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Couple Scams Parkland Pet Store With Phony Credit Card

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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A young couple put on a real 'dog and pony show' at a boutique pet shop in Parkland before taking the store for more than a thousand dollars.

Security cameras at Puppy Plus, at 7071 N State Road 7, recorded the couple as they pretended to pick out just the right pup for their infant child on January 11th.

Store manager Tara Schumacher said she suggested a cute nine and a half week old beagle for the family.

"The beagle is a great family breed, very good for kids, very sturdy, very smart. Going to last for 15 to 18 years, grow up with the baby," said Schumacher.

The woman, who appeared to be in her 30s, carried the baby around on her hip. Once in a while, she would hand the child over to her companion who had dark curly hair and a beard.

pet-store-fraud
A young couple put on a real 'dog and pony show' at a boutique pet shop in Parkland before taking the store for more than a thousand dollars. (Source: Broward Sheriff's Office)

After walking around the store for half an hour, picking out a beagle puppy and various supplies, the couple checked out.

"We went to run the card and it got declined which is not unusual because we do a lot of higher transactions," said Schumacher.

The manager says the couple then called the bank, got a code from the bank and the transaction went through.

"Then we found out. We got a call from our bank that it was not a good purchase. This is where we got the cops involved," said Schumacher.

They racked up a bill of $1,500, which the Broward Sheriff's Office said they paid for with a fraudulent credit card.

"They basically found somebody's wallet and created that identity as their own, so they're using that person's identity to make other purchases," said Schumacher.

Investigators believe the couple ended up selling the dog to a third-party for cash.

Anyone with any information about the man or woman is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at (954) 493-TIPS (8477).

"We really want to find these people and make sure they don't do it to any other stores and we're not getting the money or the puppy back. It's not about that for us.  It's about stopping these people and not letting them do this again," said Schumacher.

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