CONVICTED (2022) | backyard breeders Alexander D Johnson, born 26 January 1990, of Elmsmere Road, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent ST2 8EF, Ryan Woodward, born 24 December 1997, of Forest Court, Union Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 5AD, and Mickey T Nolan, born 22 January 1991, of Victoria Road, Carlisle CA1 2SJ – for painful ear cropping which left puppies in a semi-comatose state.
The animals, who were around 8 to 10 weeks old at the time, suffered considerable pain and had to undergo surgery after they were rescued from a house in Stoke-on-Trent.
The man who inflicted their injuries – well-known animal abuser (and alleged dog fighter) Alex Johnson – admitted carrying out a prohibited procedure. Johnston was previously banned from keeping dogs for five years after a 2019 conviction . This time he received a 24-week prison sentence and his ban (blatantly ignored) was extended to life.
Ryan Woodward was jailed for 19 weeks after pleading guilty to a charge of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring Johnson to carry out the procedure.
Mickey Nolan – an MMA fighter – was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, having pleaded guilty to either permitting the action to take place or failing to take steps to prevent it.
Woodward and Nolan were both disqualified from keeping dogs for 15 years.
The prosecution followed months of investigation by the RSPCA, with the much-missed Animal Protection Services providing the charity with crucial intelligence from their own enquiries into Alex Johnson’s shady activities.
The three injured puppies, plus three others, were seized by police from an address in Hanley in November 2020, along with a host of evidence.
In a written statement to the court, RSPCA inspector Jenny Bethel said a black cosmetic bag and a black rucksack were later handed over to her by police.
She said: “The bag contained syringes, needles, surgical scissors and blades, three empty 10mg bottles of Sedivet for horses, one empty bottle of ketamine, empty vaccination bottles, pliers and a staple gun with blood on it.”
Meanwhile, surgical masks, an opened box of latex gloves, syringes, needles, surgical tape and an empty rabies vaccination bottle were among the items found in the rucksack.
All six puppies were taken to a vet to be checked, vaccinated and microchipped, before the ones that had endured the cropping underwent surgery at the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford.
An independent expert veterinary report, also presented to the court, said the cropping would have caused unnecessary suffering, despite the puppies being anaesthetised, with considerable pain following the procedure.
They were all signed over to the RSPCA and have since been rehomed.
Following the sentencing hearing, Ms Bethel said: “All six puppies have grown into beautiful dogs, are a credit to their fosterers and have gone on to find amazing forever homes.”
PC Rebecca Tyler, of Staffordshire Police, added: “This is something that my colleagues and I will remember for the rest of our careers. We are glad that the puppies were recovered and have found loving homes.”
