A couple say they’ve been scammed out of £456 after paying for a rescue dog that never arrived.
Rebekah and Andrew Smith were looking forward to welcoming their new four-month-old Madger into their East Midlands home where they live with their two children.
The pair found an animal rescue service in Stoke-on-Trent which had been advertising rescue dogs from Bosnia.
After signing a contract and paying £456 to get their golden Labrador cross transported to the UK as well as vaccinated and neutered, the dog never showed up.
The couple say they're yet to receive their money back.
Rebekah told Stoke-on-Trent Live : “We were thinking that something was not right and it all fell apart from there.
“We got voice notes and calls saying there was a mix-up and a two-week delay. At that point we were like 'okay fair enough, these things happen'.
“We were then added to a Whatsapp group with 20 other people who were also having their dogs transported in this load. Everyone was so keen to have their dogs.
“The next delivery date was set and the same thing happened. Everyone was asking whether this was definitely happening and there was no response.
“It would get to the day before the due date and we’d be told they had messed it up again.”
After the service failed to respond, Rebekah demanded an end to the contract, as well as her money back as he third delivery date came and went.
The 38-year-old added: “We were dubious about what was happening. The person was blaming different people and it wasn’t sounding professional.
“We have chased the money but it never comes.
"We feel stupid and wish we had gone to a local rescue centre.
The couple were expecting for the dog to arrive in July, but six months on, they're yet to receive an update.
They now say they're not expecting to receive their money back at all.
Rebekah added: “We’d introduced the children to pictures of the dog and they were getting disappointed.
“I don’t think I’ll get my money back, they’ll just evade it.”
