Puppy farm warning after dog found in 'filthy' state

Vets believe Poppy was less than five weeks old and had not been vaccinated

A woman has warned people about the dangers of rogue online breeders after her dog - who she fears came from a puppy farm - became gravely ill.

Sara Bell, from Portsmouth, spotted an advert for a Cocker Spaniel on the internet.

But when the 40-year-old visited a property to pick her up, she said she was met with "shocking" conditions.

Poppy the puppy developed stomach problems and vets soon discovered she was less than five weeks old.

'Heartbreaking'

After speaking to a male breeder initially, Ms Bell went to collect Poppy, but was met by two women and said alarm bells began to ring.

“The area was filthy," she said. "Poppy was covered in dirt, housed in a plastic kennel within a larger metal one.

“The breeders seemed completely uninterested in the situation, offering no conversation or information beyond handing me the puppy."

Ms Bell described the situation as "heartbreaking" - but things got worse the day after she took Poppy home.

"Her stomach was severely swollen and she had heavy diarrhoea," she said.

Poppy was rushed to the vet, where she was placed on an IV drip for a day.

“It scares me to think that if I hadn’t picked her up and taken her to the vet that day, she probably would have died," Ms Bell added.

Research from The Kennel Club found 26 per cent of puppy-buyers in the South East thought their pet may have unintentionally been purchased from a puppy farm

After much love and care from the family, Poppy has made a full recovery, although it is now believed she is a Springer/Cocker Spaniel crossbreed and not purebred.

Ms Bell has urged other people to be cautious when buying a puppy.

"I would say that good communication between yourself and the breeder is key," she said.

"Speak on the phone, make sure you get lots of photos, and do your research."