TRINITY, Fla. — A Pasco County family is heartbroken after having to put down their new puppy, they say was sold to them carrying the Canine Parvovirus, also known as parvo.
Brian Smith, of Trinity, had been on the hunt for a new family addition when he saw an ad on Craigslist.
"Kind of melted the kids hearts and wanted to go for it," said Smith.
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They brought home a yellow lab named "Bucky." The family of four shared an instant bond with their new puppy they say was a perfect fit.
Bucky immediately showed signs of sickness. He was throwing up, wouldn't eat or drink and had diarrhea.
Only two days after bringing him home, the Smith family took Bucky to Blue Pearl Animal Hospital in Tampa where they learned he had parvo.
Brian Smith says calls and text messages to the number listed on the Craigslist ad went unanswered. The number is now disconnected and the ad was removed.
They paid $450 for Bucky, but they say losing the money is nothing compared to making the heartbreaking decision to put their new puppy down.
“You sold us a dog that has a deadly virus disease that can effect not only our dogs, but anywhere we send that puppy," said Smith. "That whole litter that they sold is also infected."
The Humane Society urges pet buyers to make sure sellers always provide a written contract and health guarantee.
“What we got was kind of an index card with two or three stickers on it and at the time we didn’t know they weren’t legit certifications," said Smith. "We look back and we kind of feel like we got bamboozled."
