source.

But the couple has channeled that grief into an effort to make sure others don't go through a similar ordeal. This fall, they launched Puppy Scammers, which explores the world of puppy mills, talking to pet lovers who fell victim, as well as with experts, to provide tips on how to avoid these operations.

We were just naive to it," said Marc.

The couple says anyone buying a dog in general, and especially from a site like Kijiji, should be extremely careful. Soon after their experience with Lincoln, Marc and Lindsey quickly discovered others who had faced similar issues: Fraudulent reports from vets, missing or incorrect information about a puppy's parents, sellers who demand shady deposits. They say it's a world fraught with fraudsters.

And it's been made even more complicated by COVID-19, where so-called breeders can hide behind distancing and pandemic safety measures to keep buyers in the dark.

Looking back, the Charbonneaus say they felt stupid for just blindly assuming everyone was on the straight and narrow. However, hearing about so many similar stories from others in southern Ontario has made it clear it's an issue.

Anyone looking to buy a puppy should do their research, and ask questions.

You should be able to ask any question," Lindsey said.

While the podcast shares some heavy and emotional stories, Marc said it's also meant to educate and showcase some of the positive things that are happening.

Luckily for the Charbonneaus, their story has a happy ending. After losing Lincoln, they decided to take a break from dog ownership. That was until Nora came along. A rescue puppy from Manitoba, the young puppy - breed unknown - has melted their hearts.

We just felt so much better about it," said Marc.

The Puppy Scammers podcast can be found on all major podcast platforms. They also maintain a Puppy Scammers podcast, @puppypodcast.