A PENSIONER has been left heartbroken after his dog died after being given counterfeit supplements bought from Amazon. 

Reginald Stokes, a resident of Salford Priors for over 40 years, life changed overnight when his dog Elsie suddenly passed away.

The 87-year-old bought supplements off Amazon on November 2 after the pedigree cockapoo started to "slow down". 

Two weeks and 18 tablets later Elsie had passed away after being found lying down in the garden. 

Despite being heartbroken, the pensioner didn't think any foul play was at fault.

His daughter later discovered that the supplements he had bought were counterfeit and whilst there is no evidence that the medication caused Elsie's sudden death, the pair have been left angry and let down. 

Amazon has since recalled the product and offered a full refund. 

Sarah Stokes, Reginald Stokes' daughter, said: "I work for a charity and we use YuMove supplements so I recommended them to my dad when he said that Elsie was slowing down. 

"I helped my dad buy them through Amazon and overnight she was running around like a wild thing.

"About two weeks later, one morning he found her lying in the garden and so he took her to the vets but she passed away in the car. 

"A few days later I realised that there was a different batch date and number on the packs to the packaging. 

"I flagged it with YuMove and discovered that they were counterfeit. 

"I didn't tell dad at first because I didn't want him to get more upset."

By selling counterfeit tablets through Amazon, she claims that the company has not carried out its diligence and is worried that other products sold for human consumption could also be fake. 

She continued: "Elsie was my dad's only companion and I feel like I let them down because I recommended them. 

"I know it's not my fault but I still feel responsible. 

"She used to sit on my dad's lap every night. My dad is a bright and coherent person but when I told him he wrote a letter of detest to Amazon.

"What I didn't realise is that when you are buying from Amazon Marketplace you are buying from random sellers and it's not just dog tablets. 

"If the supplements can turn out to be counterfeit, what's stopping medication or supplements for people also being counterfeit?"

In a letter to Amazon, Reginald Stokes said: "I am eighty seven years old and my dog, a pedigree Cockerpoo, became a increasingly deeper part of my life when my wife entered a care home. 

"I have always described my dog as a perpetual puppy, such was her love of life and the happiness she brought to everyone she met on our daily walks.

"Thanks to you as a company, she is now dead."

All third-party sellers of YuMOve products have since been removed from Amazon. 

In statement from the company, Dr Courtney Miller, chief veterinary officer, said: "Recently, a number of unauthorised third-party sellers of counterfeit YuMOVE Senior joint products were identified on Amazon. 

"As a precaution, all third-party sellers of YuMOVE products have now been removed from Amazon.

"This is because, at present, the authenticity of any products sold by third-party sellers cannot be verified.

"Additionally, Amazon has recalled and refunded all products recently bought from third-party sellers.  

"The counterfeit products and their sellers are in no way connected to Lintbells/YuMOVE. 

"Pet wellbeing is our number one priority, and we work hard to ensure our ingredients and products are subjected to rigorous safety checks and tests to uphold our high-quality standards and to safeguard pet health."

Amazon said it was deeply saddened by the incident and that the company has a zero-tolerance policy towards counterfeit products. 

A spokesperson for Amazon said: "We are deeply saddened to hear about this and we are in touch with the affected customer to support them through this difficult time.

“Safety is our top priority, and as soon as we were notified of this issue, we promptly took steps to remove the products in question, notify and refund customers, and we removed all resellers out of an abundance of caution.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for counterfeit products, and there are proactive measures in place to prevent counterfeit products being listed on our store.

“If an issue is raised, we act quickly to protect customers, including removing listings and bad actors from our store, and sharing further guidance from brands for customers.

“Only genuine products from YuMove are now available on our store, but if customers have concerns about an item they’ve purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service team directly.”