An internet-famous dog trainer and breeder with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media is nothing more than a thieving mutt, a client told The Post.
Augusto Deoliveira, who bills himself as “The Dog Daddy,” allegedly took a $1,000 deposit on a German Shepherd from Staten Islander Michael To – but never ponied up the pooch.
Deoliveira, who was previously based in Massachusetts and South Carolina, claims to have garnered 2 billion TikTok views. A video of him walking a pack of German Shepherds off-leash went viral several years ago and he gained fame as a kind of dog whisperer who could calm agitated pups.
“If you’re a pet owner, you tend to gravitate towards those types of content. Maybe that was our biggest mistake,” To told The Post.
To and his wife, Elaine, reached out to Deoliveira in February to buy a second German Shepherd as a companion for the family’s 6-month-old puppy.
Michael To alleges he paid internet-famous dog breeder Augusto Deoliveira $1,000 for a German Shepherd but Deoliveira never gave him the dog. James Keivom for NY PostDeoliveira responded that he had a 5-year-old dog named Skylar that he was willing to “let go” for $3,000, according to a text exchange viewed by The Post.
He said he had a driver who could bring Skylar to Staten Island as long as he received another $500 deposit on top of the $500 they had already shelled out.
The family paid and bought supplies for Skylar. To said his two daughters eagerly awaited the new member of the family.
Augusto Deoliveira calls himself “The Dog Daddy” and claims to have had 2 billion views on TikTok. thedogdaddy/InstagramBut on the appointed day, the driver and dog never showed up. And the dog didn’t arrive at two more promised drop-off times.
The refund Deoliveira said he would send did not materialize, To said.
He said he began to look into the dog trainer’s background and found numerous complaints online, including in a Facebook group called The Truth About Ultimate German Shepherds which includes allegations that the “dog daddy” mistreated dogs or failed to provide training that was paid for.
Michael To was looking for a second German Shepherd. James Keivom for NY Post
Michael To says he discovered an old photo of the dog Skyler on social media that showed that Augusto Deoliveira was lying about its age.
Dog owners in Massachusetts complained several years ago that he was selling them sick dogs, according to a 2015 report.
To said that he even found a photo posted of Skylar — the same one the breeder had sent him — to Deoliveira’s Facebook page in 2017 when he then claimed the dog was several years old casting doubt on the claim that she was now 5.
To said he didn’t think he would get his money back, but wanted to bring the situation to light.
“It’s just a whole combination of deception, forgery, the potential abuse of animals. There’s no way to justify it,” he said.
Augusto Deoliveira has previously been accused of fraud and mistreatment of animals. thedogdaddy/Instagram
Michael To says the dog was never brought to his home and that the refund Augusto Deoliveira promised him never came.
Deoliveira told The Post that a partner who had Skylar and who was dealing with a family medical emergency was to blame.
Asked why he didn’t issue a refund, he said it was “in process.” He said no allegations of abuse or neglect had ever been substantiated against him and that “people go out there and say whatever they want to say for attention.”
“My customers and clients are very happy. People hire me and pay top dollar because they know they get good results,” he said.
