AG Nessel teaming up with Michigan Humane Society to stop puppy scams

That adorable face that puppies wear might be getting potential adopters into trouble.

Following two more complaints about puppy scams this year, Michigan's Attorney General is making an effort to prevent others from falling into a similar trap.

"They're deceptive, they're bad for people, they're bad for animals. What can we do to help out?" asked Joe Potchen of the Consumer Protection Bureau Chief.

What "they" are is individuals that profit on puppy mills and puppy scams. The state has received nearly 20 complaints since 2017 regarding inappropriate sales of sick and dying animals.

"The saddest stories to me are people who purchase these puppies and think they're getting a healthy animal and then the animal ends up being incredibly sicklyy," said Attorney General Dana Nessel. "Again, it's not just the cost of veterinary bills, it's the hearbreak of purchasing an animal that's not long for this world."

One consumer protection analyst describes examples where a buyer pays for a puppy and never receives the animal.

"When you see how ill they are, how sick they are, how devastated the families are, it's really heartbreaking," said Molly Tamulveich of the Humane Society of the United States.

This is the first time the state is focusing on puppy scams.