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Park County woman warning others after being sold sick puppy on Craigslist

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Posted at 3:20 PM, May 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-03 09:57:11-04

DENVER -- A Park County woman says a man selling a dog online lied to her about its health. Now, she's having to fork up more than a thousand dollars to pay for its treatments.

Erin Nelson says she found a Great Pyrenees puppy on Craigslist. The seller said he needed to rehome her because he was moving to an apartment.

According to the ad, Luna, as she's now called, was up to date on all of her shots, and she was active and social.

"Obviously, she's adorable, so I contacted [the seller]," Nelson said.

They met up at a Carl's Jr. in Aurora last Sunday. Nelson paid the seller a total of $650. He told her he would send her Luna's shot records.

"The following day when I tried to contact him, he didn't respond to me," Nelson said.

Then, she noticed Luna wasn't acting right. She was lethargic and had an upset stomach. A veterinarian told Nelson that Luna had parvo, a potentially deadly illness, and needed to be treated immediately.

"I showed up at the cost-effective clinic holding a puppy, just sobbing, you know, and we're just praying that she comes home soon, happy and healthy," Nelson said.

Several days after the man sold Luna to Nelson, nearly identical ads appeared on Craigslist, each with the same story. The dog needs to be rehomed, and it has its shots. The same phone number as Luna's seller is linked to each ad.

"I'm concerned that he might be running a puppy mill or stealing these puppies," Nelson said.

Denver7 attempted to get in contact with the seller, but no one answered our phone call or text.

Now, left with a $1,200 vet bill, Nelson wants to warn others about the potential dangers of buying a puppy online.

"You can have this risk with a reputable breeder, with adopting it from Petco, and what's important is that these puppies have loving homes," she said. "Just be aware. Ask all the questions. And if it seems sketchy, maybe don't do it if you're not ready to take on what these bills could potentially be."