A DEVASTATED family are fighting to help save their sick Cockapoo puppy from dying.

Carey Hooton's dog Buddy has contracted Canine Parvovirus (CPV), which is a highly contagious deadly virus.

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The mum from Sandhurst paid £3,500 so she could get the right dog to help her children's autism and anxiety.

She said: "I have researched the breed and Cockapoos are intelligent. Buddy would be there to help my kids and help them feel calm. The plan is for Buddy to complete his training so he can also help other kids who I teach in the community."

Her three children, Melissa, 14, Chloe, nine, and Ryan, five, feel heartbroken over Buddy's poor health. 

Within five days of having Buddy, he had been to the vets every day and the family discovered he was "lifeless".

Upon veterinary examination, the puppy was believed to have been handed to the family underweight and Carey believes the breeder knew of this before the sale was made.

She said: "Due to the 7-10 days gestation he quite clearly had it before he had injections. The breeder lied about having insurance our insurance won’t help as it’s too early in the policy. I have reported the breeder for animal cruelty and notified the vets of the breeder. A case of prosecution will be sought against her."

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The Sandhurst resident has set up a fundraising page to raise money for the cost of Buddy's treatment.

The cost is £1000 every 24hrs and Carey is hoping to raise more than £5,000 to keep Buddy alive.

Carey said: "Please help us save Buddy we love him dearly. He has already touched our hearts and we are not ready to say goodbye! Unfortunately, a teachers salary doesn’t make the thousand's Buddy needs.

"We jump at every call in case he has passed away. The percentage is 75 per cent full recovery but only if we can continue the vets costs. "

Carey said she took every possible step to ensure she was getting a healthy puppy from a legitimate breeder.

She said: "We came across a breeder and we made the right checks. We fell in love but were cautious, bought books, followed guidelines, joined support groups and asked all the right questions. I paid £3500 for Buddy and our autistic children were worth the money to secure a pup that would actually come home. "

The teacher has not had luck with puppy's after she was "scammed by a puppy farm" in 2014 when she bought a pup and it died within a few days.

Then before lockdown, Carey decided to try and get a dog for her children and paid a deposit for a black and white Cockapoo.

She said: "We fell in love, met up with him a few times and then the call came. Four weeks old the pup has died. Needless to say our children were devastated. We believe now that he was re-sold for the higher COVID-19 prices!"

Now, their third puppy is sick and Carey is doing all she can to help save Buddy's life.

Visit: https://bit.ly/3g4IqGj to donate.