In theory, shoppers don’t need to leave the house to do their weekly grocery shop, fill their wardrobe or buy gifts for others.

But many, it seems, are taking things one step further and even going online to buy new pets.

To many people, the thought of purchasing a puppy from an online ‘buy and sell’ site, without ever having seen the animal seems ludicrous.

Most potential pet owners would want to assess the conditions it’s being kept in and check that it actually exists before handing over a credit card or cheque.

But unfortunately, more and more often, experts are seeing cases of buyers being caught out.

Many animal lovers are parting with money for a puppy which they are told is being shipped over from abroad.

In reality, the dog does not exist and people are losing their hard-earned cash with little chance of getting it back.

The advice from the experts is simple. A registered, licensed breeder is the only sensible place from which to buy a dog.

Like anything else, if the offer looks too good to be true, it probably is.

It’s easy to fall in love with a picture of an adorable, wide-eyed puppy but proper research is vital.