“Puppy Drama” — One Woman Chronicles Wild Experience Trying to Buy a Puppy From a Classified Ad

The internet is the wicki wicki wild, wild west. What used to be the back-page classifieds in your local paper has evolved into Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist for all your private selling needs.

But one TikToker and mother of four, Ashley (@ashengland03), learned the hard way just how sketchy some of the folks who utilize these services can be when she tried to buy a puppy online.

Ashley posted a video with the graphic overlay “Puppy Drama” explaining the entire ordeal. The video racked up over 2.5 million views. “So, we need to do a little story time,” she says, clearly exhausted. “I am being sued (for) buying a dog on the classifieds.”

Ashley, who lives in Utah, wanted to surprise her kids with a long-haired Chihuahua, the same breed she had growing up. She found a breeder on KSL Classified pet section, a platform operated by a local news station, and paid a deposit for a puppy. The agreement was that the breeder would hold onto the dog until Christmas. But things quickly took a turn for the worse.

“I started asking for pictures, and she never sent them,” Ashley said. “Excuse after excuse after excuse.” Concerned about being scammed, Ashley decided to pick up the puppy early, scheduling a meet-up on Black Friday. What should have been a joyful day turned into a nightmare very quickly.

“She shows up and says, ‘Oh, my husband decided to keep your puppy, but I brought these other two instead.’” Despite the red flags, Ashley reluctantly chose one of the puppies on the spot. The breeder then handed her a handwritten contract requiring the dog be spayed or neutered by January. Ashley, though shaken, thought the matter was settled — until the seller started blowing up her phone later that day.

“She says, ‘You’ve been super rude. I’m not giving you the puppy anymore.’ And then she tells me she’s going to sue me,” Ashley says. When the cops were called to mediate, the breeder changed her story. “She told the cops my puppy got sick and she doesn’t have her anymore. But before, it was that her husband wanted to keep her. Which is it?”

Ashley ultimately did receive one of the other puppies offered by the seller, along with a partial refund.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the drama. She later discovered more troubling signs: “Every time I met her, she had different puppies with her. Five different puppies in three meetings. Even the cops said it looked like she was going to sell another dog in the parking lot.”

It appeared that the woman wasn't just pulling this con on Ashley, but other potential pooch lovers.

Ashley’s unsavory experience highlighted a common problem in the world of private dog sales: unethical breeders. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that there are 10,000 puppy mills in operation across the U.S. churning out millions of dogs every year.

Missouri consistently tops the list for the most puppy mills, followed by Iowa and Indiana. It's often difficult for authorities to locate and put a stop to these dog sales as they will often use online private sales services.

Even if they are shut down, there aren't really all that many obstacles to opening a brand-new account. Even with dual-factor phone number authentication, all they'll need to do is install Google Voice on their smartphone and generate a new number in a matter of seconds.

Several TikTokers offered up sound puppy-buying advice for folks dealing with breeders.

One wrote, “Reputable breeders let you visit their facilities and see the parents.”

However, another TikToker called Ashley's common sense into question, "Who buys a puppy at a parking lot, not seeing the parents, not checking the breeder's accommodations."

In spite of her dog-buying ordeal, Ashley had no regrets about bringing the other puppy home, stating, “She was put with us for a reason.”

It was a sentiment that another TikToker agreed with, as they thought that the dog would be in better hands with Ashley.

"Either way you saved that sweet thing from a terrible situation.” And the dog definitely needed some TLC.

And for those reading this who are considering purchasing a dog online, take Ashley's experience as a cautionary tale. Always research breeders, insist on visiting their facility, and ask for health records. And if something feels off, that's probably because it is.

Moreover, Ashley has continued to share updates about her puppy on TikTok, promising to request body cam footage from the incident and report the breeder to the Humane Society — all of which she apparently intends to make content about.

Additionally, she shared the puppy’s first vet visit here and another vet update here.

Recently, she also posted another follow-up video regarding the puppy's health. According to Ashley, the little cutie pie is doing just fine, leaving throngs of viewers who tuned into her drama feeling relieved.