'The conditions were shocking': Puppy nearly dies after Portsmouth owner tricked by rogue traders

Sara Bell found her beautiful ‘cocker spaniel’ puppy, Poppy, online - but she had to act fast when her dog became extremely unwell after taking her home.

The 40-year-old now believes that Poppy the puppy may have originated from a puppy farm - and she nearly died the day after Sara took her home. Despite being advertised as a cocker spaniel, it is thought that Poppy is actually a springer/cocker spaniel crossbreed. When collecting Poppy, after speaking to a male ‘breeder’ initially, Sara was met by two women and alarm bells began to ring.

Sara said: “The conditions were shocking. The area was filthy - Poppy was covered in dirt and housed in a plastic kennel within a larger metal one. I don’t believe I even met her actual mum; she was a very young dog in with the puppies, but she was pulling away from them and didn’t seem to care for them at all.

“The ‘breeders’ seemed completely uninterested in the situation, offering no conversation or information beyond handing me the puppy. I wasn’t given any puppy pack or even told what food she was having at the time. It was heartbreaking; you see these poor animals in such a terrible environment, and you just can’t leave them there. 

“Things got worse the day after I brought Poppy home. Her stomach was severely swollen, and she had heavy diarrhoea. I rushed her to the vet, and she was placed on an IV drip for a day.”

The vet informed Sara that Poppy was, in fact, only five weeks old and she hadn’t had any of her vaccinations.  The Kennel Club has created a ‘Be Puppywise’ campaign to raise awareness. As part of the campaign, the company found more than one in four (26 per cent) of puppy buyers in the South East admit their pet may have unintentionally been purchased from a puppy farm.

Charlotte McNamara, Head of Health at The Kennel Club, said: “With the world of puppy breeding and buying getting more and more difficult to navigate, it’s crucial that would-be owners know exactly what to look for when buying a puppy, to avoid being duped.  

“Scammers and puppy farmers are clever and will do what they can to disguise their cruel trade so it’s important to be extremely vigilant. Puppy buyers should make sure they’re asking the right questions, see the puppy, with their mum and in their home environment, and step back if things don't feel right.” 

For more information about The Kennel Club and the Be Puppywise campaign, click here.