An autistic north-east teenager has been left bereft after a puppy he saved up to buy died just days after coming home.
Conner Yates, 16, paid more than £400 for a German Shepherd puppy in April, but it quickly became clear the canine was seriously unwell.
Angel contracted parvovirus, a disease which affects a dog’s intestines and bowel, and died shortly after he was rushed for treatment.
In the wake of Angel’s death, a local vet has urged dog owners to check pets are properly vaccinated.
Conner’s mum Catterina Platt, 47, said: “We want to warn other people who are buying puppies. My son has Asperger’s syndrome and he saved up the money himself to buy the puppy.
“It was important for him to have this puppy because it’s a companion for him. He had been wanting a puppy for so long, but obviously he was saving his money.”
“We picked him up on Tuesday, April 19, but he took unwell and we had him in the vet on the Friday. Then she died on the Sunday.
“We didn’t know anything about parvovirus. By the time we took her to the vet, she only had a 50/50 chance.”
She added that, following Angel’s death, she had received message from other dog lovers who have recently seen cases of parvovirus.
Now the local vet who treated Angel is warning owners to check their pets have been given all the necessary vaccinations.
Scott McRae from the Fraserburgh surgery of Buchan Vets said: “It’s a devastating disease and very often fatal. It’s a very severe haemorrhagic gastroenteritis.
Mr McRae added that puppies who contracted parvovirus frequently died and – despite the best efforts of veterinary surgeons – often suffered in the days leading up to their deaths.
“It’s a particularly nasty disease,” he continued.
“Be very careful when you source your pup – make sure they have been health checked, make sure they have been vaccinated and see their parents.”
Mr McRae warned that although the virus is relatively rare, due to a successful vaccination programme, there has been a notable rise in cases in the north-east and Fraserburgh area.
