Last night Campbell Live aired a story about beagles from the Valley Animal Research Centre, which are now being sold on TradeMe. Unsuspecting buyers are not being told of the dog’s background.
We have had a phenomenal response to this story with many viewers wanted to adopt the dogs. But others who have bought dogs off the research centre's former director Margaret Harkema had no idea what they had bought until they saw our story.
They have bought dogs that have behavioural problems and in some cases have died.
The Mann family bought their puppy off Margaret via TradeMe. Poppy arrived on a plane from Hastings on November 11.
She was already sick
"She was not the playful little puppy we were expecting to have," says Kerrianne Mann.
She died 72 hours after she arrived because of giardia - a parasite caught from unhygienic living conditions, contaminated water and faeces.
It has highly contagious and can be fatal.
Poppy was not the only puppy Margaret sent up to Auckland on November 11. Another three went to a pet shop and it is Campbell Live's understanding that one of these puppies has also died.
Other puppies have also come to our attention today.
Watch the video to find out more