The influencer, who has nearly 39,000 followers, was devastated after spending £3,000 on the puppy who arrived malnourished in the back of a van.
The sellers had delivered the dog – who Sarah had named Sushi – in the middle of the night and according to the papers they gave, Sushi had travelled more than 30 hours.When she arrived, Sushi was malnourished and covered in her own faeces.
Sarah questioned whether Sushi had been given food or water during the time or taken to the vets at all. The nail technician shared a series of exchanges between the seller and herself on Instagram where she also urged followers to do their research before buying puppies online. She also raised awareness of Lucy’s Law which means that anyone wanting to get a new puppy or kitten in England must now buy direct from a breeder, or consider adopting from a rescue centre instead.
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Sarah said she had found the puppy seller on Instagram through word of mouth.
She admitted that she was uneducated about the dangers of buying online.
When she first got Sushi, who was delivered in a van with other cages, Sarah and her boyfriend tried to feed her.
But the underweight dog wouldn’t eat or drink, prompting Sarah to take her to the vets.
Sushi spent the next two days at the clinic on a drip before she recovered enough to go home.
Once the Pomeranian got home, Sarah was advised to feed her every four hours.
Despite the regular feeds and caring for Sushi, the tiny pup sadly died a few days later.
Sarah shared the whole ordeal on her Instagram.
She wrote: ‘Our poor baby arrived with tear stains, matted fur, covered in faeces, vomiting, and diarrhoea,’ she wrote. ‘Our puppy was provided with food and water on arrival. She drank small amounts of water but was refusing to eat.’
‘She wouldn’t walk for more than ten seconds and it was a very slow walk and she just wanted to be curled up in a ball again.’
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‘I’m sorry to say that we were sadly uneducated on what to do when buying a new puppy and knowing what I know now, I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else or any other dog,’ Sarah said.
‘We were recommended this seller from a friend and everything seemed fine until the day Sushi was delivered to us.
‘The suffering she must have endured is horrendous, not to mention the conditions her parents must still be kept in. I’m heartbroken and will not rest until we have justice for her.’
Sarah warned her followers about the dangers of buying from dodgy sellers.
She added: ‘Lucy’s Law means that you should always physically see the puppy interacting with its mother in their place of birth.‘When puppies are legally imported, this obviously can’t ever happen, so these sellers (usually advertising on Instagram) are profiting huge amounts from the sale and suffering of these puppies every day.
‘Sushi’s seller made us feel like we were fully responsible for her death when it was a miracle she even made it to us alive.’Be Diligent about Vet Visits. “Don’t wait for the signs,” Dr. Becker stresses. Focus on “prevention first.” Pets age fast, and when it comes to illness they are programmed to mask weakness, “they’re naturally secretive.” One to two visits a year is ideal, but if you suspect a problem, don’t hesitate, and don’t self-diagnose. “In the last two years I’ve seen four or five cases where people went to the internet for help, and by the time they get to the vet it’s too late,” says Dr. Becker.
The nail artist also shared conversations with the seller who appeared to mock Sarah for asking questions about the treatment of the pup.
Sarah broke down on her Insta where she said: ‘I can’t help but feel guilt and people who love dogs are probably watching this like “Are you for real, how could you be so stupid, why would you buy a puppy without doing your research?”. I feel so stupid.’
Lucy’s Law came into effect in April this year and means that licensed dog breeders are required to show puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth.
If a business sells puppies or kittens without a licence, they could receive an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months.
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