Is it risky to buy a puppy online (e.g. on Kleinanzeigen), and how can I spot a fake ad?
Yes, it's risky. Some puppies in ads were brought in illegally, are sick or were taken from their mother too early. A puppy must be at least 8 weeks old, and at least 15 weeks old if it came from abroad. Don't buy if you can't see the mother or you're asked to pay in advance.
Online ads are the biggest shop window for the illegal puppy trade. These puppies are often bred in poor conditions, unvaccinated and sick, and buyers end up with high vet bills.
Age rules: In Germany, puppies can be separated from their mother at 8 weeks old at the earliest. Puppies brought from another country must be at least 15 weeks old, because the rabies vaccination can only be given from 12 weeks and becomes valid 21 days later. A puppy said to come from abroad that is younger than 15 weeks was brought in illegally.
Warning signs:
- The price is surprisingly low for a pedigree dog.
- You can't see the mother or where the puppy was raised; the meeting is somewhere like a car park or petrol station.
- You're asked for advance payment or a shipping fee before seeing the puppy.
- The seller has puppies of many different breeds or keeps posting new ads.
- There's no EU pet passport, the chip number doesn't match the passport, or the vaccination dates don't fit the puppy's age. Documents can also be forged.
In Berlin: Under the Berlin Dog Act, the person handing over a dog must issue a certificate of acquisition (Erwerbsbescheinigung). Ask for it and keep it.
If you've been scammed: Report it to the police and your district's veterinary office (Veterinäramt). A puppy brought in illegally may be put in quarantine.
Safer options: Adopting from a shelter, buying from a breeder who belongs to a German breed club, or choosing a breeder where you can visit the place the puppy was born.
Where you can get help
- Tierheim Berlin
Berlin's largest animal shelter: cats, dogs and small animals looking for a home, and how adoption works.
- Bezirksamt Treptow-Köpenick: Reisen mit Heimtieren
Documents needed for pets travelling within the EU and returning to Germany from outside the EU; official information from a Berlin district veterinary office.
This information is based on community experience and is not legal advice. Rules can change; check important things with the responsible office.