A friend replied to an advertisement, phoned the mobile number given, met in a public place and bought a dog for cash.
This dog is supposedly chipped, the seller will register the new owner.
No receipt, no papers of any vaccinations etc or any other documentation was given. This dog has no collar/lead or any other accessories.
I, and now the purchaser suspect the seller is not the rightful owner and are concerned that this is somebody else’s family pet who strayed or possibly even was stolen.
If chipped would the Vet know from scanning if this dog has been reported as missing ?
Would the Vet phone the registered owner and enquire if they sold it recently to a Mrs X.
If it is the case this dog belongs to someone else, my friend will reunite it with its rightful owner and just take the hit on the cost and get a new dog from a reputable source next time.
I acknowledge this will mean the seller will have gotten away with selling something they did not own, but my elderly friend just wants to move on and not pursue this further.
We intend putting these questions to the local Vet, in the meantime any opinions or experiences of similar appreciated.