Total Dog Magazine

Tag: rspca

  • Prison Sentence For Vet Who Helped Puppy Farm Gang Make £2.5m

    Prison Sentence For Vet Who Helped Puppy Farm Gang Make £2.5m

    A gang of fraudsters – who it is estimated made at least £2.5m selling sick and dying puppies to unsuspecting members of the public – have been disqualified from keeping dogs for life as some of the gang members were also jailed this week.

    It comes following a three-year investigation by the RSPCA into puppy dealing in London and Berkshire. The animal welfare charity launched ‘Operation Adder’ following complaints from a number of people who had bought puppies which had fallen ill and, in some cases, tragically died.

    Simon O’Donnell (DoB: 23/08/87) and Margaret McDonagh (DoB: 25/09/90), previously of Bradenham Road, Hayes; Edward Stokes (DoB: 10/12/82), previously of Rosedale Avenue, Hayes, and later of Tenaplas Drive, Upper Basildon in Berkshire; Thomas Stokes (DoB: 16/05/92), previously of Coldharbour Lane, Hayes; Thomas O’Donnell (DoB: 27/01/89) and Mary McDonagh (DoB: 15/09/89), previously of Bedwell Gardens, Hayes, all appeared at Isleworth Crown Court today (Tuesday 22 May) to be sentenced for their part operating a network of puppy sellers across London.

    https://i.imgur.com/axrttu9.png

    A vet who conspired with the gang, falsifying vaccination cards to help them sell the pups, is also due to be sentenced having previously been found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit fraud.

    RSPCA officers estimated the network of dealers were selling puppies for an average of £500 each – making at least £2,548,500 by selling 5,097 puppies during a five-year period – although investigators suspect there were many more.

    https://i.imgur.com/W5s0OOr.png

    The gang were most active between 2014 and 2016 – before being raided by police and RSPCA investigators – and forensic examinations of mobile phones used to sell the puppies, show they were making around £800,000 a year during these busy years.

    RSPCA officers joined teams from the Metropolitan Police as they executed warrants at four addresses on 27 May 2016 in Bedwell Gardens, Bradenham Road, Coldharbour Lane, and Rosedale Avenue, all in Hayes, west London. A further warrant was executed by Thames Valley Police at a property in Tenaplas Drive, Upper Basildon, on 1 February 2017.

    Bedwell Puppy Farm from Dog News on Vimeo.

    During the first warrants, a total of 46 dogs and puppies were found being kept in plastic sheds, outbuildings and garages, or running loose in gardens and yards at the four Hayes addresses, all of which were seized and placed into RSPCA care. The dead bodies of four Yorkshire terrier puppies were found wrapped in black bin bags scattered around the garden at the property in Coldharbour Lane – thought to be from the same litter. Despite veterinary treatment, four puppies later died from parvovirus. Three of the bitches, who were pregnant when they were seized, went on to have a total of 16 puppies, although one was stillborn.

    Nine dogs were later seized from the Berkshire address and taken into RSPCA care.

    RSPCA inspector Kirsty Withnall, who led the investigation to uncover their plot, said: “Four of the gang members are siblings and, together with their partners, launched this network of puppy sellers and dealers in west London, with Edward and Mary Teresa Stokes later continuing to sell dogs from their new address in Reading, Berkshire, while Thomas Stokes went on to sell again from another property in Feltham.

    “This was an complex and sophisticated network of organised fraud and cruelty to dogs. This was a complicated and multi-faceted, high volume conspiracy whereby the gang has misrepresented commercial, puppy-farmed dogs imported from abroad as family-bred pets to con members of the public out of money.

    “Puppies were illegally imported from southern Ireland before being transported to the defendants’ homes where they were kept in plastic sheds, outbuildings and garages. They were advertised online and sold for between £350 and £650 each.

    “The gang were generally dealing with fashionable breeds and designer crossbreeds such as Yorkies, cavapoos and Labradoodles.”

    Officers took statements from 83 victims in total, all of whom had bought puppies from the gang at different addresses, having responded to adverts posted online – 25 puppies sadly died or had to be put to sleep due to severe health problems.

    “Buyers have had to cover expensive veterinary bills or, tragically, lost their pet as a result of poor breeding, inappropriate transport and inadequate care,” inspector Withnall added.

    “We also discovered that the sellers were using lots of different names and aliases as well as changing phone numbers.

    “Prospective buyers were led to believe that the puppy they wished to purchase had been born and raised in a loving family home, the mother dog being a family pet. They were provided with paperwork relating to pedigree parentage, health documentation and vaccination certificates, much of which was falsified and did not or could not be shown to relate to the puppy in question.

    “When visiting, buyers were usually met by a man, often there were children and a woman present, giving the impression of the ‘family home’ that the puppies were claimed to have been part of. They were also shown bitches claimed to be the mothers but we now know these were stooge dogs bought in to lull buyers into a false sense of security.”

    Six of the gang members admitted fraud and animal welfare offences and were sentenced today (22 May).

    Simon O’Donnell was sentenced to three years in prison and was disqualified from keeping dogs for life. He was also ordered to pay £170 victim surcharge.

    Thomas Stokes was also jailed for three years and disqualified from keeping dogs for life. He was also ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge.

    Thomas O’Donnell was handed a two-year jail term suspended for two years and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity. He was also disqualified from keeping dogs for life and ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge.

    Margaret McDonagh was given an 18-month community order and rehabilitation activity. She was also ordered to pay £85 victim surcharge and given an order which prohibits her from keeping dogs until an application to the court to lift it.

    Mary McDonagh was given a 12-month community order. She was also ordered to pay £85 victim surcharge and given an order which prohibits her from keeping dogs until an application to the court to lift it.

    A vet – who conspired with the gang – was also sentenced today having been found guilty by a jury following a four-week trial earlier this year.

    Daniel Doherty (DoB: 28/07/68) of Wood Lane, Iver Heath, operated two My Vets surgeries in Uxbridge, west London, where he conspired with the gang to commit fraud. Evidence showed that 4,689 puppies were taken to MyVet 24/7 by the gang between 23 March 2011 and 10 May 2017 for their first vaccinations, with the vet pocketing at least £75,000.

    He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and pay £140 victim surcharge.

    Another member of the gang was sentenced at a previous hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on 7 September 2017 having pleaded guilty to one offence of failing to meet the needs of dogs. She was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge, disqualified from keeping dogs for five years, and ordered to pay £250 in costs.

    And the final member of the gang admitted a similar offence and received a restraining order disqualifying her from keeping dogs for five years.

    Edward Stokes, who also appeared at court this week, will appear back at court on 14 June for sentencing after his case was adjourned.

    These investigations also sparked an additional investigation into a man who was selling dogs from a property in Edmonton. When police executed a warrant at the property in February 2017, four dogs were removed.

    In November last year, he was jailed for two years and eight months and disqualified from keeping dogs for life after admitting five offences of fraud by false representation and one offence of failing to meet the needs of dogs. A woman was cautioned and received a court order prohibiting her for keeping dogs for three years, for failing to meet the needs of dogs.

    All of the dogs that were seized as part of the investigations went into foster homes and were later signed over to the RSPCA to be rehomed.

  • Confirmed: UK Government WILL Acknowledge Animal Sentience

    Confirmed: UK Government WILL Acknowledge Animal Sentience

    Government ‘makes good on its promises’ with draft Bill on animal sentience, says British Veterinary Association.

    Animal lovers were horrified to learn there was a possibility that animal sentience was not going to be recognised by the UK government following a vote on the EU withdrawal bill. It’s fair to say outrage across social media and other outlets was voiced loudly.

    Responding to the campaign to enshrine Article 13 of the Lisbon Treaty into UK law, the Government has today (12 December) published a draft Bill, which sets out that the government “must have regard to the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings in formulating and implementing government policy”.

    https://i.imgur.com/T7qnBnL.png

    The draft Bill goes further than Article 13 as it applies to all areas of government policy, rather than specified areas of policy. If passed, the law would apply to the whole of the UK.

    Responding to Michael Gove’s announcement, British Veterinary Association (BVA) President John Fishwick said:

    “Vets have been clear in our calls that the duty on the state to have due regard for animal welfare – as captured in Article 13 of the EU Lisbon Treaty – must be enshrined in UK law. This Bill captures the substantive obligation that Article 13 currently puts on the national government to consider animal welfare, as well as explicitly recognising animals as sentient beings.

    “Today’s draft Bill lays out in black and white the Government making good on its promises, to ensure the UK remains a global leader in animal welfare post-Brexit.”

    BVA has been campaigning on the issue of Article 13. Mr Fishwick added:

    “BVA has been at the forefront of this conversation, speaking out for our members on BBC Radio 4’s agenda-setting Today programme, coordinating a 1200-strong Open Letter to the Daily Telegraph with the British Veterinary Nursing Association as well as having behind-the-scenes conversations with MPs and civil servants. This is a real win at national level for the veterinary professions.”

    The new law will also increase the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty tenfold, from six months to five years, in England and Wales.

    Subject to consultation on the draft Bill, the Government will legislate to deliver both aims.

    The RSPCA joined the BVA in acknowledging the importance of recognising animal sentience. In a statement, the charity said?

    The RSPCA welcomes the news that the Government is publishing a new animal welfare bill to increase sentences for animal cruelty and also recognise animal sentience in domestic law.

    The RSPCA’s latest figures reveal just 6.5% of people we prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act this year received an immediate prison sentence.

    Michael Ward, interim chief executive of the RSPCA, said: “It’s great news that the Government has committed to bringing in tougher sentences in England and Wales.

    “Sadly, every year, our inspectors are faced with sickening cases of animal abuse, cruelty and neglect.

    “And while, in as many cases as possible, we seek to deal with complaints of animal cruelty using preventative measures such as education and advice, sometimes we feel it is necessary to bring animal abusers before the courts for punishment.

    “This year our officers have seen shocking cases of horses being hit repeatedly with wood, pets being beaten to death by their owners, and dogs being kept in cold, concrete pens coated in their own filth.

    “As the cruelty continues to shock us, so too do the sentences handed out to such cold-hearted and cruel individuals. Of the 40 people who received immediate jail terms in RSPCA prosecutions this year so far, just 14 were given sentences towards the upper limit of six months.”

    In 2017 so far (up to 8 December), just 40 people have received immediate jail sentences – 6.5% of the 620 people convicted – having been convicted of an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

    While the RSPCA – which takes on more than 80% of all prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act – has seen a number of extremely violent cases of deliberate cruelty to animals and distressing incidents of neglect of pets, just 2.3% of those convicted faced a jail term towards the six-month period (the maximum jail sentence under the Animal Welfare Act).

    The current maximum sentence, if prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, is six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine. However, for some time, the RSPCA has been calling for that sentence to be increased to five years – bringing England and Wales into line with Northern Ireland and other European countries.

    The new draft bill also sets out that the Government recognises that animals are sentient beings – that they have the same capacity to feel joy and pleasure, as well as pain and suffering and that the Government will take this into account when formulating new policy.

    RSPCA Head of Public Affairs David Bowles said:

    “To include the recognition of animal sentience as well as increasing animal cruelty sentencing to 5 years into the new 2018 Animal Welfare Bill is a very bold and welcome move by the Government.

    “We warmly welcome measures to evaluate government policy against animal sentience and we await further detail.”

  • The State of Pedigree Dogs & Pedigree Dog Breeding

    The State of Pedigree Dogs & Pedigree Dog Breeding

    Pedigree dog breeding in the UK: a major welfare concern? by Dr Nicola Rooney and Dr David Sargan was published in 2009. It makes for very interesting, if not sobering reading.

    So, how are we doing in 2016 following the details of this report and the recommendations within it?

  • Going Undercover to Bring Down the Puppy Farmers

    Going Undercover to Bring Down the Puppy Farmers

    Undercover RSPCA Special Operations Unit inspector lifts the lid on what it is like to expose callous puppy dealers.

    “As a Special Operations Unit Inspector investigating the puppy trade comes as quite a challenge. The activity of selling puppies in itself is not illegal yet the volume of suffering puppies can be staggering.

    The first thing that becomes very apparent with some of the cases I’ve investigated is that these poor puppies are nothing but a commodity to the dealers.

    “The members of the public buying the dogs are nothing but a target, a cash cow, a means to an end. These dealers have forgotten you and your puppy before you walk out the door. Your story and the health of your puppy means nothing to them. Please do not be fooled into thinking it does.

    “Walking into the dealer’s premises has at times been quite impressive. The level of organisation required to achieve high turnover puppy sales is considerable. We have found large numbers of mobile phones with initials of dog breeds on the back. This system is so the dealers knows when the YT phone rings they need to talk about Yorkshire Terriers or the POM phone rings they talk about Pomeranians.

    “It takes a degree of skill to keep pulling the wool over buyers eyes all day everyday. From answering the phones when buyers respond to the fluffy adverts to arranging the sales with enough time allowed for each person to believe they have had a genuine experience and not bump into the next buyer on their way out.

    “The stories as to why the bitch can’t be viewed are plausible. The ‘pedigree’ papers are high quality glossy brochures with professionally printed embossed certificates.

    “To see such high volumes of very young puppies in the dealers kennels is just heartbreaking. All each puppy wants is to be cuddled, loved and feel safe like it did before being prematurely wrenched away from it’s mother. If only they could tell you of the traumatic journey they have already made in their short lives.

    “The cheapest puppies that make the highest profits come from Eastern Europe and Ireland. The disease risk associated with importing these puppies is very high. Not only to the dogs themselves but to the public of the UK. For example some of these puppies are brought in from Rabies endemic countries. Many carry zoonotic diseases such as Campylobacter and Giardia. Also skin conditions such mange and ringworm.

    “It feels good as an SOU Inspector to know that the RSPCA will now care for and do our very best to find each one a loving new home, but I can’t help but wish there wasn’t such a demand for these puppies in the first place.

    “It’s a bitter pill for an RSPCA inspector to swallow to know that our animal centres are bursting at the seams with unwanted dogs yet these organised criminals are literally bringing these puppies in by the bucket load and making thousands of pounds a week exploiting them and the British public.

    When taking witness statements from the buyers it is obvious that these puppies very quickly become more than just a pet, they became a member of their family.

    “When the puppy becomes ill or dies the buyers are left devastated. One of the most upsetting stories I heard was one of a five-year-old little boy finding his beloved first pet dying in a pool of its own blood only 24 hours after purchase. This little boy’s puppy died at the vets and he suffered night terrors as a result.

    “Not only have the buyers been conned out of hundreds of pounds when buying the puppy but they are often left with huge vets bills to pay, whether the puppy survives or not.

    “These buyers are not foolish. They are ordinary hard working people who genuinely wanted to give a dog a good home.

    “The well written adverts, the fake documentation and the façade of authenticity that these dealers create leads the buyers to believe they are purchasing a well breed, pedigree puppy from a loving UK home. They couldn’t be more wrong.”

    This RSPCA inspector’s identity has been concealed for their own security.

    The RSPCA is now launching the #ScrapThePuppyTrade campaign, calling on the UK government to introduce the ‘Puppy Dealers Act’ in England to stop the unscrupulous trade in puppies. The charity believes huge numbers of sick, under-age and dying puppies – sold to unsuspecting buyers for huge profits, and most likely costing the economy huge sums in untaxed income – are being trafficked into the UK each year.

    Please visit www.rspca.org.uk/scrapthepuppytrade to sign the petition and show your support.

  • Puppies Not as Important as Scrap Metal According to the Law

    Puppies Not as Important as Scrap Metal According to the Law

    RSPCA launches #ScrapThePuppyTrade campaign to bring in laws to protect puppies from callous and cruel puppy dealers.

    The RSPCA has today issued a call for the UK govt to act more decisively in preventing the sick trade of puppy farming. The charity says:

    Puppies are being treated worse than scrap metal, according to the RSPCA which today launched a petition calling on the UK Government to clamp down on people selling sick dogs in England.

    Due to its low cost, low risk and high yield appeal, puppy dealing is an attractive option for people willing to make money at the expense of puppies’ health and welfare and the heartache of families up and down the country.

    puppy photo

    The charity says that more laws exist to regulate the trade in scrap metal than the puppies and has launched a petition calling on the Westminster to introduce the ‘Puppy Dealers Act’ in England and clampdown on puppy dealers in the same way.

    RSPCA chief vet James Yeates said: “Puppy trafficking is big business with dealers getting rich and leaving a trail of dead puppies and heartbroken families in their wake.

    “We believe these poor pups are bought in bulk by dealers looking for the highest profit margin. In many cases the puppies are too young to be away from their mothers and are sick when they are loaded onto vans, before travelling hundreds of miles.

    “In 2013 the government brought in new laws to tackle the criminal scrap metal trade in England. But now it’s puppies who are being traded like scrap with no regard for their welfare, or even if they live or die.

    “It is far too easy to sell puppies and current laws are failing puppies and their parents. The RSPCA wants to see Westminster treat the issue of puppy dealing in England as seriously as they did scrap metal and license anyone who sells a puppy.”

    The RSPCA is calling for mandatory licensing for anyone selling puppies in England to try to hit puppy trade as a whole – from organised illegal trafficking to opportunistic backstreet breeding. This would mean:

    ● Anyone selling a puppy must have a licence.

    ● Strong penalties & fines for anyone caught selling a puppy without a licence.

    ● A national database of puppy sellers (funded by licence fees) to aid enforcement.

    ● All internet and offline advertisers (like Pets4Homes, PreLoved, Friday Ad) must display the licence number of the seller in order to list an advert.

    “While this would not stop illegal trading altogether, it would help to remove the huge layer of unregulated puppy dealing we’re currently battling, it would give local authorities the tools they need to act and improve protections for puppy buyers,” added James.

    In response to a survey* carried out on behalf of the RSPCA in June 2015, more than 2 million (2,040,000) people said they had bought a puppy in the last year. The RSPCA believes that huge numbers of puppies are being trafficked into the country from other EU countries to meet the high demand for pedigree and designer cross-breed puppies in the UK.

    Only 63% of adults who have purchased a puppy within the last year surveyed were able to say they were confident that the person they bought the puppy from bred the puppy.

    This week the RSPCA uncovered the deception by one set of dealers who made around £140,000 a month in undeclared cash duping unsuspecting members of the public and selling them sick and suffering puppies.

    Under different guises this trio lied to buyers, telling them the puppies for sale had been bred in a homely, family environment and were the first litter. The reality was that weekly deliveries of pups arrived via the ferry from the Republic of Ireland and be kept in pods at a ‘holding’ address while advertised on the internet, before being sold from a network of rented residential properties set up to look like family homes.

    Puppies that died were callously dumped in wheelie bins.

    One victim of the deceit was Leanne Lamont from Glasgow (pictured). Her young Pomeranian puppy died in her arms just days after she travelled to England and unknowingly bought him from the underground puppy dealing ring.

    Leanne said: “I found the advert for the puppies online and everything seemed really good. They would only sell to loving homes, they would show outstanding examples of how tiny puppies should be bred and cared for. They seemed perfect.

    “When I arrived at the house I was met by a woman who told me her auntie was the breeder. The house was very clean and everything looked fine. She gave the impression these puppies were coming from a loving family home.”

    However Nacho was seriously ill and just days later took a turn for the worse and started having seizures and Leanne made the difficult decision to put her pet to sleep.

    She said: “He was incredibly ill and I didn’t want him to be in pain any more. I held him in my arms. He was just so tiny. All skin and bones. He was still gorgeous but just so very ill. The vet gave him the injection and he died there in my arms.”

    “They told me Nacho was 12 weeks old when I picked him up but I think he was closer to six weeks old. He was so ill. I just could not believe someone could be so cruel and calculating as those dealers.”

    The RSPCA is now urging people to join help tell Westminster that puppies are more precious than pieces of metal by signing our petition at www.rspca.org.uk/scrapthepuppytrade.

  • RSPCA Reiterates Serious Concerns About Crufts Dog Show

    RSPCA Reiterates Serious Concerns About Crufts Dog Show

    The RSPCA has welcomed the inclusion of a category for cross-breeds at this year’s Crufts – but insists all dogs should be judged on their health and welfare rather than their appearance.

    Britain’s biggest animal welfare charity is pleased to see the inclusion of Scruffts, alongside the Friends for Life class for rescue dogs, at Crufts 2013. However, it is still only a small step in the right direction with most classes being judged predominantly on the dogs’ physical looks.

    The RSPCA launched the Born To Suffer campaign in 2011 to calls for the Kennel Club’s breed standards to be reviewed by a panel of independent experts, so that they prioritise the health, welfare and temperament of the dogs over their appearance.

    The campaign petition has already received nearly 23,000 signatures from members of the public who share our view.

    RSPCA scientific officer Lisa Richards also welcomed Channel 4’s pledge to highlight the serious issues which continue to affect pedigree dogs – including exaggerated features and hereditary diseases – during its coverage of Crufts this year.

    She said: “Shows like Crufts focus predominantly on appearance when judging. This has a significant impact on the way that dogs are bred and so we want all classes to judge animals according to their heath, temperament and welfare, rather than focussing on how they look.

    “We’re concerned that many pedigree dogs are still suffering because they are bred and judged primarily on breed standards that need reviewing to ensure they address many of the recognised health concerns.

    “Although some progress has been made by the dog world to address these issues, it has not been nearly enough and the problems are far from being solved.

    “We believe that all of those who benefit from dogs have a collective responsibility to work together to ensure that the health and welfare of pedigree dogs is protected.”

    Three major reports were published on dog breeding in the UK in the 18 months following Pedigree Dogs Exposed. The documentary, first broadcast on BBC One more than four years ago, investigated some of the serious health and welfare issues experienced by many pedigree dogs as a result of the way they are bred.

    All three reports concluded that the welfare issues associated with pedigree dog breeding are extremely serious, while the recent EFRA report on dog control and welfare said that too many dogs continue to suffer ill-health due to inbreeding and breeding for exaggerated characteristics, and there is still much to be done to protect the future health of dogs.