An Edinburgh family have been reunited with their beloved pet dog after a lengthy ownership dispute.
But Anne Mitchell is now warning people about the dangers of buying a pet off Gumtree.
Bear, her Staffie cross Akita, was found wandering the streets in Granton on 3 March, and was taken to a local vet by a member of the public. The dog was then moved to the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home in Seafield the following day.
Staff at the home scanned Bear for a microchip and contacted the person whose name was registered on the chip to let them know.
However, at the same time Anne frantically got in touch with the home to see if her dog had been handed in.
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It turns out she had purchased the pet from someone on Gumtree in May 2018 but hadn't updated his microchip details.
She had Bear for almost a year before he went missing last month while Anne was in hospital and he was being looked after by one of her friends.
She said: "My friend called me saying Bear had escaped and she couldn't find him.
"My daughter Rebecca spent hours walking the streets in the pouring rain looking for him. We were so distraught. We began phoning Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home every day to see if he had turned up there."
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The person whose name was registered on the chip claimed to be Bear's rightful owner and made efforts to be reunited with him.
However, following an investigation by the dog and cat home, they were able to resolve the dispute when Anne provided satisfactory proof of ownership – and the person identified on the chip confirmed they were relinquishing their ownership attempts.
Bear was then returned to the family last week.
Anne said: "This has been a big learning experience for us.
“People need to understand the dangers of buying a dog off online site like Gumtree. When buying a pet, you should always get a proof of purchase and any veterinary records from the previous owner. It’s also important to update the microchip information straight away.”
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home say out-of-date microchip information is common for lost animals who come through their doors, making it difficult to reunite pets with their owners.
Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine, director of operations, said: "Every year we rescue hundreds of lost, stray and abandoned dogs and cats, and fortunately, we are able to reunite around 50% of these with their owner.
“However, as we saw in the case with Bear, if microchip information is out-of-date — or there is no microchip — ownership disputes can arise. This is why we strongly urge all pet owners to microchip their pets and ensure the details are correct.”
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