Bank-held escrow on every purchase

How pawbestie works

Puppy scams work because buyers pay strangers up front and hope for the best. pawbestie flips that: nobody gets paid until your puppy is safely in your arms.

For buyers

Five steps from browsing to bringing your puppy home — and your money is protected at every one of them.

  1. 01

    Find a litter you love

    Browse puppies from breeders we have inspected in person. Every listing shows the kennel, health records and a signed health guarantee.

  2. 02

    Reserve your puppy

    Reserving takes the puppy off the market immediately, so nobody else can buy it while you complete the next step.

  3. 03

    Pay into escrow

    Your money moves into an account held by our banking partner. The breeder can see it is secured, but cannot touch a cent of it yet.

  4. 04

    Welcome your puppy home

    You and the breeder agree on a pickup or delivery date. The breeder marks the handover once your puppy is home with you.

  5. 05

    Confirm and release

    Once your puppy has arrived healthy and as described, you release the payment. The breeder is paid, and the sale is closed.

The heart of it: your payment sits in a bank-held escrow account the entire time. The breeder cannot touch it until you say your puppy is home and healthy.

For breeders

Responsible breeders lose out to puppy scammers too. pawbestie gives your buyers the confidence to pay — and guarantees you get paid for every healthy puppy you place.

01

Apply and get vetted

Tell us about your kennel. We visit in person, check registration papers, health-testing records for both parents and vet references.

02

List your litter

Once approved, publish your puppies with photos, prices and health details. Listings reach buyers looking for responsibly bred puppies.

03

Reserve with confidence

When a buyer reserves, the puppy is held and you can see their money is secured in escrow before you say goodbye to any puppy.

04

Hand over and get paid

After the buyer confirms their puppy arrived healthy, escrow releases your payment. No chasing invoices, no bounced payments.

Your money, protected at every step

Here is exactly what happens to your money — and what you can do if something goes wrong.

The breeder never touches your money early

Funds sit with our banking partner from the moment you pay. The breeder is paid only after you confirm your puppy is home and healthy.

You can still back out before receipt

If something goes wrong before your puppy is in your arms — the litter falls through, the puppy is not as described — the order can be cancelled and your money returned.

Disagreements go to mediation

If you and the breeder disagree after handover, the bank holds the funds while our team reviews the evidence and works toward a fair outcome.

Every breeder is re-checked yearly

Vetting is not a one-time badge. We re-inspect kennels and review buyer experiences each year a breeder stays on pawbestie.

Questions buyers ask us

When exactly does the breeder get paid?

Only after you confirm receipt of your puppy. Until you confirm — or an admin releases the funds after a review — your money stays locked in the escrow account.

What if the puppy never arrives?

Your payment never leaves escrow until receipt is confirmed. If the handover never happens, the order is cancelled and your money is returned in full.

What if the puppy is not as described?

Do not confirm receipt. Raise it with us while the funds are still held, and our team will review the health records and the listing to mediate a fair result.

Can I change my mind after reserving?

Yes, before you confirm receipt you can cancel your order and the puppy goes back on the market. The exact window depends on how far the sale has progressed.

How much does escrow cost me?

Nothing extra. The escrow protection is built into the price you see on every listing.

Ready to meet your best friend?

Browse litters from breeders we inspect in person — with your payment locked in escrow until homecoming.