BOGOF puppy finds new home after being dumped by unscrupulous seller

A puppy needed our help to find a loving new home after falling victim to an unexpected buy one get one free offer.

When Max’s owner planned to buy a puppy, she didn’t expect the seller to drive off leaving her with two young dogs.

Max’s owner had contacted the seller about buying a puppy. The unscrupulous seller convinced the unsuspecting puppy purchaser that the best thing would be for him to bring two puppies round to her home so she could choose which one she wanted to be part of her family.

Thinking the seller was being helpful, the buyer invited him round. One puppy, Max, was a jack russell terrier. The other puppy, which she decided she wanted to keep, was a collie cross. The two puppies were clearly from different litters.

Buy one pup, get another free

When Max’s owner told the seller the collie was the dog for her and handed over £300 for the one puppy, the seller said he would just pop to the van and get the pedigree certificate. But instead of returning to the house, he got in his van and drove off, leaving Max and the collie cross puppy behind.

Max’s accidental owner was unable to cope with two puppies – especially as she had only planned for one – and asked our Burford rehoming centre in Oxfordshire to find him a new home.

Lydia Sawyer, Animal Welfare Supervisor at Burford rehoming centre, said: “Stories like Max’s are all too common. Of course we would always recommend getting a puppy from a rehoming charity like Blue Cross, but if you are buying one from a breeder it is really important to visit a puppy with their mum at their breeder’s home so you can check they have been brought up in the right environment.

“If a seller offers to drop a puppy off at your home, in the street or at a service station, think of this a warning sign and walk away from the sale.”

Sold a pup

All pets that rely on Blue Cross to help them find new homes have a health MOT from a vet and behavioural assessment before they are adopted. Our vet found that Max was just six weeks old; too young to leave his mum. He was also suffering from a bout of worms, meaning that he had not been given the worming treatment that puppies need, and the poor young thing had diarrhoea as well.

“Max was quite docile when he first arrived at Blue Cross,” said Lydia. “This is probably because he wasn’t feeling too good with his upset stomach, and being passed from pillar to post may have unsettled him.”

We wormed Max and gave him the vaccinations he needed to stay healthy. Max wasn’t microchipped either, which became a legal requirement for all dogs over eight weeks of age earlier this year. As of April 2016, all puppies must be microchipped before they leave their breeder to go to their new homes, unless exempt for veterinary reasons. And, as Max is not a pedigree pup, he didn't have had the paperwork the seller said that he did.

While we searched for a new home for Max, we cared for him in foster. During his stay in the comforts of a home environment, he was introduced to other dogs, people, sights, sounds and smells in a controlled way.

Narrow escape

Although Max could have had a better start to life, because of his young age we were able to introduce him to family life at a critical time in his socialisation period. It’s very likely he wouldn’t have been exposed to these experiences had he stayed with the seller.

Fortunately for Max, Blue Cross was there to pick up the pieces and get him back on the road to becoming a much-loved family pet.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for the gorgeous puppy to find a home. Once he was well enough and old enough, we found him a fantastic home with a loving family who will make sure he has everything he needs.