THE new owner of a puppy is warning others to be aware of unlicensed sellers after being left with a £1,000 vet bill.

Emma Scott, 29, thought she was buying golden retriever Hendrix from a reputable and licensed source but soon after realised there were serious problems.

Emma, from Corringham, noticed Hendrix was constantly drowsy and was struggling to eat as well as suffering from diarrhoea.

She said: “Since we got him he was very quiet and slept a lot for a puppy which we first thought may be the stress of moving and that maybe he was just a ‘dopey’ dog, but as the week went on his appetite gradually decreased until he wouldn’t eat at all and had diarrhoea, sickness, severe lethargy and suffered rapid weight loss.

“He had to undergo all sorts of tests including X-rays, blood tests, stool samples and had to be put on a drip to rehydrate him.

“Turns out he had giardia but I’ve had to pay over £1,000 in vets bills already – no insurance covers the first 10-14 days.

“I’m thankful I’ve saved his life and we all adore him but it’s devastated me that we have had to go through all this upset and to think what my little guy has been through before he got to me.”

She alleges she bought the puppy from a seller under the name “Deb” from the Pets4Homes website.

Ms Scott claims she was misled by the seller, from Crays Hill, Billericay.

Via a post on social media she said: “I recently bought a new puppy from a ‘private seller’ under the name of ‘Deb’ from the pets4homes website.

“Long story short it turns out the woman wasn’t ‘Deb’ at all and instead was an apparently well-known woman that buys puppies from puppy farms around the county and sells them on as if her own.

“She lied about having a licence.

“A week to the day I bought Hendrix he was taken to the vets for his vaccinations but ended up being kept in overnight.”

The alleged seller does not have a licence. Basildon Council confirmed it received an application for a pet shop licence renewal for a property in Crays Hill, Billericay, but it was refused and an appeal has been submitted – but no date has been sent.

A council spokesman said: “An application for a pet shop licence renewal in relation to Windermere, Crays Hills, Billericay, was refused on Tuesday, July 24.

“An appeal against the decision has since been submitted but a date for this to be heard has not yet been set. Anyone who has purchased a puppy from the address in recent months is advised to report this to Basildon Council by calling 01268 533333 or e-mailing ehs@basildon.gov.uk, particularly if the puppy has been unwell.” The seller was contacted but did not provide a comment and Pets4Homes did not respond.