A puppy deposit receipt is a record of sale that outlines the transaction between the owner of a dog and a potential buyer. Owners can be private individuals, breeders, or licensed pet stores. The receipt also serves as a temporary agreement between the owner and buyer, confirming that the owner will not sell the dog or the buyer’s waitlist position to another buyer for a specified period.
Any puppy deposit receipt should include the following information:
- Identifying information about the puppy, including color, size, weight, and breed;
- Date of birth;
- Registration # (if applicable);
- Deposit amount paid;
- Date and time the buyer paid the deposit;
- How the buyer paid the deposit;
- Signatures for the owner and buyer;
- The remainder of the purchase price that the buyer still owes; and
- Whether or not the deposit is refundable.
Table of Contents
- Are Deposits for Puppies Normal?
- Are Puppy Deposits Refundable?
- Normal Puppy Deposit Amounts
- Table: Minimum Age to Sell a Puppy (By State)
Are Deposits for Puppies Normal?
Deposits for puppies are standard. Owners use them to hold a puppy already born or hold a spot on a waitlist for a litter yet to be born. Deposits provide necessary safeguards for the owner of the puppy.
Suppose a buyer backs out of a transaction at the last minute or returns a puppy shortly after adopting it. In that case, the original owner incurs the expenses and responsibilities of raising the puppy past the eight-week stage and starting over to find it a new home. When the original owner has already spent eight weeks socializing, training, feeding, potty training, and paying for vet bills, deposits can sometimes be the only funds to pay for a returned or abandoned puppy.
Back-outs and returns are also detrimental to the puppy. The 8-10 week period is the prime time for puppies to begin training and assimilating into a new home. When they are abandoned or returned, and all of their littermates are gone, they can fall behind in critical developmental stages.
Are Puppy Deposits Refundable?
Puppy deposits are usually non-refundable. Owners, and breeders, in particular, will use non-refundable deposits as a screening tool to weed out any buyers who aren’t serious about permanently taking home a puppy. This way, owners can avoid the situations outlined in the previous section.
Before paying a deposit for a puppy, potential buyers need to discuss the specifics of how their deposit will work with the owner. Will it be applied to the final purchase price of the puppy? If a litter doesn’t have enough healthy puppies for the waitlist, will the deposit be applied to a puppy from the next litter?
Potential buyers should also reflect on the following questions before deciding whether or not they are actually ready to bring home a puppy:
- Is everyone in the household ready and excited for the new responsibilities?
- Does the household have the time and patience to raise and care for a puppy?
- Is the household capable of financially supporting the puppy? Responsibilities include but are not limited to food, supplies, training, caretaking, medical bills, and vaccines.
- Is the household ready for the overall lifestyle changes that come with adopting a puppy?
- Will any of the household’s circumstances change in the future that could affect the ability to keep the puppy?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no” (or “yes” for the final question), the buyer may want to reconsider whether or not their household is ready to take on the responsibility of a new puppy.
Normal Puppy Deposit Amounts
On average, breeders and pet stores will charge a deposit of around 20-25% of the total purchase price. Some breeders apply the deposit to the final purchase price, but others don’t. Final payment can be taken a week or two before pick-up, or on the day the buyer takes the puppy home.
Table: Minimum Age to Sell a Puppy (By State)
| State | Age | Statute |
| Alabama | N/A | No Statute |
| Alaska | N/A | No Statute |
| Arizona | 8 weeks | 44-1799.04(B) |
| Arkansas | N/A | No Statute |
| California | 8 weeks | Cal. Health & Saf. Code § 122155(b) |
| Colorado | 8 weeks | § 35-80-108(k) |
| Connecticut | 8 weeks | § 22-354 |
| Delaware | N/A | No Statute |
| Florida | 8 weeks | § 828.29(4) |
| Georgia | 8 weeks | Rule 40-13-13-.04(2) |
| Hawaii | N/A | No statute |
| Idaho | N/A | No statute |
| Illinois | 8 weeks | 225 ILCS 605/2.2 |
| Indiana | 8 weeks | § 15-17-18-10 |
| Iowa | N/A | No statute |
| Kansas | 8 weeks | § 9-18-20 |
| Kentucky | N/A | No statute |
| Louisiana | 8 weeks | § 3:2511(C) |
| Maine | 7 weeks | ME ADC 01-001 Ch. 701, § I – VII(P) |
| Maryland | 8 weeks | § 10-613(b)(1) |
| Massachusetts | 8 weeks | §39G(d) |
| Michigan | 8 weeks | § 287.335a(1) |
| Minnesota | 8 weeks | § 347.59(5) |
| Mississippi | N/A | No statute |
| Missouri | 8 weeks | 2 CSR 30-9.020(B)(3) |
| Montana | N/A | No statute |
| Nebraska | 8 weeks | § 28-1018(1) |
| Nevada | 8 weeks | NRS 574.500 |
| New Hampshire | 8 weeks | § 437:8(III) |
| New Jersey | N/A | No statute |
| New Mexico | N/A | No statute |
| New York | 8 weeks | N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law § 402(1) |
| North Carolina | N/A | No statute |
| North Dakota | N/A | No statute |
| Ohio | 8 weeks | § 955.50(A) |
| Oklahoma | N/A | No statute |
| Oregon | N/A | No statute |
| Pennsylvania | 8 weeks | 3 Pa. Stat § 459-603(b) |
| Rhode Island | N/A | No statute |
| South Carolina | 8 weeks | § 47-1-200(B) |
| South Dakota | N/A | No statute |
| Tennessee | N/A | No statute |
| Texas | 8 weeks | § 91.113 |
| Utah | 8 weeks | R58-1-13(3) |
| Vermont | N/A | No statute |
| Virginia | 7 weeks | § 3.2-6510(A) |
| Washington | N/A | No statute |
| Washington, D.C. | 6 weeks | § 8-1808(f)(1) |
| West Virginia | N/A | No statute |
| Wisconsin | 7 weeks | §173.41(9) |
| Wyoming | N/A | No statute |