Beware of online pet sale scams

December 25 will be here before you know it, but you may want to think twice before buying that Christmas pet online.

Fox 6 was contacted by a viewer who says his daughter wanted a Yorkshire Terrier from a website. The viewer did a little research and decided it would not be a good idea to send money. When he contacted the company directly, he realized that crooks were using the name of a legit business to conduct a scam.

Today, the International Fund for Animal Welfare released its study into 10,000 ads from six websites. The group found that "62 percent of the ads are likely puppy mills."

Currently, the Federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulates commercial breeders selling to pet stores. They must be licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), but not breeders that sell directly to the public or over the internet.

This allows many puppy mills to operate without a license and without fear of an inspection.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center reports that hundreds of complaints are filed every year from victims who were scammed when buying a dog online.

The ASPCA suggests that you:

-visit the property

-check references

-beware of no return policies

Most places will take the animal back regardless of the reason.

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