My mother purchased a puppy on Sunday evening from a man in the Bromley/Bow area of Greater London. The seller described the puppy as having only a “minor injury” (a bite from the mother). However, it quickly became clear that the injury was far more serious and had not been treated by a qualified vet, but instead by an untrained individual he had contacted via Instagram.

When we attempted to follow up with the seller, his phone number was no longer in use, suggesting he was using a disposable SIM card to avoid being contacted. He also lowered the price of the puppy by £400, which we now believe was an attempt to pass on a sick or injured animal to avoid veterinary costs.

The circumstances of the sale were highly suspicious:

• He refused to let us see the mother or father of the puppy.

• The handover took place on a street corner, in the dark.

• He provided an address but did not allow us inside.

We felt compelled to remove the puppy from this man due to concerns for its welfare. The puppy is now under veterinary care and has required an overnight stay, All we had initially asked for was the £600 purchase price back as a contribution toward these costs, but the seller has since taken down all adverts from Pets4Homes and cut off all contact.

This is not simply a case of financial loss — this appears to be a case of animal neglect and possible illegal breeding. If we had not taken this puppy, it is likely it would have continued to suffer and potentially died.

I am therefore reporting this case to the RSPCA, police, and Pets4Homes, and I strongly believe this individual should be investigated and stopped from breeding or selling animals in the future.

But the costly veterinary, medication and travel cost have hit my mother hard and we are asking you all for a helping hand.

Any donations big or small would be highly appreciated, for our mother Elaine to relieve her stress and worry by bringing her puppy home!