Couple tell of their heartbreak after 12-week-old Labrador puppy dies from deadly dog disease parvovirus just TWO DAYS after they brought him home
- Richard Ackers and Alicia Sherman, from Wigan, bought a puppy for Christmas
- The Labrador puppy fell ill 12 hours after arriving home and died from parvovirus
- The couple claim that they may have unwittingly bought a puppy farm dog
- Vet said dog’s microchip was registered to Dublin, not St Helens as they thought
A couple have revealed their heartbreak after their Labrador puppy died just two days after they brought him home.
The puppy, named Reggie, became ill within 12 hours of having arrived home and later died of parvovirus.
Richard Ackers and his partner Alicia Sherman, from Wigan, purchased Reggie for Christmas but fear they may have unwittingly purchased their puppy from a ‘puppy farm’, despite buying through a reputable website.
The couple claim Reggie could have caught the disease if he had been illegally transported into the UK from a puppy farm.
Labrador puppy Reggie (pictured) fell ill only 12 hours after arriving home in Wigan with his new owners, later dying from parvovirus
Richard Ackers (left) and his partner Alicia Sherman (pictured with her son) bought Reggie the puppy for Christmas
Alicia said: ‘The night we got him it started with diarrhoea, the next day he was vomiting and just not himself.
‘We rang the vets who said that’s not normal for a young Labrador puppy and when we took him for tests they did a parvovirus test that came back positive.
‘He was straight on an IV and he needed a gastric tube because he wasn’t taking anything orally.
‘They then rang the next day to say he wasn’t getting any better. ‘
Alicia, 26, who works as a nurse, said seeing the young dog becoming so ill was ‘just awful’ and that she had never seen someone look so bad in her line of work.
The couple now claim they may have unwittingly purchased a ‘puppy farm’ dog, claiming Reggie could have caught parvovirus if transported illegally into the UK
After losing Reggie to the disease, Richard and Alicia launched a campaign to change the way puppies are bought in the UK and have set up a Facebook page
After losing Reggie to the disease, Richard and Alicia launched a campaign to change the way puppies are bought in the UK and have set up a Facebook page.
When buying Reggie, Richard claims he was told by the seller that the puppy had been wormed, vaccinated and properly chipped, but a vet told the couple that this was not the case.
Reggie, who was 12-weeks-old, had a microchip – but the chip number didn’t correspond to the chip he had.
The couple thought they were purchasing Reggie from St Helens but his chip was actually registered to Dublin, which they claim could mean he was shipped to the country illegally.
Richard said: ‘We contacted the local authorities and council – this happens hundreds of times a week throughout the country especially from puppy farms.
When buying Reggie, Richard claims he was told by the seller that the puppy had been wormed, vaccinated and properly chipped, but a vet told the couple that this was not the case
‘Since we spoke to the council they said they had 20 cases this week in the Wigan and St Helens area, these puppies are abused and it needs to change.
‘I am fighting for change on how we sell puppies.’
He added: ‘Many other animals will die without education and prevention.’
Posting on the Facebook page for their campaign, the couple said: ‘We understand there are reputable breeders who sell on this site but the site takes no responsibility for selling of any pup.
‘We are trying to provide people with knowledge from our ‘mistake’ and try and get the site to take more information from the sellers such as a correct address that corresponds with a legal identification and checks of documents of the pups such as vet health checks and micro chipping.’
MailOnline has approached the website, through which the couple bought the puppy, for comment.