“I replaced my daughter’s puppy because I didn’t want her to know he ran away.”

The man has taken to Reddit to confess how he replaced his daughter’s missing dog instead of telling her the truth about what happened – he’s filled with guilt

No parent wants their child to be upset — and some go to extreme lengths to protect them from the harsh truths of the world.

But a father felt “stomach sickness” after replacing his daughter’s dog after he ran away while she was staying at her mother’s house.

When asked if he did the right thing, the man explained how he spent 24 hours searching “up and down” for the six-month-old cockatoo before panicking to buy a new one.

Speaking to Reddit, he said: “I bought my 14-year-old daughter a Cockapoo because she was having a hard time after her mom and I broke up.

“But I told her it’s because she did well in school and is developing into a polite and caring young lady – both of which are true.

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“We went through the whole deal – choosing the dog and visiting him before finally taking him home.

“She loves that dog, Lulu, more than anything in the world, possibly more than me if she ever finds out what happened.

“She spends every second she can with her. However, because of her cats, she can’t take them to her mum’s house – so she leaves them with me when she visits her mum every other weekend.”

But when the man took Lulu for her afternoon walk in the fields near his home, she stripped off her collar and ran away.

“It happened in seconds. She broke free and shot into the distance. I ran after her and yelled her name, but lost sight of her after she ran across the train line,” he added.

“I spent 24 hours looking for her – no sleep or anything. I have contacted all animal groups in my area and the police. I also warned my village’s Facebook group and a few others – but nothing.”

In a state of panic, the man began contacting breeders from “every country” and asking if they had a brown cockatoo he could buy that day.

He added: “While I was undecided I contacted a number of breeders and luckily one got back to me and said they had one that I could buy and collect anytime.

“So I set out on a 140-mile round trip to pick up this dog.

“But a problem right off the bat — this dog is four months old while Lulu was six months old.”

However, since the dog was “female, brown, and almost the same size,” the man went ahead and bought them, hoping his daughter wouldn’t realize she was a different dog.

He added: “I’ll be picking her up from school in a few hours and taking the new Lulu with me as that’s what I normally would.

“I’ve never been so scared in my entire life. I’m not sure which is worse – admitting her dog ran away or replacing him and pretending nothing happened.”

While most Reddit users asked the man to update them on his daughter’s reaction, others shared their surprise that he was able to find a replacement in such a short time.

One user said: “I wouldn’t lie to your daughter about this. One way or another she will find out the truth.

“This dog is a different size and maybe a different temperament. You could frame it if you got a new friend while you keep looking for Lulu or something.

“But don’t lie to her, it will only end badly.

Another user added: “Well damn at least you know you’re a great dad for caring so much.”

A third user said: “Oh sorry that happened. Your dog could still be found. Keep searching and putting up flyers and ads.

“I think your daughter could tell the difference and if she ever finds out, she’d be really upset.”

Do you have an unusual dog story to tell? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.