NEWS AND COMMENT-HUDDERSFIELD: Bethany Cupples bought what she thought was a French bulldog puppy online, on Gumtree. The puppy was for sale at the bargain price of £600. During Covid, French bulldogs have been on sale for £3,000 and perhaps even more. So, no doubt she jumped at the bargain. She bought the puppy as a present for her mum. It was love at first sight and they named her Luna. But when the puppy grew up five weeks later their dog was no longer a French Bulldog but a mongrel with an undershot jaw.
As a puppy:
Five weeks later:
I hate to say it and I’m being unfair when I do say it but this is a very unattractive dog because sadly, no doubt due to poor breeding, the dog has what appears to me to be an undershot jaw. This is guaranteed to make an animal look ugly.
The video soundtrack is awful but you get the message. I take it to be genuine. If genuine the difference between the puppy and 5 weeks later is shocking.
Bethany took her dog to a veterinarian who confirmed that what they had bought was not a purebred dog but a mongrel and in this case a hybrid cross between a French bulldog and a Yorkshire terrier.
Bethany is very generous in their assessment because she does not hold a grudge against the seller believing that they made an honest mistake. She said that the breeder cared for their animals well.
21 genetic diseases inherited by the French bulldog. Are they always in pain?
They still love their dog. There may be future problems because of the misalignment of the jaw. And in a strict contractual sense, she can get her money back. The breeder/seller misrepresented what they were selling and the “product” does not match what was described. Clearly Bethany did not receive what you pay for. This is a clear breach of contract and she can return the parties to the way they were before they entered the contract.
Also, apparently it is illegal to sell a puppy under eight weeks of age. This appears to be true in the UK and in the USA. The objective of this law is to stop illegal puppy mills churning out puppies and kittens without a regard for welfare and selling them online. Backstreet breeders made handsome profits during Covid because there was a surge in adoptions during lockdowns.
Bethany is being too generous. She should report the breeder to the police if they are in breach of the law as it appears that they are. This will be a crime in my opinion.
If Bethany does not want to return Luna, which is understandable, she should at least negotiate with the seller a greatly reduced purchase price and receive a rebate. I would suggest that the dog that she bought would be valued at about £40 and therefore she is due almost all her money back.
The story is a lesson to all. Do due diligence, don’t buy online, visit the breeder’s establishment, ask questions and obtain a certificate that the dog you are buying is purebred. There must be documentary evidence that the dog you are buying has a pedigree. This was clearly left out in this instance.
