Family Recounts Difficult Experience with Online Puppy Purchase

A family has recounted a distressing experience concerning the online acquisition of a puppy. Karen, who purchased the puppy for her mother, informed the BBC that they paid £650 for a Yorkshire Terrier named Tiny. According to Karen, Tiny refused to eat and started experiencing seizures two and a half weeks after arriving at their home. The animal welfare charity USPCA highlighted the minimal to non-existent regulation on online social media platforms, emphasizing the critical importance of conducting prior research and purchasing from a reputable source. The Banbridge family acquired their new pet from the online marketplace Gumtree in November, despite having no prior experience using the platform for animal purchases. They contacted a seller who was advertising several Yorkshire Terrier puppies. During an interview with BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme, Karen stated that she had requested to see the mother dog and the puppies, but the seller was not “forthcoming.” She added, “He insisted that he would come to us, and call in with the pup.” Karen further explained, “Within a few hours the pup arrived.” At the point of sale, the puppy was nine weeks old and had not been microchipped. Karen asserts that the seller informed her the dog had been weaned from its mother, but the seller failed to recommend any specific food for the dog – a detail Karen now identifies as “another red flag.” Karen elaborated that Tiny started experiencing seizures. She stated, “We contacted the out-of-hours vets and they were fantastic, but a few days later she took another seizure.” She continued, “My sister then took the pup to the vet but it was diagnosed with a liver condition and would need a liver shunt.” Karen concluded, “But the vet didn’t believe Tiny would survive the operation and we had to put her to sleep.” Karen indicated that their motivation for sharing their experience was to raise public awareness and prevent other families from enduring a similar ordeal. In April 2022, Gumtree Ireland implemented a ban on the sale and advertising of dogs, aimed at combating illegal breeding practices. This prohibition does not extend to Gumtree UK. A spokesperson for Gumtree UK commented: “We have invested in a dedicated safety team, who constantly monitor the site to ensure that our rules for listings are upheld by prospective sellers. “We also work with industry leading partners, including the Pets Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG)… to ensure we comply with best practice industry standards that improve animal welfare in an ecommerce environment.” Nora Smith, chief executive officer of the USPCA, remarked: “It’s absolutely heartbreaking and unfortunately Karen’s story is just one of many that the USPCA regularly hear of” She added, “Christmas is the season for impulse purchases, and unfortunately many people do elect to buy pets but from our perspective it’s a cliche for a reason, pets don’t belong under the Christmas tree, they’re not toys.” The Department of Agriculture announced its efforts to prohibit the third-party sale of puppies and kittens within Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, Ms Smith stated that the USPCA recommends the public undertake several checks, including: Any concerns or worries about a puppy or kitten breeder should be reported to the local council or the USPCA. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Details regarding their approach to external linking are available.