In general dogs are the most advertised pets in pet classified with the Pit Bull Terrier commanding a significant lead in most of the classified section we sampled.
Please read our article on how to write a Great Pet Classified Ad.
In recent months there has been a new scam of counterfeit cashier’s checks (and money orders) which has received a lot of publicity. It has been used on eBay a lot and other auction sites. It is now spreading on other types of internet sites.
For this reason, we are advising all of our sellers to accept only credit cards, cash, PayPal, or wire transfers for payments unless they know the person to whom they are selling their pets.
Here is how this scam usually works.
The scammer usually offers to pay the seller more than the asking price for the pet.
The scammer then offers to pay with a cashier’s check especially Western Union and then asks the seller to refund the difference in cash to pay for shipping.
Many people will fall for this trick because cashier’s checks were always as good as gold until now.
For instance, if you are selling a pet for $300, the scammer would offer to pay you with a cashier’s check for $1000, but would ask you to give the person, who will be picking up the pet, $700 in cash to be used to cover shipping and handling or their plane ticket. If you give that person $700 and your pet, then you would have lost your pet plus $700, if the cashier’s check is worthless.
Be alert for these scammers.
Finally, never send money overseas to someone you do not know personally!
In recent times, scammers have found unique ways to scam people out of their money. It happens on eBay and many other sites, so please be alert for these scammers on our site, too. In order to minimize the chances of being scammed by a Seller, consider the following:
Confirm the Seller’s location:
Make sure the Seller’s address and phone number (land line) corresponds with the area in which the pet is being sold.
Do not fall for the common scammer tricks that they recently moved to some foreign country and must now sell their pets stranded in the US.
Request references:
The references normally should have phone numbers which are listed in the Seller’s local area’s phone book or directory assistance.
Ideally the seller should be a member of a local or national club related to the particular pet. You may obtain references from the club about the seller.
Check Seller’s website:
Some Sellers will have websites that may have references you can contact.
Beware of Sellers:
Who want money sent overseas when they have a US address. Never send money overseas to someone you do not know personally.
With pets priced t0o low to be true, including shipping.
Who do not want you to pick up the pet, but instead want to ship it.
Who keep asking for additional money after you have paid the asking price.
Hopefully, it hasn’t gotten that far.
Report Scammers:
Internet Providers do not have much tolerance for a customer who abuses the internet.
You may want to use this handy website for looking up IP addresses and ISP providers of scammers: www.analysespider.com
Please report any suspicious activity to
suspicious@gotpetsonline.com
We make it our business to stop and report scammers to the proper authorities.
Below is an actual pet scam we intercepted due to a vigilant PetHall visitor.
Only the identity of the PetHall user who alerted us to this scam has been protected
Category:
Dogs & Puppies Classifieds
Subcategories:
Yorkshire Terrier
Breed
YorkieShire Terrier
Age
9 Wks
Weight
3.5lbs
Price
0.00
Description
i have a lovely puppy,she’s lovely and great,she’s
looking for a loving home,she akc registered and she has all her
shots up to date.send me a mail for more informations about her…
gloria.williams1979@hotmail.com
Contact Information
Contact:
Gloria Williams
Location:
lansing, Michigan 48906
USA
Telephone:
Hi Pethall,
My name is D******** M. k******* I am a big fan of your site and I constantly use it to try and find me a puppy a “yorkshire terrier” just to be specific.
During my searches, I found a lot of matches. The thing is that everyone that I find seems to be supscious about the matter. I am writing you so that you can examine this situation and let me know if it is okay to purchase this pet from your seller. Here is the info from her profile off of your website: Ad
Number: 188, Name: Gloria Williams, LOCATION: Lansing, Michigan 48906, Date Posted: 12/23/2006, Date Expire:03/23/2007. I just would like for you to examine the conversations below and let me know if this is legitimate or not before I send my money.
Thank You. Here are the conversations from that me and the seller had:
>From: *******@yahoo.com
>To: gloria.williams1979@hotmail.com
>Subject: Reply To Your Ad at the PetHall Pet
Classifieds
>Date: 28 Dec 2006 04:06:03 -0000
>
>Hi Mrs. Williams, how are you doing today? I am very
interested in
the
>Yorkie puppy, she is very pretty. I can guarantee
you a great
environment
>for her, so please contact me asap. Thank you
HER REPSONSE:
This message is not flagged. [ Flag Message - Mark as
Unread ]
From: “Gloria Williams”
<gloria.williams1979@hotmail.com> Add to Address Book
Add Mobile Alert
Subject: RE: My Puppy is still available
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 12:32:25 +0000
Hello,
Thanks for your interest in my puppy,I want you to
know that my puppy
is
still available,she is still for sale,she is fully AKC
registered with
all
shots up to date including all necessary health
document and
certificate
ready for shipment, she is lovely with kids and wants
to meet her new
family.At full grown she will weigh 3.5-4lbs, She is 9
weeks now. She
is a
pure breed yorkie,Get back to me for her pictures.
Actually my husband and I are in West Africa on a
Christian mission in
Nigeria to be precise,we are here for missionary trip
from the States.
We
used to live in Philadelphia, Pennysylvania with our
lovely puppy,but
since
we left for the missionary trip we have to bring our
baby along because
of
care and the harsh in weather here i have to get her a
home very
fast,so
that is why we are looking for a good home for our
little lovely baby.
If
you are interested in our little lovely baby,get back
to me with your
full
name,address,contact and direct phone number we can
reach you ,and the
nearest airport to your home so we can proceed
shipment on this puppy
to
your home,the puppy will be shipped by Delta First
Pets Airline .I am
giving
her for free just need you to pay $200 for her and the
shipping because
we
really need a good home for my baby.
Hope to read from you soon.
Thanks And God Bless You
Regards
Gloria
MY RESPONSE:
>From: D********Kellam <*******@yahoo.com>
>To: Gloria Williams <gloria.williams1979@hotmail.com>
>Subject: RE: My Puppy is still available Date: Thu,
28 Dec 2006
07:29:50
>-0800 (PST)
>
>Thank you for the responese. Yes Mrs. Williams I am
>still interested in the puppy. I am so in love with
>yorkies. I am willing to pay the money for the puppy
>and I would like to knmow what payment method we will
>be using. My name is: D******** k******* My address
>is: **** , Apartment # **. Daytona
>Beach, Fl. The nearest airport to me is the Daytona
>International Airport. My number is 404-578-****.
>Could you please send me some pictures of her and can
>you also send me your CONTACT INFO and further
>instructions also. Thank You so much.
>— Gloria Williams <gloria.williams1979@hotmail.com>
>wrote:
>Hello D********
How are you and your family,Hope you have a wonderful
christmas with
you,I’ill always wish you a happy New Year,I’m so glad
to hear from you
once
again,My puppy is still available,My husband and I
will put you in
prayers,You have just made us happy,cos we know our
puppy will be
taking
good care of and You giving her all attentions she
needs,She will be so
excited to meet her new family,She’s lovely with
kids,and also with
Other
Dogs,Yes sure i have her pictures,I’ill send them to
you Okay….I
really
know your kids would be happy to meet my lovely
Puppy,Your informations
has
just been forwarded to the shipping agents,They will
make the
arrangement As
soon as Possible.
Hope to read from you
Thanks And God Bless You
Regards
Gloria
MY RESPONSE:
>From: D********K***** <*******@yahoo.com>
>To: Gloria Williams <gloria.williams1979@hotmail.com>
>Subject: RE: My Puppy is still available
>Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 11:27:58 -0800 (PST)
>
>yes i am still interested. Joy is so pretty and I
>love her already. I am just waiting on the payment
>method and I would like a little information from
you.
> So could you please send me your name, address, i
>need your phone number, and a couple of references
and
>their address and phone numbers. I just want to be
on
>the safe side. Thank you so much
Her Response:
Hello D********
How are you doing?I’m glad to hear from you,I really
want my puppy to
be
taking good care of,it would be faster and safer if
you could make the
Payment Via Western Union Money Transfer or Money
Gram,That’s the only
way i
can get the money here,The money will be paid to the
shipping agents
informations Okay…I’ill get back you with the
Payment informations
and the
shipping agents number,So you can speak with them on
the Phone.
Hope to read from you
Thanks And God Bless You
Regards
Gloria
And Her Final Response:
From: “Gloria Williams”
<gloria.williams1979@hotmail.com> Add to Address Book
Add Mobile Alert
Subject: RE: My Puppy is still available
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2006 09:31:09 +0000
Hi D********
I just got the information from the shipping
agents,Below is the
shipping
agents Payment Information.
Receiver’s Name:Emeka Johnson
Address:38 Airport Road
City:Ikeja
State:Lagos
Country:Nigeria
Zipcode:23401
Pls use this Text Question And Answer Below.
QUESTION: My favourite Colour
Answer:Blue
Hope to read from you
Thanks And God Bless You
Regards
Gloria
——————————————————————————–
PetHall Responds after investigations
Dear D*******,
Thank you for alerting us to this pending transaction. I am also glad you chose the safe route.
I am not an expert on fraud but I am 99% sure this is a scam.
Here is how I know.
1. Too much story just to sell a puppy for $200 2. Playing with your emotions (the Christian touch)
3 If it is too good to be true, it usually is false.
4. Did you notice that the name of the recipient of the money is no longer the name of the original seller. This is because scammers usually use fake identities but they reserve some real identities for actually collecting money. You need an ID to collect money via western union in Nigeria. Though you can make an ID for a fee there, but making an ID for all the scammers fake names could be expensive and also the ID is usually required to be at least 6 months old in other to be used for western union or moneygram.
5. Also, take a look at the spelling of “color” in the text question, it was spelt the British/Canadian way. Tell you the person probably never seen an American Airport.
Finally —Please DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAMMER. We will be deleting their profile from PetHall and with your permission we will reprint this email so as to protect others.
Thank you for using PetHall
Webmaster
PetHall.com
The following classified ad was deleted from the PetHall Pet Classifieds:
188|gloria1979|user|12/23/2006|ok|90|0|||||Gloria Williams|821 pine
188|gloria1979|user|street|lansing|Michigan|48906|USA|411-241-2000||glor
188|gloria1979|user|ia.williams1979@hotmail.com||Dogs & Puppies
188|gloria1979|user|Classifieds|Yorkshire Terrier|ADOPTION:|Adorable
188|gloria1979|user|Yorkie For Free|i have a lovely puppy,she’s lovely
188|gloria1979|user|and great,she’s ~nl~looking for a loving home,she
188|gloria1979|user|akc registered and she has all her ~nl~shots up to
188|gloria1979|user|date.send me a mail for more informations about
188|gloria1979|user|her… ~nl~gloria.williams1979@hotmail.com
188|gloria1979|user||YorkieShire Terrier|9 Wks|3.5lbs|0.00||||||
——————————————————————————–
February 18, 2002
Written by: Christina Mehra, Staff Writer
Presidents, it turns out, are among the biggest animal lovers in the country. They’ve adopted pets, given and received them as gifts, and, like all good pet owners, given their animals a loving home—one with a very prestigious address.
——————————————————————————–
Almost all of the 43 presidents, from George Washington to George W., have had at least one pet.
——————————————————————————–
These pets might have received extraordinary pampering at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but they also had extraordinary charges to look after. After all, these animals had to be there to celebrate with and comfort their owners during all the triumphs and tribulations that come with being President of the United States.
The Presidential Pet Museum and Pet Hall provide lots of information on all the commanders-in-chief and their pets.
Almost all of the 43 presidents, from George Washington to George W., have had at least one pet. The leaders of the free world have shared the White House with dogs, cats, birds, horses, and even an alligator and silkworms (both belonging to John Quincy Adams).
The very first First Lady, Martha Washington, only had one parrot, but her husband had about ten horses and 18 hounds.
While leading the infantile country, John Adams, the second president, built the first stables at the White House for his equines. Reportedly his favorite horse was named Cleopatra.
At a time when novelty abounded—the telegraph and vulcanized rubber were just being invented—Martin Van Buren received two tiger cubs as a gift from the Sultan of Oman. The tigers must have wreaked havoc on the White House because soon after their arrival, Congress made him send the creatures to a zoo.
William Harrison had a goat and a cow to keep him company while in office. Zachary Taylor, a Whig, had a canary named Johnny Ty. Unfortunately, poor Johnny died soon after President Taylor tried to provide him with a mate. (It turned out that the new bird was also male).
Millard Filmore, who succeeded President Taylor in 1850, helped found the Buffalo chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In addition to being president of the country, he also presided over this New York section of the ASPCA.
James Buchanan, the only president who was never married, had a herd of elephants given to him by the king of Siam and a pair of eagles.
A lesser-known president, Rutherford Hayes (1887-1881), also owned some interesting pets. He had pedigreed Jersey cows and the first Siamese kitten to come into this country.
Ulysses S. Grant, however, wins the prize for the most interesting pet names. (Although Jimmy Carter is a close second thanks to his Siamese, Misty Malarky Ying Yang, named by his daughter, Amy.)
President Grant was “father” to Jeff Davis, Cincinnatus, Egypt, St. Louis, Reb, Billy Button, and Butcher Boy—all horses. He also owned a parrot named Gamecocks and a Newfoundland named Faithful.
Andrew Johnson didn’t have any pets, but during his impeachment he supposedly left flour on the floor for the mice in his room. Another Johnson—Lyndon Johnson—had a beloved dog, Yuki. President Johnson’s daughter Luci found Yuki at a gas station in Texas, and he hardly left the president’s side after that. President Johnson also had two beagles; they were less creatively named Him and Her.
In an effort to share his love of animals, Lyndon Johnson gave little Caroline Kennedy the famous pony Macaroni. Caroline’s pony was allowed free rein on the White House grounds and received many fan letters when her father, John F. Kennedy, was in office. Nikita Khrushchev also gave Caroline a dog named Pushinka. It seems the bond between animal lovers breached cultural and political differences—even during the cold war.
Another president known by his initials, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was inseparable from his Scottish terrier, Fala. He was the “New Deal” president’s constant companion. “The dog went everywhere with the President, sitting between the leaders of the world,” according to the Presidential Pet Museum Web site, “including when Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter in 1941 aboard the U.S.S. Augusta in the mid-Atlantic.”
Although they may meet more foreign dignitaries than the average mutt, presidential pets got into trouble too, just like the pets of ordinary citizens. Benjamin Harrison, who was president at the end of the 19th century, had to chase his son’s goat down Pennsylvania Avenue one day when “Old Whiskers” decided to run off with his grandchildren.
Ronald and Nancy Reagan had another unruly pet, a King Charles spaniel named Rex. According to the Pet Hall Web site, “Rex often pulled too hard on his leash and would drag the Reagans away from reporters and photographers before anyone could ask the president any questions!”
——————————————————————————–
A Scottish terrier named Fala was the “New Deal” president’s constant companion.
——————————————————————————–
William and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s pets—Socks, a black and white cat, and Buddy, a chocolate Labrador—couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other. (Perhaps they took after their owners?) Buddy’s bad habit of chasing cars recently proved fatal when he ran out an open door after a departing worker at his new house in New York and was tragically killed by a car.
The pets in the Oval Office today are like their owner, President George W. Bush—slightly more, well, subdued. “Dubya” has two dogs: Spotty, a female English springer spaniel, and Barney, a male Scottish terrier.
Spotty, short for Spot Fetcher, is named after former Texas Ranger Scott Fletcher. Her mother, Millie, belonged to George Bush Sr. Spotty was born in the White House on March 17, 1989, and is the first-ever second-generation White House pet.
Her younger pal, Barney, is only 2 years old and could have been named after that big purple dinosaur. He likes to play tennis ball with Spotty, according to his White House Web site.
Unlike Buddy, Spotty and Barney tend to stay put when something dramatic happens. In mid January, the dogs were sitting with their owner as he watched a Baltimore Ravens football game. The president choked on a pretzel and passed out. Although no one else was in the room, he estimated that he had only been unconscious for a few seconds because Spot and Barney were sitting in the same place they were before he ate the pretzel.
According to the Washington Post, the President told reporters, “I hit the deck and woke up, and there was Barney and Spot showing a lot of concern. I didn’t realize what happened until I looked in the mirror.” He added, “Barney, the terrier, was looking at me funny.”
President Bush also has two cats, India and Ernie, as well as several longhorn cattle on his Texas ranch. (No cows have been at the White House since 1913, when Pauline Wayne, William Taft’s cow, left.)
Americans have always been known to have a soft spot for their pets—presidents included. Even Theodore Roosevelt was a big “teddy” bear when it came to pets. When one son was sick, he let another son bring their pony in the White House elevator to visit the sick child.
But American leaders aren’t the only ones who are nuts about their animals—according to Pet Hall, Napoleon’s wife Josephine let her pet orangutan sit at the dinner table with a coat on!
*Reprinted with permission from
VetCentric.com