This is puppy farm dealer Stacey Jane Hayward, born 20/10/1980, previously of Crays Hill, Billericay, and from early 2020 of 15 Colliford Road, West Thurrock, Grays, Essex RM20 3BN. Hayward used to sell puppies sourced from squalid Welsh puppy farms from a shop in Chadwell Heath called Puppies World and still trades now under a pet shop licence, albeit from a private address.

She advertises her pups online via classified sites. These are two of her adverts.

Hayward, who also has convictions for drug dealing as well as shop-lifting, drink-driving and fraud and seems to move in “gangsta” circles, was first exposed in a Welsh TV documentary on puppy farms during which she sold a boxer pup to an undercover reporter.

She claimed that the puppy had been bred privately, fully health-checked and came with breeding certificates, etc. That puppy was later examined by a vet and found to be underweight and riddled with worms.

The paperwork Hayward provided was described as “meaningless”.

She boasted to one dissatisfied customer who had bought a sickly pup from her that she was making £8,000 per week from what she does and didn’t “give a shit” about her complaint.

Undeterred by the media exposure – the lure of £££ proving too attractive – Hayward continues to trade in farmed puppies using the names Oak Tree Puppies or Wickford Pets. Richard James Kendall – a middleman for many Welsh puppy farm is known to be a supplier.

Instead of finding a legitimate way to earn a living, Stacey Hayward, at least two of her partners (ex Randolph John-Lewis and the current one Steven Foster), and even her parents Geoff and Debbie Hayward who are based in Swindon, continue to make money from the suffering of farmed dogs and puppies.

Echo 16/06/2015

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Update October 2022

On Friday 14 October 2022 Stacey Hayward was finally brought to justice in relation to her illegal and unethical puppy selling antics. She alongside three others – Kelly and Ricky Bennett of Chafford Hundred, Grays, and current partner Steven Foster – pleaded guilty to fraud and acquiring criminal property and was jailed for 47 months.

Kelly Bennett also indicated guilty pleas for two offences under the Animal Welfare Act while Ricky Bennett indicated a guilty plea to one animal welfare offence.

Kelly Bennett was jailed for 49 months while Ricky Bennett was jailed for three years for the fraud and animal welfare act crimes as well as separate assault, criminal damage and money laundering charges. The assault charge related to an attack on his wife and children while high on cocaine.

In court Hayward and Kelly Bennett sobbed in the dock as the grim details of their operation were revealed to the court.

The court heard that the ring sold 36 dogs illegally, 31 ended up sick and 9 of which died.

Dead puppies were found stored at properties belonging to Stacey Hayward and Kelly and Ricky Bennett in Essex along with others living in squalid conditions.

Messages shared between the group included ‘jokes’ about selling people a “dodgy dog”.

An RSPCA investigation were first launched into the group in 2019 following numerous complaints by members of the public about the sale of puppies with severe illness with some later dying from conditions such as parvovirus.

Summarising the case to the court, prosecutor Hazel Stevens said: “Members of the public made complaints to the local authority and RSPCA about puppy purchases on the premises who soon became ill. More people have subsequently come forward from publicity of this case with puppies that are sick.”

Ms Stevens shared how Kelly Bennett had bred her own dog “back to back”, with “no thought for her welfare” and no medical treatment from the vets. She said that it “was simply a breeding exercise for profit”. I

t was also revealed that Bennett had gone on a holiday to Jamaica and left her heavily pregnant dog with a friend.

One woman, who purchased her puppy from Hayward in Billericay in 2019 named Mabel, noticed the puppies were “nervous, scared and clinging to each other”, and that looking back now, “all the warning signs were there”, but despite this, she had fallen for Mabel and wanted to give her the best life possible.

On July 19, Mabel deteriorated and was taken to a vet, which confirmed she had parvovirus. The woman continued in her statement claiming that Hayward had been “dismissive” when she called her telling her about the virus, and allegedly said it was “a load of rubbish, the vets always say parvovirus”.

However, the next day, the vet called the woman to say Mabel had deteriorated overnight. The woman continued: “When I saw her she was lifeless. It will be an image I will never get out of my head. I said to the vets that it was best to put her to sleep.”

It is believed that the puppies were from Welsh puppy farms

Ms Stevens read out other tragic stories included a family who bought a Shih Tzu puppy from Hayward, who called herself “Lisa” in the adverts. The puppy wouldn’t eat or drink and suffered diarrhea, at one point collapsing. Ms Stevens said: “She returned the puppy to Hayward who claimed there was nothing wrong with it.

“They were extremely distressed as it was the first time they had bought a dog. Another puppy was described as terrified it ate so quickly it was almost choking. Another puppy suffered vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding. [They] responded and said she should give her boiled chicken and not take them to the vets.”

Ms Stevens said that Kelly Bennett had claimed to another victim the dog must have become ill in the vet’s car, and she called one woman a “fing p…”.

Ms Stevens continued: “The defendants exploited the emotional vulnerability of the purchasers; they attended with children to see the new member of the family.

“They were pressurised to buy the puppy as [they said] others were wanting to see the puppy. People are appalled at this callous use of puppies as commodities. £43,000 in total [were spent] for vets bills by the victim.

“One victim was so traumatised as she felt guilty that she put her family through it as it was her idea to get a dog. Another person’s six year old son [whose puppy died] cries as he goes to sleep and asked what he did wrong.” Other families also caught viruses from the dogs they had purchased.

Nine puppies were found living in a shed at the rear of the garden at Colliford Road; they were all seized and taken into care. One tested positive for parvovirus and sadly died but the others, who were suffering from Giardia and other health problems, made full recoveries and were rehomed.

At Weymouth Drive, officers found three adult spaniels, five cocker spaniel puppies and two dead spaniel puppies which ‘appeared to have been dead for days’, Hazel said. The court heard that the litter of spaniel puppies tested positive for Giardia, a small parasite that attacks the intestines.

Search warrants were executed at both properties and puppies were found to be present at both with some adult dogs. Dead puppies were also found at both properties in the fridge: two at Weymouth and one at Colliford.

Seizure of paperwork and phones further demonstrates the links between the two addresses and there is evidence of Hayward delivering to Bennett’s address.

When authorities raided the properties, Ms Stevens told the court there were many high end goods there, including multiple Rolex watches, Gucci handbags and £43,000 in cash.

Text messages exchanged between the defendants included jokes about the health of the puppies, such as one which read “sell them a dodgy dog lol”.

In total, the RSPCA said Hayward intended to make £550,000 from the fraud, while the Bennetts intended to make £300,000, totalling £850,000.

Mitigation for Kelly Bennett said she was aware of the culpability of her criminality and that the threshold for going to jail has been crossed. However, it was argued she has a background of being a victim of violence and suffers from mental and physical health difficulties of her own.

Mitigation for Hayward said she had endured medical issues with her father and her young baby, and that she had been a single parent for a number of years, with her new baby living with her parents depending on the conclusion of the sentencing.

Judge Shane Collery branded the operation as “cynical and calculated”. He said: “It was to deceive buyers that they were buying fit, home-bred animals, which they were not. They were puppy farm bred animals and this breeders had to know that these were emotional purchases, some of them present with children.

“The emails exchanged [with customers] showed a blythe disinterest. The use of puppy farmed animals increased your profits and I am satisfied that was your main concern. You lived the high life with high end cars and Mediterranean holidays. Covid increased your market. Puppy farm prices went up but so did your profits.”

The judge touched upon the removal of Hayward’s licence to sell puppies due to how many were reported sick, but she “didn’t get the message” as she continued to sell them and that they were all reluctant to take dogs to the vets because it would cost them.

The judge also remarked on how Hayward, despite not having a child for the past 11 years, chose to conceive with an impending trial ahead of her, and that it was “hard to ignore” the possibility that the pregnancy could have been used “as a device” in the proceedings.

Essex Live