Family warns of the dangers of buying puppies online

The family from Banbridge sourced their new pet from the online marketplace Gumtree, despite not having used it before to purchase an animal.

They got in touch with a seller from who was advertising a number of Yorkshire Terrier pups.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme, Karen said she had asked to see the mother and pups, but the seller was not “forthcoming”.

“He insisted that he would come to us, and call in with the pup,” she said.

“Within a few hours the pup arrived.”

At the time of the purchase, the puppy was nine weeks old and had not be chipped.

Karen claims the seller told her the dog had been weaned off the mother but the seller did not recommend which food the dog should be given – which Karen said in hindsight was “another red flag”.

She explained that Tiny began having seizures.

“We contacted the out-of-hours vets and they were fantastic, but a few days later she took another seizure,” she said,

“My sister then took the pup to the vet but it was diagnosed with a liver condition and would need a liver shunt.

“But the vet didn’t believe Tiny would survive the operation and we had to put her to sleep.”

Karen said they were telling their story to raise awareness and to prevent another family going through the same ordeal.