Alarm bells ringing here, too.
Never, ever, hand over money before you have visited the breeder/rescue. While some breeders do indeed ask for a deposit, this should only be done once you have met the breeder, passed passed the breeder's homing criteria, once you have determined that the breeder passes your criteria for ethics, responsibility, health of pups, etc. Once you have seen the dam (and sire where possible) and thoroughly vetted the pup's living conditions and socialization program, once you have seen the health certificates - only then should you proceed.
Unless you have a binding contract in writing, do not exchange money.
Same goes for any rescue organization.
Money upfront says BYB or naive breeder at best, scam or battery farmer at worst. Walk away. If the breeder is proposing to ship the dog to you then
run away. That is the first sign of a battery farmer.
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That said, I have adopted from a shelter in Italy. The paperwork is easy, you just need to follow the BVet requirements:
http://bvet.bytix.com/plus/dbr/default.aspx?lang=de
Now - I took a vacation to visit my guy and spent a long time with him - got to know my dog's personality and needs, got to know the shelter staff - and they me - before finalizing the adoption. And this for a broken old collie that no one wanted .
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Do understand that some of the worst of the dog world hide behind the snazziest websites -
caveat emptor.
Please read the thread Summerrain has linked. Then re-read it, and read it again.
What breed are you looking for? Perhaps someone can point you to an reputable breeder here - or you may even find the companion of your dreams in rescue.
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ETA: Coming from Italy, make sure you understand the risks of Leishmaniose...