Security industry cases involve cruelty, neglect, or unsafe handling of animals—primarily dogs—used within security, guarding, or protection roles. Offences often include dogs kept in unsuitable or hazardous conditions, inadequate food or water, prolonged confinement, failure to provide rest or shelter, or animals worked beyond safe physical limits.
Many incidents involve unlicensed handlers, poorly run security companies, or dogs used as weapons in criminal or semi‑criminal environments. Dogs may be abandoned in security kennels, left in vehicles for extended periods, kept in filthy compounds, or subjected to harsh or dangerous training methods.
Security dogs are particularly vulnerable due to long working hours, high‑stress environments, and the use of animals by individuals or companies prioritising profit or operational convenience over welfare. This category identifies cases where harm occurs within the security or protection industry, with specific offence types classified under the relevant cruelty or crime categories.
CONVICTED (2026) | Jawad Nadeem, born c. 2004, of Uxbridge Road, Slough SL1: left one ‘security’ dog in the boot of a car on the hottest day of the year and kept another in a tiny cage in direct sunlight.
Nadeem, who is thought to have come to the UK from Karachi, Pakistan, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Baxter
The offence took place on Wordsworth Road in Slough on June 19, 2025. Police were called at 12.50pm and found a German Shepherd locked inside the boot of a car.
Nadeem, the registered owner of the vehicle, admitted to police that he had left the dog in the boot for at least three hours.
The dog, named Baxter, was found distressed, dehydrated, and overheating and was taken to a veterinary clinic for emergency treatment.
Vets also discovered he had an untreated degenerative condition in his rear leg that required surgery.
The second dog has never been found.
The following day, neighbours reported that Nadeem had placed another German Shepherd in a wire crate in direct sunlight in a rear garden.
By the time police and council officers arrived, both Nadeem and the dog had left the property.
He was later traced to Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, where he was arrested.
Pakistan national Jawad Nadeem is a student at Royal Holloway, University of London.
During police questioning, Nadeem gave a no-comment interview and refused to say where he had left the second dog.
Ian Blake who led the investigation for Slough Borough Council said: “It was also believed that there were more than just these two dogs involved in this as Jawad Nadeem appeared to be operating as a so-called security dog handler regularly transporting dogs in this activity.”
Following a council prosecution, Nadeem initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty.
During sentencing, Nadeem claimed he needed a dog for work purposes.
Baxter, the only dog located, made a full recovery, received necessary surgery, and has since been rehomed as a family pet.
Sentencing | 200 hours of unpaid work; ordered to pay prosecution costs of £5,102 and a £114 victim surcharge. He is banned from owning, keeping, or being involved with animals for 10 years (expires June 2036).
CONVICTED (2025) | Marghani Mohamed Noor Albadawi, born January 1987, of 83 Gerrard Close, Aston, Birmingham B19 2HS – left a security dog in agony with a prong collar embedded in his neck.
Self-employed security dog handler Albadawi, who came to the UK from Sudan, pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences in relation to a German Shepherd called Mac, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
He admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Mac by applying a prong collar tightly to the dog’s neck.
The court heard that Albadawi took Mac to a vet with a ‘wet, smelly’ neck but claimed he didn’t know what had caused it..
The vet found the dog’s prong collar was completely embedded all the way around.
He was also wearing a regular choke chain collar and a normal dog collar that were also both covered in puss.
The vet had to sedate Mac but the swelling was so bad they couldn’t get the collar over his head and had to get bolt cutters from a nearby mechanic to cut the collar off.
Following veterinary care, Mac’s neck healed; however he was ultimately euthanised after being diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia, which had also gone untreated. Due to his advanced age, poor prognosis and state of suffering the difficult decision was taken to put him to sleep.
Inspector Patrick Bailey, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said: “Mac suffered horrendous injuries from this barbaric collar.
“This is sadly just one of many examples I have seen first hand where their use causes significant pain and suffering. Mac’s suffering was entirely avoidable.
“He must have been in considerable pain and discomfort yet he continued to go to work with Albadawi due to his loyal nature and strong understanding of what was expected of him.
“At the point he was presented to the vet by Albadawi for a suspected problem with his neck, the veterinary staff were shocked to find Mac’s lead was still being connected to the prong collar.
“It’s heartbreaking to think Mac had to suffer in this way and saddening to think that Albadawi failed to notice what was happening to him.
“When you rely on your dog for your employment and for financial gain, I feel you should lead by example with animal welfare. Mac was let down by Albadawi. I am disappointed that he failed to notice what was wrong in a timely manner, and in doing so caused Mac to suffer unnecessarily”.
Sentencing | 12-week custodial, suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work; £400 costs plus £154 victim surcharge. Eight year ban on keeping animals (expires October 2033).
CONVICTED (2023) | puppy and kitten farmer Daanyaal Chowdhury, born 29 April 1993, a serial animal abuser of Meldon Road, Longsight, Manchester M13 0TT* but with links to east London and Chadwell St Mary, Grays, Essex – kept dozens of starving animals in inhumane conditions.
Daanyaal Chowdhury admitted causing unnecessary suffering to dozens of cats and dogs at his Perthshire farm.
In a shocking case involving the “widespread and indiscriminate neglect” of dozens of cats and dogs on a breeding facility in rural Perthshire, Daanyaal Chowdhury was convicted of multiple animal cruelty offences but only received a community sentence.
Footage showing grim and inhumane conditions on Daanyaal Chowdhury’s “chaotic and hazardous” puppy farm
Chowdhury’s company K9 Cube Limited provided animals to work in security and as sniffer dogs and had used South Cairnies Farm Cottage, Glenalmond, Perth PH1 3RY as a hub for a large-scale breeding operation.
German shepherd Sophie – also known as Stacy – had chronic skin disease, wounds between her toes, hair loss and overgrown nails
Some 32 dogs, including multiple German Shepherds, were found living in their own waste in homemade kennels, starving and with no water, along with 17 kittens and 16 cats
The alarm was raised after Chowdhury sent a diseased German Shepherd pup named Sophie to the vets.
Animal welfare officers found more than 60 cats and dogs living in extreme squalor at South Cairnies Farm Cottage, which is around 12 miles from Perth city centre
The Scottish SPCA were called in and a warrant was obtained to search the premises on October 28, 2020.
Inspectors found South Cairnies Farm Cottage to be ‘chaotic and hazardous’ with homemade kennels and various broken items scattered about.
Inspectors descended on the dilapidated site after local vets raised the alarm
An initial search found groups of puppies and kittens within three rooms of the cottage. No food or water was evident, the rooms were wet and dirty, as were the puppies and there was an extremely strong smell of faeces and urine.
Some of the dogs were living in outdoor kennels without natural light or flooring, while others had been completely exposed to the wind and rain
The homemade kennels at the rear of the property housed a number of large breed dogs. The kennels, where they had shelter, were not watertight. They all were filthy and strewn with urine and faeces; most had no water or bedding.
homemade kennels housed a number of large breed dogs
Some of the dogs were living in outdoor kennels without natural light or flooring, while others had been completely exposed to the wind and rain.
The cats were kept in a separate building. Again, the living areas were dirty and covered in faeces and there was no water. The plyboard walls and roof of the structure were wet and mouldy.
The accommodation for the cats was equally poor. No water had been provided and the plyboard walls and roof were wet and mouldy
A veterinary witness examined 32 dogs, 17 kittens and 16 cats at the property. They found multiple dermatological, respiratory, ophthalmic, and ear related diseases.
A Bengal cat called Bella, who had eye conditions, respiratory problems and neurological disease including severe ataxia had to be euthanised on welfare grounds.
A court hearing in October 2021 in relation to a Scottish SPCA civil case against Chowdhury’s firm K9 Cube heard that one dog required to be put to sleep, six suffered hip dysplasia, seven puppies had dermatitis, four had inflamed ears, six had dental disease or fractures, and the cats were suffering from conjunctivitis and ear mite infestation.
Young puppies were living in extreme squalor, with no food or water.
Of 49 puppies born from the dogs seized, eight passed away shortly after birth, one was put to sleep with a neurological condition and seven were born with congenital deformity and either passed away or were put to sleep as a result of their condition.
In court on May 25, 2023, Chowdhury admitted three animal welfare offences. These were that as the person responsible for animals, by act or omission he caused them unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate care or treatment and failing to get veterinary advice or treatment for health conditions.
Between April 20 and October 28 2020, he failed to treat:
A black and tan German Shepherd called Sophie, found with a chronic skin disease and wounds between her toes;
Dolly, a female Spanish Mastiff-type dog which had dermatitis, eczema, an infected wound, hair loss and a matted coat;
Dogs Sky, Lexi and Kilo which suffered orthopaedic conditions including degrees of dysplasia;
Dogs Kilo, Nancy, Coco, Roxy and Diago, all suffering from dental diseases such as fractured teeth.
Neglected cats kept in homemade cages
He further pleaded guilty to causing suffering to 15 cats – including one which later died – which had ear mite infestations and conjunctivitis.
Chowdhury also admitted he failed to provide suitable accommodation for all 33 dogs, 17 puppies and 16 cats.
The homemade kennels had no natural or artificial light, and most had no bedding or shelter from the elements
The court heard the animals were exposed to waste, loose and exposed electrical cables and garden debris hazards.
They did not have adequate resting areas, dry bedding or proper shelter from the elements.
He further failed to provide some of the animals with adequate ventilation, light, hydration and nutrition.
The vast majority of animals seized were female, and many were pregnant
Chowdhury originally denied all charges, blaming a man who was employed to manage the site on his behalf.
He changed his plea to guilty on the morning of his trial, after accepting ultimate responsibility for the animals’ welfare.
He was ordered to complete 90 hours of unpaid work and will be subject to a one-year supervision order. He was banned from keeping animals for just five years.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland said he had decided against imposing a custodial sentence, after hearing that Chowdhury had lost his livelihood with K9 Cube now bankrupt and owing creditors some £360,000.
Source: The Courier
Following the hearing, bitter Chowdhury complained to court reporters that he had been treated “like a drug dealer” by police.
He said: “I wasn’t based at the farm. Because of Covid, I couldn’t travel and our business went to zero. All of our dogs were kennelled.
“I spent hundreds of thousands of pounds there, but we had six members of staff who weren’t doing their jobs correctly.
“Unfortunately, the charges were only brought against me, on the day I wasn’t there.
“I feel that has been a miscarriage of justice because why were the people there not charged?”
Chowdhury said the business had operated out of the site for three years previously, with no issues.
The Scottish SPCA slammed the sentence, however, with inspector Katherine Aitchison saying: “We are extremely disappointed at this lenient sentencing, considering the appalling conditions these animals were kept in.
Following the October 2020 raid on Chowdhury’s farm the Scottish SPCA launched an urgent appeal for donations to provide care and rehabilitation services for the rescued animals
“The dogs and cats in his care clearly suffered and a harsher sentence should have been given.”
She added: “Chowdhury has undoubtedly shown that he was not able to provide his animals with the care they needed, and we would have hoped this to be reflected in a ban on owning or keeping animals.”
Dogs were crammed into filthy makeshift kennels
Helen Nisbet, Procurator Fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: “This was a case of widespread and indiscriminate neglect where cats, dogs and puppies were caused unnecessary suffering.
“This suffering was entirely preventable and could have been avoided by proper management and timely veterinary involvement.
“Instead, Daanyaal Chowdhury failed to provide the animals he was responsible for with an adequate environment and kept them in terrible, inhumane conditions. He failed to provide proper care and treatment and protect them from disease.
“I would like to thank the Scottish SPCA and Police Scotland for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.
“The Procurator Fiscal will continue to hold to account those who would commit such crimes and we would urge anyone with information of animal neglect to contact the police or the Scottish SPCA.”
Most of the animals were rehomed by the SSPCA following its successful civil case against Chowdhury’s company in October 2021. The charity was granted permission to move on “or otherwise dispose of” the surviving animals after the court heard that its bills for the seizure and temporary accommodation for the animals was rapidly approaching £100,000.
K9 Cube Ltd – which claimed to have been adversely affected by the Covid lockdown – sought to have the animals returned as they were “integral assets” to the company.
K9 Cube Ltd was also find liable for the expenses of the court proceedings.
Sentencing | 12-month supervision order; 90 hours of unpaid work. Five-year ban on owning, keeping or dealing in animals (expires May 2028).
“It was all just horrific” | former workers describe the atrocities they witnessed at Daanyaal Chowdhury’s breeding hub
In various interviews with the media, former employees of Daanyaal Chowdhury laid bare the shocking conditions dozens of dogs and cats were subjected to on his farm.
Speaking to local newspaper The Courier (see also here), Tiegan Walker said she cried and quit on her first day after seeing the “horrific” conditions animals were living in.
Source: The Courier
Tiegan responded to an advert posted on Gumtree for an “in house dog and cat carer and cleaner” offering £1,000 a month to live on the site.
The advert stated the owners bred German Shepherds.
The qualified animal care worker was left in tears after witnessing the “horrible” conditions the animals were being kept in and reported the owner to the authorities.
Tiegan said she had seen blind kittens walking in circles, a German Shepherd and her puppies forced to live in a cramped cupboard and a host of overbred females.
Chowdhury told Tiegan that at the height of business, before lockdown, he had around 125 animals living on the property.
She said: “I wasn’t allowed out the back because the dogs were too aggressive, but from what I could see there was around 10 but there must have been more because they were so noisy.
“Inside they must have had three litters of puppies plus their mums and then they had litters of kittens – about 20 of them.
“They were Bengal cats and they were kept in horrific conditions.”
She said the younger kittens were inside but the older cats were forced outside into kennels despite horrible weather conditions.
Tiegan added: “There were Akita puppies and I don’t even know where the mum was.
“They told me the Akita had killed her own puppies so they had taken them away and given them to the German Shepherd.
“It was all just horrific. They had the big German Shepherd, it was such a lovely dog, in a cupboard with the puppies.
“There was nowhere for her to move and there was no water for her.
“She was such a happy dog and for them to (do) that was just cruel.”
Tiegan said she also witnessed puppies living in the bathroom of the house and believes dogs were being allowed to mix-breed purely to create more puppies.
She said: “It’s just disgusting. I just don’t know how someone can do that.
“He told me that before I arrived there had been a litter of puppies who had all died from a disease.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I cried. It’s so sad.”
A second person, who wished to remain anonymous, spent less than half a day working at the property before fleeing in horror and alerting the authorities.
They said: “(I) was shown into a dirty house and asked to clean out a room with approximately eight German Shepherd puppies in it.
“It was covered in faeces and urine, and the puppies were wet and cold and (had) no food or water – until I took them some.
“No adult dogs were with them. There were three rooms like this then an outdoor kennels.
“These kennels were again dirty with no beds, food, water or any heating, there were two dogs to each kennel and were numbered rather than named.
“There were also a large number of dogs in a field that appeared older. These all weren’t German Shepherds.
“Some of the puppies did not seem in great health, some were missing eyes and limbs.”
He stayed at the cottage in Glenalmond for many months and claims he was not paid. With no money and living in a rural location he was unfamiliar with, the worker said he felt stuck in the situation.
He also claimed to have buried many puppies that did not survive.
“A lot of puppies died,” he said.
“I buried a lot of puppies myself, dogs too.
“Because when you are alone, and I am not a vet, sometimes you don’t notice but some of them got sick and they died.
“A lot of puppies died because it was cold. I didn’t really know how to take care of puppies.”
He also believes the female dogs suffered from overbreeding which caused problems with their litters.
A local from the area said he reported the property to the Scottish SPCA around 18 months earlier.
“You can hear the dogs non-stop,” he said.
“At that time they were being kept in polytunnels, in cages, in intense heat.
“All the dogs were kept out the back but if someone came to look at a dog they would take them to the front.
“They had far too many dogs. If anyone went near the place they would all just set off.
“This has been going on for 18 months. I was one of the first people to contact the SSPCA and at that time there were about 30 dogs.”
The local added that during lockdown the property was being visited frequently by people buying puppies.
Scottish SPCA and Perth and Kinross Council under fire after 18 months of complaints about Chowdhury’s puppy farm
In late December 2020, The Courier published an in-depth article on the case and highlighted the apparent failings of the authorities to take action against Daanyaal Chowdhury at a much earlier stage.
Investigative journalists Sean O’Neil and Blair Dingwall reported they had seen letters from Karen Reid, chief executive of Perth and Kinross Council and Scottish SPCA boss Kirsteen Campbell where they admit that their respective officers had visited Chowdhury’s establishment in June 2019.
The documents stated both council officers and Scottish SPCA officers were happy with the way the dogs were being kept but noted some animals were currently housed in “temporary shelters”.
Ms Reid claimed in her letter, dated October 8, 2019, that “there is no evidence to suggest that a dog breeding licence is currently required”.
However in the same letter the chief executive stated: “(The animal welfare officer) considers the levels of noise from the establishment as typical from a dog breeding environment.”
It confirmed the local authority had received two complaints from different people regarding the property and an investigation was being carried out.
It said neglect allegations were “unsubstantiated” – but that officers would continue to visit the property over complaints alleging “animal cruelty, neglect and activities associated with puppy farming”.
Scottish SPCA chief executive Kirsteen Campbell stated in her letter, dated September 23 2019, that officers had viewed “several dogs” during a June 2019 visit which were being kept in “an adequate temporary shelter” while a permanent shelter was being built.
During a follow-up visit in July 2019, officers were “comfortable improvements had been made and were reassured the owner was keen to continue to make these”.
Ms Campbell wrote: “We can only act on the evidence we see and gather whilst investigating at the time.
“On every occasion we’ve visited, the owner has been fully cooperative and all advice regarding welfare and living conditions has been followed.”
The animal welfare charity refused to say if owners were given advance warning of visits by animal welfare officers.
Numerous locals hit out at the authorities’ responses and questioned why the raid took so long to take place.
Speaking in late December 2020 one resident said: “The whole thing has been going on for 18 months and we have been trying to get answers for 18 months.
“It’s a complete whitewash. The whole thing was brushed under the carpet.
“Why did all these dogs and puppies have to suffer for 18 months because of inaction by the SSPCA and animal welfare? Why? It is appalling.”
Another told The Courier: “I have never been so disgusted with the lack of acknowledgement and intervention from the very authorities which are there to help animals and law abiding citizens live in a safe, clean and peaceful environment.”
One local asked: “Why did all these dogs and puppies have to suffer for 18 months?” due to apparent inaction by the authorities
The individual claimed the Scottish SPCA and council were alerted at least 16 months earlier when dogs were being kept in “cages, boxes, boots of cars, vans and in chains”.
Another person from the area said: “At that time they were being kept in polytunnels, in cages, in intense heat.
“All the dogs were kept out the back but if someone came to look at a dog they would take them to the front.
“They had far too many dogs. If anyone went near the place they would all just set off.
“This has been going on for 18 months. I was one of the first people to contact the SSPCA and at that time there were about 30 dogs.”
Another local said he was not surprised by the lack of action in a case that had frustrated and horrified nearby residents for the past 18 months.
He said: “It doesn’t surprise me whatsoever.
“I wasn’t there when the raid happened but they had plenty of time to arrest him, people reported when he was in the cottage. Surely someone should have been arrested.
“In the early days there was 15 or so people staying there. I couldn’t say if the cottage was ever empty but there was always cars going up and down.”
The resident told the Courier he couldn’t understand the lack of information available to locals from the Scottish SPCA.
He said: “We still can’t get our head around that no-one will give us any answers.
“How many puppies were sold down there? It must have been hundreds. It’s very hard to describe when puppies are yelping and you know they’re being hit. It’s so upsetting to hear.”
Perth and Kinross Council defended the length of time taken to investigate, while the Scottish SPCA insisted it would not comment on what was an ongoing case at the time.
A council spokesman said: “Perth and Kinross Council takes animal cruelty or neglect extremely seriously and we thoroughly investigate all allegations regarding the mistreatment of animals we receive.
“Our animal welfare officers were involved in a joint investigation with the SSPCA and Police Scotland into allegations of commercial breeding in rural Perthshire that resulted in last month’s raid.”
A long history of animal abuse? Previous allegations against Daanyaal Chowdhury
Before moving to his current address in Longsight, Manchester, Daanyaal Chowdhury lived at 49 Lea Road, Chadwell St Mary, Grays RM16 4DD with relative Abdullah Mahmood-Al Hassan Chowdhury. On April 21, 2019 a local animal lover took to Facebook to raise concerns about the welfare of two German shepherd-type dogs kept at the property. The woman alleged that the dogs were not only starved, but also beaten.
Her post included a photograph she had taken of Daanyaal Chowdhury and an image of his logo for K9 Cube.
Another Facebook user then uploaded a video which they’d taken from Chowdhury’s Instagram profile under username life_explore007 (now defunct) which showed him laughing as he poured champagne over a litter of young puppies in a bathtub.
Chowdhury also shared this image to his Instagram account showing some of his security dogs on a site, with their living conditions looking far from ideal:
The original post was shared across multiple animal groups, causing outrage.
One man decided to take matters into his own hands and pay Chowdhury’s premises a visit. He was horrified by what he found:
Feeling the pressure after the original post went viral, Chowdhury, described by one Facebook user as a wannabe gangster who had allegedly bragged about facing an attempted murder charge, removed all traces of his personal and company profiles from social media.
Pressure group campaign poster
The authorities also took action, but not on animal welfare grounds. Instead in July 2019 it was reported that the co-occupant of 49 Lea Road, Abdullah Al-Hassan Chowdhury, i.e. Daanyaal Chowdhury’s relative, had been fined around £12,000 by Thurrock Council for failing to comply with a noise abatement notice. The court heard that he had been keeping up to 20 dogs including Dobermans, Alsatians, Rottweilers and large crossbreeds at his home. and that they were being raised to work in the owner’s “security business”.
One neighbour told the local newspaper: “[The dogs] were living in what I can only describe as purgatory.
“No proper kennels, no decent food, no exercise or play.
“Often leaving these dogs shut up in make-do ‘kennels’ for days on end. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
“We were told by people living nearer to this house how the dog mess was never cleared, and the yard was never washed down. The number grew until there were 21.
“Some would be taken to work at night and the others would be left outside, often in bad weather.
“I witnessed the dogs being kicked, kneed and hit with sticks.”
The final straw for many residents was when they witnessed two of the dogs fighting in early June 2021, with neighbours forced to spray a hose over the fence in an attempt to separate them.
Residents stated one animal was “left in a pool of blood”, and it is unclear what has happened to the dog now.
Although pleased a prosecution has been secured, the resident raised frustrations at what she felt was a lack of action by the RSPCA or police during the ordeal.
In September 2019 Abdullah Al-Hassan Chowdhury was also hit with a 10-year criminal behaviour order following further action by the local authority. The order means Chowdhury must not bring onto, or keep, any animals within any residential address, use any residential address for commercial or business purposes, or engage in any threatening or abusive behaviour.
Locals remained sceptical that the order would safeguard the welfare of a single dog and it was reported that the Chowdhurys had already taken the dogs elsewhere in any event.
A few months later, in October 2019, national newspaper the Daily Mail carried a report of eight starving dogs being kept in a garden at 132 St George’s Road, Dagenham, east London RM9 5JB, apparently without food, water or shelter.
A local animal welfare group called Scruffy’s Angels became aware of the dogs’ plight after reuniting a stray dog with the occupants, who were said to be Asian and owners of a canine security company (note: it’s not confirmed if this was K9 Cube or another firm).
The volunteer wrote: ‘These are the pics from Dagenham – no food, no shelter, no water.
‘We have been waiting for the RSPCA to attend since yesterday despite numerous calls.’
They added: ‘The address is registered to a security company which has approximately five different addresses.’
Volunteers lowered buckets of food and water for the dogs, to at least keep them alive while waiting for the authorities to attend.
The RSPCA eventually attended and two of the eight dogs were taken into their care immediately with the remaining six also due to be collected.
The occupant of 132 St Georges Road was later named as Abdullah Aslam Baker, born November 1994, and the company name was Baker Guarding Limited. According to Companies House Baker has since resigned as a director the company. The company is still active, however, with an Asif Butt as its remaining sole director..
It’s not known if anyone was ever prosecuted in relation to the Dagenham dogs of if Abdullah Baker is linked to Daanyaal Chowdhury, but the pair have much in common.
Update | October 2024
Daanyaal Chowdhury was handed a risk order to stop him employing anyone until October 2026. The order came after he admitted “appalling” human trafficking offences in his Perthshire kennels.
The court heard that Chowdhury recruited three people with a view to exploiting them at South Cairnies Farm Cottage, Glenalmond, from September 20 to November 15 2020.
He advertised jobs on Gumtree working with dogs or cats, typically offering £1,000 a month with food and accommodation.
But his victims were never given employment contracts and were overworked, underpaid and forced to eat the same food the dogs did.
Prosecutor Douglas Thomson told the court previously how a Greek national then living in the UK responded to a job advert on Gumtree to look after puppies.
It offered free accommodation, food and a monthly salary of £1,000, working 30 hours per week.
The woman was asked to start work immediately and was advised she and her partner would work there on agreed terms but no employment contract was ever produced.
When she arrived the next day, she noticed a bad smell and “flies everywhere” when entering the kitchen.
The fiscal said the woman was required to work 12 to 13 hours per day, due to the level of care required by the puppies and the cleaning work involved.
If she was unwell, Chowdhury would still phone and ask her to work, stating the dogs needed care.
During the course of the employment, she was given food but observed it was all out of date.
The fiscal said: “The accused would cook frozen chicken for everyone, being the same chicken that was also fed to the dogs”.
After about four weeks of working there and complaints not being resolved, she and her partner left.
It was estimated she worked over 200 hours in that period.
The fiscal said: “On the same (leaving) date, the accused paid £1,000 into her bank account, equating by her estimate to an hourly rate of £5, significantly below the national minimum wage”.
The court also heard about a second individual who started work at the farmhouse in early November 2020 after responding to a job advert on Gumtree.
The man worked there for two weeks building and fixing kennels and cleaning.
During the second week they discussed wages and Chowdhury told the man he would pay him £500 per month for 100 hours of work, which the man told him was unacceptable.
While negotiating, Chowdhury made a final offer of £9 per hour for 100 hours per month but required him to pay £5,000 over the next 12 months to cover his use of a motorbike Chowdhury had purchased for use at the site.
The man was unhappy about the terms and decided to leave the job.
A third victim worked at the site for one and a half days in mid-November after responding to a job advert on Gumtree for a “live-in dog and cat carer”.
She was instructed to clean a yard which she noted to be in a “very poor state,” with “bones and broken glass strewn everywhere”.
No animals were there at the time.
Out of concern about the poor conditions, the woman spoke to a friend who visited there the next day and obtained photographs to provide to the Scottish SPCA.
The woman then left without further contact with Chowdhury and did not receive any payment for the day worked.
Mr Thomson said police carried out a welfare check on November 17 after concerns were raised by third parties in relation to people within the premises.
Chowdhury, now of Oldham, pleaded guilty to three charges under section 1 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015.
Sheriff Krista Johnston told Chowdhury: “You took advantage and treated these three complainers appallingly.
“You should be ashamed of yourself.
“There is no place in any of the facts of this case which I heard for victim blaming”.
The sheriff said she took into account the details of a social work report and his record, which is almost exclusively for road traffic matters, noting she is aware of the associated offending in respect of his work at the cottage.
Sheriff Johnston said she also took into account that he is a carer for two young children.
She said: “I am therefore persuaded an alternative to custody is available and in your circumstances, appropriate.”
The sheriff sentenced Chowdhury to an 18-month community payback order consisting of offender supervision and 180 hours of unpaid work.
In addition, Sheriff Johnston made a risk order in terms of section 26 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015.
CONVICTED (2021) | Richard Anthony Armstrong, born 9 July 1974, of Maybury Road, Plaistow, London E13 8RZ – left two dogs to roast to death in a vehicle.
Self-employed security dog handler Richard Armstrong was found guilty of one charge of causing unnecessary suffering.
His conviction follows police finding one dog dead and a second Belgian Malinois collapsed but still breathing on April 20, 2019.
Security firm owner Richard Armstrong left two dogs to die in a cramped kennel in car boot in 24°C heat
Video footage shows Armstrong explaining to officers how dogs Hector and Yardie had been in the back of his Vauxhall Astra estate in crates with the boot open and a fan running.
He said there was an air conditioning system in the vehicle which worked from a separate battery. He told the RSPCA he left the boot door open but the dogs tended to “jump up and down when they heard any noise” and this must have caused it to close, trapping them in the heat. He also claimed the fan stopped.
Armstrong said he had received complaints at home about the dogs barking so had left them in the car.
Police contacted the RSPCA which launched an investigation while a police officer rushed with Yardie to a vet’s in Ilford.
Insp Kate Ford from the RSPCA said: “She was in a very bad condition and it was looking likely that euthanasia was to be recommended.
“These dogs had been left in the vehicle for possibly in excess of two hours and the temperature was around 24 degrees.”
Insp Ford recalled peering into the boot. One cage was empty with diarrhoea towards the back while Hector was in the other already dead.
“The kennel was just about large enough for the dog to stand in but there would not have been room for him to move.
“There was no evidence of water in either kennel,” Insp Ford recalled.
Camera footage shows Yardie being rushed to the vets where she was given oxygen and fluids in a desperate bid to save her.
She was suffering hypothermia, muscle tremors, an irregular heart rate and a body temperature of 40.3 degrees.
A sedative and pain relief were given, but she began to vomit and twitch. Vets felt she would not recover and sought permission from Armstrong to put her to sleep.
Sentencing: 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work; total of £840 in costs and charges.
CONVICTED (2021) | Sanjeev Kumar Gill (aka Vix Gill), born 10 February 1976, of 44 Lancaster Road, Southall UB1 1NW – left two security dogs to starve to death
Company director Sanjeev ‘Vix’ Gill only received a five-year ban despite leaving two helpless dogs to starve to death in filthy conditions
RSPCA Inspector Mike Beaman was called by colleagues at one of the charity’s Animal Hospitals in November 2019 after company director Sanjeev Gill arrived with two dead dogs: a two-year-old male Akita called Cuba and a four-year-old male German Shepherd, Max.
Inspector Beaman said: “Both dogs were extremely emaciated and given the lowest body score possible by the vet who examined them.
“Cuba was 19.4kg and Max was 19.6kg, way below a healthy weight for these kinds of dogs.”
The court heard how the vet said an average weight for an Akita is 45-59kgs and 30-40kgs for a German Shepherd.
On examination of Max’s body, the vet said in a statement that his coat was very dirty and covered in mud, he didn’t have any obvious skin lesions and he had faeces stuck to his pelvis and hind limbs.
Cuba’s coat was also caked in mud, and the tips of his ears and left thigh were damaged.
A post-mortem carried out on the dog’s bodies did not reveal any underlying medical conditions which could have been the cause for their extreme malnourishment.
Dog killer Sanjeev Gill
Gill claimed one of the dogs had gone missing the day before and he then discovered the pair dead in a communal area near his home.
Following the sentencing, Insp Beaman added: “This was an incredibly tragic case involving the death of two dogs which could have easily been avoided if they had received the adequate diet they needed.”
Sentencing: 12-month community order with 160 hours of unpaid work; £1090 costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping all animals for just five years (expires February 2026).
Sanjeev Gill is a director with the Select Group of companies. His only active directorship is for Select Airways Limited, which trades as Happy Days Parking. The Group operates in several sectors including recruitment and security.
Gill also has a residence in St Andrews House, St Andrew Wood Lane, Iver, Buckinghamshire SL0 0LD. It is rumoured that he is also keeping dogs at that property.
Gill has four adult children: Meena, Dylan, Riya and Sital. His wife’s name is Sunita Masih.
His brother Sunil Gill is a co-director of the Select Group.
CONVICTED (2018) | Adrian Appleyard, born January 1977, of Springhead Road, Rothwell, Leeds LS26 0EX, and Karl Harwood, born 1978, of Ivy Gardens, Bramley, Leeds LS13 2NH – neglected three dogs used to guard a building site.
Karl Harwood
Appleyard and Harwood were found guilty in their absence of mistreating and failing to ensure the welfare of an Anatolian shepherd dog called Athena and two Caucasian shepherd dogs called Koda and Sasha.
One of three dogs abandoned at a building site by Leeds men Adrian Appleyard and Karl Harwood
The dogs were kept as guard dogs on a building site on Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, Sheffield and were left unattended between January 20 and January 23, 2018, prompting RSPCA inspectors to visit the site.
Insp Kim Greaves told the court the dogs had been left in three shelters but the roof of one covering two of the dogs – Koda and Sasha – had blown off, leaving them exposed to ‘bitterly’ cold conditions and snow.
Despite freezing weather the dogs had no shelter and hadn’t been fed for several days.
She said she first visited the site on Friday, January 19, following a call from a member of the public and when she returned on Monday, January 22, the set-up was exactly the same, with tape seals placed on the gates of the compounds by inspectors still in place.
Insp Greaves said: “The dog at the front (Athena) was brighter in herself but that’s probably because we had been able to get food and water to her but the other two dogs, because I know the breed, we would expect them to be alert and guarding the site but they weren’t.”
Insp Greaves said she could see Athena’s ribs quite clearly, indicating she was malnourished, and added that she thought the dogs had suffered a ‘prolonged period of neglect’.
Fellow RSPCA inspector Jenny Ronksley said she visited the site on Saturday, January 20 and Sunday, January 21 and left business cards at the site requesting the owners contact her, which they didn’t.
Dr Jenny Turner, a veterinary surgeon at Springfield Vets, also attended the site and said that the housing and nutritional supplies for the dogs were unsuitable.
Prosecutor Philip Brown said: “She believed that the period of suffering would been for at least four to six weeks but probably longer. They had suffered either a variable shortage of food over several weeks or starved entirely for a period of days.”
The prosecutor also told the court that Koda had developed ‘behavioural difficulties’ and that a vet had decided it was in the dog’s best interests to carry out euthanasia.
Sentencing: Appleyard – 150 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping any animal for five years (expired September 2023). Deprivation order for the two surviving dogs, Athena and Sasha. Harwood – 120 hours of unpaid work. No ban.
CONVICTED (2017) | security company owner Jon Douglas Humphries-Cuff, born 30/03/1980, of Hillsborough House, Fromebridge, Whitminster, Gloucester GL2 7PF – neglected a guard dog so badly his tail had rotted
Jon Humphries-Cuff, then a director of Cuff Security Services Ltd, which has since been dissolved, was the owner of a dog found roaming the streets with open sores and a rotten tail. He was found guilty of neglect, following a prosecution by the RSPCA.
The animal welfare charity began an investigation after the Presa Canario, known as Goffio, was discovered wandering the streets by a council dog warden.
Inspector Philip Mann, who investigated, said: “Goffio is such a lovely friendly dog – he’s a real gentle giant. It’s heartbreaking to think he was left to suffer without the veterinary care he desperately needed. The sores had been there for months and months and his tail was in such a terrible state it had completely rotted.
“Goffio was a security dog but sadly he wasn’t given security from pain and suffering he deserved in his own life.
“He was also underweight when he was rescued but thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team at Stubbington Ark RSPCA Animal Shelter, and particularly Hannah Nandhra, he has now recovered and is doing great.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to Stroud District Council’s animal welfare officers and Teckels Animal Sanctuary who helped him when he was found straying and raised concerns for his welfare.”
Humphries-Cuff denied knowing about the condition of his dog’s tail, claiming he had not seen his dogs in daylight for several days. He also told the court he had been treating the sores himself with antiseptic spray.
Following a two-day trial, he was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering by failing to provide suitable veterinary care for the necrotic and infected tail, contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and failing to provide veterinary care for the open sores contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
He was also found guilty of failing to meet Goffio’s needs by not ensuring he maintained a suitable body weight, contrary to Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The RSPCA hoped to rehome Goffio if no appeal was lodged within 21 days.
Sentencing: ordered to undertake 240 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 in court costs. No ban on keeping animals was imposed by the court.
CONVICTED (2017) | serial dog abuser Nijamul Islam, born 19/02/1973, of 91 Farm Road, Edgware HA8 9LR – kept dozens of large-breed ‘protection’ dogs in cramped, dirty conditions and without food or water
Islam ran a business supplying dogs to the security industry but kept them in filth and squalor and without food or water
Persistent animal abuser Nijamul Islam was first convicted of dog abuse on a massive scale in November 2012. Then trading as the Vardalu Pet Hotel based in Elstree, Herts, Islam was convicted of cruelty to 173 dogs and puppies, including Rottweilers, German shepherds, Belgian malinois and American bulldogs. He was given a two-year suspended prison term and banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.
Footage from the RSPCA’s 2012 raid on Islam’s then premises in Elstree, Hertfordshire
In October 2014 the authorities discovered he was keeping 102 dogs at Woodhill Farm, Stanstead Road, Great Amwell SG12 9RN after a kennel maid was attacked by a Belgian shepherd and a German shepherd. The victim was rushed to hospital with life threatening injuries and required surgery to save her arms.
The two dogs concerned were later destroyed due to their “extremely aggressive nature”.
Both police officers and officers from the RSPCA entered the farm later on the same day where they discovered more than a hundred dogs being kept in “squalid” conditions.
Judge John Plumstead was told several people worked at the farm, where dogs to be used in the security industry were allegedly trained.
The judge was told the conditions for the animals were ‘appalling’ with filthy cages covered in urine and faeces.
The animals, some of which were puppies, had inadequate bedding and no access to clean water or food.
There were also dead dogs on the site.
Of the dogs found within the farm, 40 had to be put down either because they were deemed dangerous by the RSPCA or had severe medical conditions and were suffering.
RSPCA inspector Steph Law said: “The conditions the dogs were kept in were horrendously squalid. It was filthy and most of the dogs had been left without food and water.
“Sadly we also found that a number of the dogs were very badly injured and had been left to suffer without veterinary treatment.
“It was sickening to see the scale of suffering as we worked with the police over four days to remove the dogs and bring them into boarding.”
Judge Plumstead said Islam had an ‘appalling track record’ for neglect and cruelty to animals.
He said: ‘These were not everyday dogs. They were all large and potentially violent dogs.
‘These dogs were kept in dreadful conditions in a way which could only be described as scandalous.’
He said he had also seen a training video seized from Islam’s business, which showed him setting a large Alsatian-type dog across a field to attack a man wearing a bite suit.
Judge Plumstead said the dog had been ‘biting determinedly and with considerable force until it was called off by the defendant’.
He said: ‘This was not a legitimate business because he was in no position to legally be doing what he was doing.’
In July 2017 Nijamul Islam was jailed for two and half years after pleading guilty to two charges of being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control.
Islam also admitted being in breach of an order disqualifying him from keeping dogs and four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs.
Sentencing: two-and-a-half year jail term. Continuation of his original 10-year ban on keeping dogs imposed in 2012 (expired 2022).
