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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to be massively panicking about a pup I bought yesterday? European passport

364 replies

Ohforgodsake000 · 04/11/2017 19:44

Very stupidly bought a dog yesterday who came with a pet passport issued in Latvia.
All vaccines were stamped in the book and micro chipping also in there.
Thought nothing Of it until I mentioned to a police friend who said this is one of the biggest scams going and he probably doesn't have any vaccines including rabies and threadworm which he could now transfer to my kids.
I feel sick with worry.
What a stupid idiot I am.
No vets will see him as he's not yet registered and its now emergencies only.

OP posts:
Pengggwn · 04/11/2017 19:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HarryDresdensLeatherDuster · 04/11/2017 19:48

Yes, it was a stupid thing to do but stop panicking! Go moo t local vet on Monday and register him. If he has rabies, you will have noticed. Stop the children from cuddling him in case he has worms. Once he's had a vet check, you'll now where you stand.

Luttrell · 04/11/2017 19:51

Yes, massively stupid. Did you not see recent headlines where families bought cheap dodgy farmed pups from awful conditions, fake papers, brought in from Eastern Europe and then all had a jolly weekend watching them die of Parvo while their traumatised kids watched?

In all the research you did about puppy ownership - you did some, right? - you never came across one article on this practise? On why you only buy from true, KC breeders with good reputations, or you adopt, to stop feeding the little-regulated industry in abused, damaged, farmed puppies?

You're a fool. That poor dog, if it survives, faces a very uncertain future.

WandaWitch · 04/11/2017 19:53

Calm down. He wouldn't have been allowed into this country without all his vaccinations etc being checked at the pet reception centre at the airport or dock. So if he is here he will have been vaccinated etc. Get him booked in for a check up next week - that is only sensible with any new pet and will probably need to be wormed again - just in case as you do with most new pets - but I would calm down. Just take care of hygiene as you would with any pet and children and am sure he will be fine. I wouldn't listen to your friend. If it was a scam the dog wouldn't have got here.

Danceswithwarthogs · 04/11/2017 19:55

Don't panic.... (I'm a vet)

Was it a charity rescue?

Rabies not a worry in European countries.

Get a routine vet appointment asap, take all paperwork/passport with you so worming etc can be checked. Just take care with hygiene (poop picking and hand washing) but those rules would apply with any pet.

I must admit there are extra possible illnesses from imported dogs that need to be kept in mind, but we've seen loads from Romania etc and no major problems.

Hope you enjoy your new pet Smile

WandaWitch · 04/11/2017 19:57

However, will agree with people above that if you are buying from abroad you do really need to research and check who you buy from - it's not a great idea unless you know who you are dealing with. So I hope you did that? However as he is here and if he is looking ok - not looking poorly (obviously if he is looking ill etc - then you need to go to out of hours emergency vet) - then just get him for a full check up on Monday.

Miloarmadillo1 · 04/11/2017 19:59

Sorry wanda but that is nonsense. There is a massive trade in farmed puppies entering the UK with forged Pet passports. You should never buy a puppy without seeing the pup with it's mother and satisfying yourself about the conditions it has been reared in. There have recently been a whole load of supposedly vaccinated dogs brought in from Romania diagnosed with distemper. It's only a matter of time until we have rabies....

Stoptherideiwannagetoff · 05/11/2017 08:14

Jeez Luttrell did everyone go out to play without you tonight or something? No need to be bloody vile is there. OPs already said she's going to vets asap for the sake of the pup. There's no need to kick someone when they're down

Skarossinkplunger · 05/11/2017 08:17

I think I may need to see a picture!

ChrisPrattsFace · 05/11/2017 08:23

You also won't be seen by a vet untill routine surgery opens - because it isn't an emergency!
Make an appointment first thing Monday morning.
I work in practice and We have recently seen a lot of very seriously ill Romanian dogs and some haven't survived - if you are in ANY doubt regarding vaccinations then start them again. Keep up to date with your flea and working treatments and practice good hygiene. Good luck with your new pup.
(And consider adopting in the U.K. In the future!! Grin )

KungFuEric · 05/11/2017 08:31

Who did you buy the puppy from? Was it a known of registered breeder, private seller or a charitable organisation?

PinkyBlunder · 05/11/2017 08:59

Where did you buy it from? Is it from a rescue centre? We have a rescue from Romania, before we got her we checked that a vet had seen her in the UK (we were at the rescue the same day infact), that she had ALL relevant vaccinations and that they were documented. that she was wormed, that she was microchipped. The rescue was one that didn't just take rescues from Romania, they take U.K. rescues too. They're also registered with DEFRA.

If you've used your common sense and done your homework then it shouldn't be a problem.

helpmeseethefunnysideplease · 05/11/2017 09:05

Yes - photo please!

IdaDown · 05/11/2017 09:11

Please, please use this experience to educate yourself and friends.

Don’t feel sorry for the pup. With luck and a check up / treatment he will be ok - I won’t pummel you on here about the alternatives, plenty others will.

Think about the bitch and dogs left behind. There’s no escape for them.

Laiste · 05/11/2017 09:21

I'm not trying to kick at OP, but genuine question - why/how do you get into a situation where you've 'accidentally' bought a dog from abroad? I mean, i'm guessing it wasn't a cheap purchase; did you research the breeder at all?

These are not rhetorical questions and i'm not intending to be a sarc'y cow. I'm honestly wondering about the thought process of impulse buying a dog.

Original poster
Ohforgodsake000 · 05/11/2017 09:49

Sorry I've only just come back, I spend most of last night on the phone to various vets and the rspca.
The dog was bought from preloved, a selling site.
The ad was written well, with all stamps and information in the EU pet passport
I honestly didn't see this as a major problem, I had no concerns about the age of the dog as he is clearly 5 months ( or slightly older if passport isn't correct ) as quite large
He appears healthy and it was a residential house he was collected from, the lady and her husband clearly lived there, their children were there and so on.
It was only upon speaking to my police friend who sent me some links to all the articles that show Eastern Europeans have developed a massive scam whereby the dogs are getting into the county with no vaccinations or microchip at all that I panicked.
I called the owner who is now apparently back in Latvia for a funeral Confused
Very worried about the rabies risk as this is obviously the most important vaccination needed when travelling from anywhere to the UK and the one that can affect us as humans.
Apart from having a slightly red eye in one of the eyes there's morning visibly wrong.
Deffra couldn't help last night and told me to call back Monday where they would refer on to trading standards and the RSPCA took details and will check out the address is due course once I mentioned since I panicked I looked on other selling sites and there are all different dogs for sale, mainly very expensive ones from the same address but with different names and contact numbers selling them.
Obviously Monday morning will be spent at the vets but there's no way of knowing if he's had the jabs at all is there?
Will they want to quarantine him?
I am a total idiot

OP posts:
Original poster
Ohforgodsake000 · 05/11/2017 09:50

I will see if I can add a picture on here for those who asked for one

OP posts:
Original poster
Ohforgodsake000 · 05/11/2017 09:54

This may or may not work but I've tried to pop a picture on

Aibu to be massively panicking about a pup I bought yesterday? European passport
OP posts:
mustbemad17 · 05/11/2017 10:04

Stop panicking. If the dog had any of the major diseases they are vacc'd for on a passport you'd see it quite quickly. Having had quite a few foreign dogs in as foster - some on dodgy passports with sod all jabs (discovered after they arrived not before) - it is really obvious the ones that have come over faked. A lot of the fake passports don't hold any correct details; even things like sex are wrong.

Does the pup appear quite healthy? Have you noticed any symptoms of anything? If you're worried about wormer, you can buy wormer over the counter. Everything else will either involve a blood test or the vet will suggest restarting everything from scratch.

Buying any pet from scumtree is wrong on many levels but it's done now. So now try & move forward. Get the pup registered at a vet tomorrow, make an appointment & explain to the vet. They'll do all the checks, including with the passport.

whatalifethisis · 05/11/2017 10:04

Hi
We got a dog in almost identical circumstances. He has a passport and was born in Hungary. He was 5 months old when we got him and all his vaccinations were marked in his passport.

On reflection we would not do this again and should have researched it further. 6 months later we got another dog from a breeder miles away having learnt that the way we went about getting the first dog wasn't the best.

Just wanted to say though that we have had absolutely no problems with him whatsoever.

I hope everything is ok.

mustbemad17 · 05/11/2017 10:05

gorgeous dog

AngelicaSchuyler · 05/11/2017 10:07

whatifeisthis do you still have your first dog?

Tsundoku · 05/11/2017 10:07

It sounded dodgy at first, but tbh it's a lot worse given your latest update. Multiple animals being sold online from different people at the same address?

Pet passports can be forged, or they can contain fake data: they're only as reliable as the veterinary clinics who update them. The clinics who've allegedly administered the vaccinations are all in Latvia? Is there any registration scheme for vets who are authorised to update pet passports there?

AFAIK there's no simple/instant way to physically check the correct vaccinations have been administered. I believe a titer test can be done to show effective rabies vaccination, but it may take at least 30 days after the alleged vaccination date for the antibodies to show up.

I don't know what the legal situation is about animals who require quarantine. I know from importing my own pets that an animal with inadequate documentation will be quarantined on arrival, and that the owner is responsible for the cost. I don't know what happens when you've purchased the animal in the UK but it turns out to be of questionable origin.

I know you've already acknowledged several times that this was a poor choice, so this isn't directed at you, but... aaargh! Please don't buy pets from random second-hand sites! Please do research in advance! Please buy from a reputable shelter!

WandaWitch · 05/11/2017 10:09

Ah, I had assumed you meant you had got him from a Romanian Rescue or something like that. Buying from pre-loved does sound a lot more dubious and maybe wasn't the best idea but you know that now and am sure won't make that mistake again. You can spend the next few days kicking yourself or you can get on and deal with the situation.

He is here now and that is that. He is an innocent victim in all of this and a gorgeous little boy who is looking at you to look after him for the rest of his life and do the right thing for him. So focus on getting it right from now on - vet check, good food and worming etc. Fingers crossed that vet confirms he all ok, if not you will have to work with them to get him treated and sorted out. He needs to be loved, cuddled, played with and looked after just the same as any puppy irrespective of where he is from.

Be sensible - Don't take him out anywhere until you have seen the vet in case he isn't jabbed - for his sake as well as other dogs. Clear his poo up very thoroughly - bit of bleach/disinfectant each time and gloves for you just in case he hasn't been wormed properly and keep the children well away and other than that you will just have to wait unto you see. Poor little boy - I hate to think where he may have come from and what he may have been through to get to you, but he is with you now, you are his family, dogs always look forward and not back and you are his future so you must look after him now as you do with your family.

Am looking forward to the photos! Smile

WandaWitch · 05/11/2017 10:10

Sorry - I mean keep the children well away from the poo - not from the puppy!