An example of a fake dog breeder certificate.
(FOX 2) - The state is asking potential pet owners to be wary of anyone branding themselves as a breeder after two separate cases involving scammers.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said it was contacted by people interested in purchasing dogs who were hoping to verify the sellers owned a dog breeder license. Instead, MDARD discovered the certificates to be fake.
Those looking to own their own pet are encouraged to use the same due diligence when shopping around.
"While it is unfortunate that scammers were trying to use fake Michigan dog breeder licenses to deceive consumers, I’m glad the potential buyers contacted MDARD first, and we helped to identify the scam in both instances," said Dr. Nora Wineland, State Veterinarian. "At MDARD, we are ready to assist Michiganders whenever there are any questions related to our programs."
In these cases, the pet scams involve using a fake dog breeder license. The person's motivation for showing the faulty certificate is to cheat others out of money since the dogs they're putting up for adoption likely won't have genes that are advertised.
Instead, those looking to adopt are encouraged to check with both MDARD and the Better Business Bureau to verify if a license is real.
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Beyond that, MDARD also has oversight over large-scale dog breeding kennels that include more than 15 intact breeding females that have given birth. Learn more about the program here. Each of those breeders are required to provide a Pet Health Certificate with each dog or puppy they sell.
There are 14 of these large-scale kennels in the state that are inspected by MDARD.