A London designer who was conned out of £500 by a fake golden retriever breeder has channelled her heartbreak into creating a tech solution to protect other prospective pet owners. Kate Margolis, 39, has co-developed an app called Petproov to verify breeders and shelters, aiming to stem a rising tide of pet purchase fraud across the UK.
A Devastating Scam That Slammed Shut
In late 2019, Kate and her partner, planning a move from north London to the Cotswolds, decided a golden retriever would be their ideal family dog. Despite her professional background in design, tech, and even fraud prevention within conveyancing, Kate was meticulously scammed. She found a polished website from a 'breeder' in Mid West England, complete with testimonials and credentials.
"Within an hour of filling in a form, he called me," Kate recalls. The seller was direct, outlining criteria and requesting a £500 deposit to secure a puppy, which Kate paid. All seemed legitimate until the day before collection in early 2020. An email arrived claiming the puppy had tragically died after eating plastic and offering a female replacement.
"That was absolutely devastating. We’d bought the crate, the toys, booked the vet," Kate says. Upon refusing the swap and asking for her money back, the digital trail vanished. "The website wouldn't load. The phone number went dead. It was like watching a door slam shut in real time," she describes, marking the moment she realised she had been defrauded.
The Shocking Scale of UK Pet Fraud
Kate's painful experience is a single case in a widespread problem. Data obtained via a Freedom of Information request reveals Action Fraud recorded 14,300 pet scam reports between 2019 and 2024. The Metropolitan Police area alone saw 1,684 cases, with total losses hitting £1.19 million. London, Manchester, and the West Midlands were among the hardest-hit regions.
Separate research by The Kennel Club highlights severe animal welfare concerns, finding that one in four puppies bought via social media falls sick or dies before its first birthday. This dual crisis of fraud and poor welfare motivated Kate to act.
Building Petproov: Verification as a Shield
After eventually finding a reputable breeder and welcoming her golden retriever, Milo, Kate teamed up with colleague Garry Clarke. Leveraging their expertise in verification technology, they launched Petproov in the summer of 2024.
The app works by allowing potential buyers to submit a breeder's details. Petproov then contacts the seller, requesting ID verification and other key information to build a trusted profile. Breeders who do not comply are flagged as high-risk. "We give users the guidance and confidence to make a decision," Kate explains. The service costs £4.99 per pet listing check.
The startup has raised £120,000 from private investors and operates with Kate and Garry working around their full-time jobs. They have also enlisted Love Island star and animal advocate Faye Winter as an ambassador to raise awareness.
A Parliamentary Step Forward
Petproov's mission is expanding. Kate and Garry are now collaborating with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) on an Innate Health Assessment (IHA) Tool. This 10-point checklist will help breeders assess if a dog is healthy enough for breeding, aiming to raise welfare standards.
"We want to stop fraud in this space, raise the standards of animal welfare, and put animals into the hands of buyers who really understand the responsibility," Kate states. Her goal is to grow Petproov to the point where it can become her full-time vocation, turning a personal loss into a powerful force for good in the UK pet industry.
