Fraudsters and thieves are cashing in on the pandemic puppy boom
Getty Images / WIRED The day Richard Ackers brought a Labrador Retriever puppy home to his family in Wigan was one of the best of his life. The tiny dog, named Reggie, arrived on December 17 and delighted in following his new owners around room to room, begging for cuddles and playing with Ackers’ seven-year-old son for hours on end. But that same evening, Reggie fell gravely ill. First he had a bad bout of diarrhoea, and then the next morning, he became lethargic and started vomiting. “He was dragging himself around the house. Then in the afternoon, he just slumped down on the couch and ...