Lucian, a cute cockapoo pup, just nine weeks old, was bought for a tidy sum.
His excited new family brought him home expecting to love, cuddle and care for him for the next
fourteen years or more.
But within days of his arrival he was being sick. Sadly, nothing we could do seemed to make any
difference. He faded away before our eyes, barely eating, or just bringing up anything he did manage
to eat.
We suspect that whoever bred Lucian was breeding for profit, not love.
So how can a family ready to give a loving home to a gorgeous young pup avoid this terrible
heartbreak?
I suggest you follow the advice of the Pup Aid campaign and ask, “Where’s mum?”, the brainchild of
vet Marc Abraham OBE, who visited our new clinic in Rottingdean recently.
Only buy a puppy when you can see mum interacting with her litter, which since April 2020 is now
the law in England, Scotland, and Wales, and known as ‘Lucy’s Law’. Always be suspicious that the
pup is from a puppy farm if you are told that mum’s away at the vets, been run over, sick, or
basically anywhere else.
Another tipoff would be if the price seems unusually cheap or excessively expensive, or if you are
asked to pick him up from anywhere other than their own birthplace, such as a layby or car park,
which would suggest an illegal third-party puppy commercial dealer.
Instead, consider sourcing your new family member from a Kennel Club Assured Breeder, or a
registered rehoming charity. Do please ask your vet if you are not sure.
Don’t forget it’s nearly time for the Cuckoo Fayre dog show, with plenty of classes for every kind of
canine and tons of rosettes and prize. You should definitely bring your dog to join in the fun!
It’s on Bank Holiday Monday 1st May at The Recreation Ground, Cuckfield RH17 5EN, with entries
taken from 12 noon, and judging starting after the Mayor’s speech at 1pm. See
themewesvets.co.uk/events for more details.
