Sick puppy sold outside tube station

A sick puppy who was sold outside a London tube station is finally on the right track to happiness after receiving treatment and care from The Mayhew Animal Home. Seven-week old Border Collie puppy, Mocha, was up for sale outside Ruislip Tube Station in West London, despite being poorly and malnourished. A passing couple decided to buy little Mocha for the high price of £200, initially because they were concerned for her welfare. Unfortunately though, within just hours of bringing her home, Mocha became really sick, suffering from bloody diarrhoea overnight. The owners contacted their local vets for help but were unable to afford the fees to get her looked at. Though they might have had good intentions at first, Mocha’s owners had clearly overlooked the costs and responsibilities which ultimately come with owning a pet. As Mocha’s owners were unable to pay for her veterinary treatment themselves, they brought her into our Home for help. After speaking with our animal welfare officers, they decided to sign poorly Mocha over so our vets, vet nurses and kennels staff could give her the proper medical care she needed. Sadly Mocha was in a bad state; she was extremely emaciated, malnourished and had bloody diarrhoea. With the medical treatment from our vets and care and socialisation from our kennels staff, Mocha began to get back on her paws. She slowly gained her appetite back and started to put on a healthy, normal weight. Our staff put Mocha on foster with one of our experienced carers, so she could enjoy a loving home environment whilst she recovered. In no time, Mocha was playing and running around like a typical puppy with her foster carer’s dogs, showing off her cheeky and fun-loving personality. Our animal welfare manager, Zoe Edwards, said: “We are so glad that Mocha is on the right tracks to a full recovery. It is completely irresponsible to sell a puppy outside of a tube station, and unfortunately we see this kind of situation all too often.” “Sadly there are lots of unwanted animals in rescue centres like ours that have come in from people who have bought pets on a whim without taking into consideration the responsibilities and needs of the pet. Many pets also end up in rescues after breeders have sold sick animals just to make quick money, to owners who are unable to cope or afford the medical treatment.” “Irresponsible breeders, like Mocha’s seller, can often have little or no concern for the welfare of dogs and puppies and no regard for who buys them. They usually won’t be thinking or asking whether the buyer is able to care and provide for the animal for the rest of its life, both financially and physically.” Visit www.themayhew.org/dogs for more information.