BOSTON -- Shopping online is now more popular than ever. Some people are even buying pets online. But Team 5 Investigates found that could be a big mistake that ends up costing consumers big money.

NewsCenter 5's Sean Kelly reported on Sunday that very little is being done by state or federal government to protect consumers who buy pets online.

Finding man's best friend is just a point and click away. It's also that easy to get scammed. "It ended up costing me my whole life savings," said Elise Higgins-Stel of Quincy.

Higgins-Stel found her new puppy, Brady, on Craigslist because she wanted to rescue a dog rather than get one from a breeder. But after one week, Higgins-Stel had to shell out more than $6,000 to keep the dog alive. "Her body was just collapsing," said Higgins-Stel.

Turns out, Brady had parvo and had to be put to sleep. "It was heartbreaking," said Higgins-Stel.

Dan Cuneo knows the feeling. "It was very, very hard to lose two dogs in the course of a week," said Cuneo. His family bought two German Shepard mixes after seeing the same ad on Craigslist. "They told us as far as they knew, the dogs were very healthy."

They were not. Sebastian got sick first. "He was vomiting, he had diarrhea," said Cuneo. Then Elvis started with the same symptoms. "As soon as I found out they had parvo, I cried. And I still cry," said Rachel MacNeil, Cuneo's sister-in-law.

Team 5 Investigates tried to track down the sellers of all three dogs at their home in Amesbury, Mass., but the family left the state after they were shut down.

"The real problem we're facing is not so much licensed operations, it's the unlicensed operations and there we're finding sick dogs in enormous proportions," said Doug Petersen, commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture.

Petersen told Team 5 Investigates he's very concerned with the online sales of dogs. "I'm especially concerned because we don't have any statute, either federal or state, that delves into the individual transaction between a private individual and a private individual selling an animal," said Petersen. But his concern hasn't led to any change. "My guess is, and again, I don't know this for sure, but my guess is it would have to be a federal law."

Lynn Rivard said she wishes she had done more research before ordering a beagle mix for her 13- year old daughter from Puppies on Wheels.

Rivard paid $200 for a dog she picked up at a truck delivery near McDonald's in Oxford. "When they opened up the van door, there were many, many puppies. Cages stacked upon cages and it didn't seem like a breeder selling one litter," said Rivard.

Puppies on Wheels is operated by Kathy Bauck, a Minnesota breeder who handles roughly 800 dogs. Team 5 Investigates first reported on Bauck last year. Now she's facing animal cruelty charges based on undercover video taken by an investigator for the Companion Animal Protection Society. The video shows Bauck dunking dogs in a diluted but toxic insecticide.

"It's just horrific and the dogs, you can tell, many of them are terrified," said Deborah Howard, president of CAPS.

The CAPS investigator did see a veterinarian examining the puppies before they were shipped, as is required by law. And the Rivards' puppy did come with a certificate stating it had no signs of infectious, contagious or communicable diseases. But Rivard said, "He was very sleepy, dehydrated, just seemed not healthy, and I feared that it wasn't going to get through the night."

Rivard's dog had kennel cough and she was shocked to see the conditions from which her dog came. Now the U.S. Department of Agriculture is reviewing the CAPS video and could revoke Bauck's breeding license. However, Team 5 Investigates has learned that won't necessarily change much. "It'll stop her from selling to pet shops but it won't stop her from selling online and her business will continue to grow because a lot of people unfortunately are choosing to buy on line rather than pet shops," said Howard.

It's a choice some online shoppers say they now regret. "In hindsight, now you feel guilty for lining their pockets with money. I just hate to think I contributed to that," said Rivard. "I think it's important that there be some laws set up so that this doesn't happen to another family," said Cuneo. And Elise Higgins-Stel said "It's absolutely unacceptable."

Right now there are no plans in place either at the state or federal level to address the current lack of protection for consumers buying pets on line. As for Kathy Bauck, her trial is scheduled to begin March 17. She has pleaded not guilty to the cruelty charges. Her attorney told Team 5 Investigates that if puppies are sick, she does not ship them. The attorney also claims the CAPS investigator fabricated evidence to bring down his client.