CONVICTED (2023) | puppy and kitten farmer Daanyaal Chowdhury, born 29 April 1993, a serial animal abuser of 24 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.
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.
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.
Manchester-based Chowdhury was prosecuted after the premises were raided in a joint operation by the Scottish SPCA, Police Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council in October 2020 with more than 60 animals in poor health found in filthy and disease-ridden conditions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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).
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“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.
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.”
A third worker, who also asked to remain anonymous, spoke exclusively to the BBC.
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.”
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.
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).
A group volunteer took photographs and a video at the scene and published them on Facebook.
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.
