Can a dog breeder simply cancel the purchase agreement?

Questioner

Last Saturday we went to look for a puppy. We came to a verbal purchase agreement with the breeder and would pick up the puppy on Monday. We deliberately made an appointment for Monday so that we could still purchase a few things. The breeder is aware of this and we have exchanged many messages via Messenger. Sunday evening the breeder informed me that the sale is not going through because they have decided to sell the puppy to another buyer. We had already purchased everything and made our children happy. Is the breeder allowed to just do this? Yours sincerely,

Lawyer

For a purchase agreement it is important that there is an agreement to transfer an item (in this case a dog) for an amount. You also indicate that you have already agreed on a day for the dog to be picked up. A purchase agreement can also be concluded verbally and does not have to be in writing. You indicate that you have also exchanged messages via Messenger, these messages can possibly be used as evidence. Unless the seller has made a specific reservation, an agreement must be fulfilled. A seller cannot simply withdraw from the agreement. You can demand performance and if this is no longer possible, you may be entitled to compensation. Please feel free to contact me via my profile if you have any questions or require legal assistance. See also the statement below for an example. https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:RBMNE:2016:6696