CONVICTED (2022) | Samuel Ronald Hessin, born c. 1976, and son Samuel Arthur Hessin, born c. 2000, of Balnamoon Farm, Crossroads, Keith AB55 6ND – ran an illegal puppy farm where dozens of disease-ridden dogs were neglected and forced to live in squalor; one dog bred to death.
The Hessins, who are originally from Magherafelt in Northern Ireland, were given community sentences and a 10-year ban on owning dogs after running a squalid puppy farm.
The pair posed as legitimate breeders but sold animals who were suffering the effects of mental and physical neglect.
Dozens of dogs were found living in atrocious conditions at the farm when it was raided in a joint operation involving the Scottish SPCA, Moray Council trading standards and Police Scotland.
The raid followed two separate complaints from members of the public. One report came from a woman and her daughter who had gone to view a puppy sold by the pair. The women declined to buy the dog as he looked and smelled “filthy” but alerted the authorities.
Almost 60 dogs were seized in the multi-agency operation but with two of them pregnant, the SSPCA ended up caring for 78 dogs in total. The animal charity was forced to appeal for donations to help cover the costs of caring for the sheer number of rescued dogs.
Samuel Hessin Sr, who told an SSPCA investigator he believed he had met the animals’ needs by providing them with food water and shelter, averted his eyes as distressing footage was played to the court. This showed litters of Labrador and Staffordshire bull terrier puppies, as well as adult springer spaniels, kept within sparse cages, as well as a number of terrier-type dogs running around a house strewn with litter and with brown streaks on the floor.
Twenty-eight of the dogs were later found to have diarrhoea, including all but one of the youngest puppies.
A two-year-old Staffie was described as having a “grossly swollen” neck and a “large gaping wound” behind her left ear.
Three more dogs were to said to have painful skin conditions, while a further 11 were infected with ear mites.
The dogs were said to be at various locations including Huntly and Buckie as well as Keith.
The Hessins used fake names and multiple email addresses to advertise the dogs on websites like Gumtree and Freeads.
They pretended they were family pets or their offspring but were actually imported from Northern Ireland.
SSPCA inspectors said that no regard was shown for the animals’ welfare, with many being found with eye, skin and respiratory diseases caused by faecal matter and urine covering the living space. The dogs were also said to be left with little food or ventilation.
One dog was pregnant with her third litter of the year – one more than is allowed in a dog’s lifetime – and died during birth in what was thought to be caused by overbreeding.
All of the remaining dogs were rehomed with loving families
That cruelty included exposing puppies to faeces, diarrhoea, urine and generally unhygienic conditions. The pups also weren’t given proper ventilation, hydration and warmth and were starved of stimulus, exercise and adequate separation.
Meanwhile, other dogs and puppies were subjected to inadequate birthing conditions and not allowed to “exhibit normal behaviour patterns” – a failure on their owner’s part to protect them from disease, injury and mental and physical suffering.
One puppy in Hessin Snr’s care was found underweight and with bloody diarrhoea. Another was infected with e-coli and a third “smelled filthy” and had private parts encrusted with pus.
He also admitted selling or advertising for sale more than 100 dogs without a licence to do so between December 3 2018 and September 9 2019 and being in possession of 56 dogs for the purpose of sale on the latter date.
Samuel Hessin junior admitted two different charges of misleading trading practices and causing the animals unnecessary suffering.
Between June 12 2019 and September 19 2019 he failed to provide proper care and veterinary treatment to 56 dogs and 12 puppies, who were found to be suffering from gastrointestinal, dental, respiratory, skin and parasitic diseases.
Three puppies – named Tiree, Danna and Calla – suffered chronic skin conditions including demodectic mange and bacterial and fungal infections causing hair loss and scaly, reddened and pustulated skin.
Danna needed surgery for her eye condition while another pup named Scarba had fractured teeth, an infected cut on her neck and an ear mite infestation.
The younger Hessin also admitted trading offences whereby he pretended to be selling family-bred dogs which were actually imported animals from Northern Ireland.
Between December 2 2018 and September 9 2019 he listed more than 100 dogs for sale on Gumtree and Freeads websites using 18 different names, 11 different email addresses and 18 different mobile numbers.
He also made misleading statements in the adverts giving the false impression that the dogs were family pets or offspring of family pets, the charge states.
The adverts also misleadingly claimed the animals were in good health and being sold through a legitimate business.
Charges were originally brought against other family members, namely Donna Hessin, born c. 1976, and Rachel Hessin, born c. 1998, but their not guilty pleas were accepted by the court
An SSPCA special investigations unit inspector involved in the case said: “These dogs were kept in horrendous conditions which were ripe for causing horrific disease and suffering. After we seized them, vets found many were suffering from a host of skin, eye and respiratory diseases.
“Many dogs were carrying wounds consistent with kennel fights and we are in no doubt this was due to the stress caused by the conditions these poor animals were kept in. The stench of urine, lack of proper bedding and the amount of faeces on the floors and even in amongst what small amount of food was out, clearly showed there was no regard for the welfare of these dogs.
“All of this, combined with the lack of ventilation, meant disease spread with ease among these poor animals. This site was clearly a low-welfare puppy farm.
“Two of the female dogs were pregnant when they came in to our care. Sadly, the birth was just too much for one of them and she passed away during labour. We believe she had been badly overbred and it was her third litter in just one year.”
The charity expressed concern about the sentence, stating that they believe that those running puppy farms should be banned from keeping animals for life.
SSPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “Securing a conviction is a great result, but we believe anyone convicted of running a puppy farm should get a life ban on owning animals. Individuals prepared to put profit before welfare to an extent that dogs get seriously ill should not be allowed to keep animals.”
Sentencing | 300 hours of unpaid work; 18-month supervision order. 10-year bans on keeping dogs.
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Who are the Hessins?
The Hessin family moved from Ireland to the north-east of Scotland in 2018 for a “better life” and bought the 105-hectare Balnamoon Farm, along with its five-bedroom 1880s farmhouse, for more than £1,050.000.
But with failing finances Samuel Hessin Jnr had taken up a Northern Irish friend’s offer of some dogs to sell on.
The animals were imported to Scotland but the Hessins pretended to buyers that they were family pets or their offspring.
By using fake names and multiple email addresses, the rogue dealers were able to advertise the dogs on websites like Gumtree and Freeads.
The crackdown into their illegal business was codenamed Operation Delphin and involved teams from the SSPCA, Moray Council trading standards and Police Scotland.
Hessin Snr and Hessin Jnr, along with Donna and Rachel Hessin, were charged with posing as legitimate breeders and selling animals who were suffering the effects of mental and physical neglect.
Once charges against the two women were dropped, the father and son accepted responsibility and changed their plea ahead of a trial at Elgin Sheriff Court.
· Samuel Hessin Snr admitted failing to meet the suitable environmental needs of dogs and puppies at Balnamoon between May 31 2019 and September 9 2019.
· Samuel Hessin Jnr admitted two different charges of misleading trading practices and causing the animals unnecessary suffering.
Phones and paperwork seized by Moray Trading Standards showed that between December 3, 2018 and September, 19, 2019 Samuel Hessin Jnr had placed multiple adverts on Gumtree and Freeads under various email addresses and contact names.
He used 18 different names and mobile numbers, 11 email addresses and three separate locations to mislead buyers into thinking they were buying family pets from a family home.
It’s estimated that they had made around £10,000 from the puppy farm operation.
Hessin Snr averted his eyes in the dock as footage of the squalid conditions was played during their sentencing.
His son’s solicitor said the pair’s illegal bidding was an attempt to shore up the “horrific figures” in the account books of the family farm.
The younger man was described as a “bit of a daft lad, not a criminal mastermind” who “just let it get out of hand”.
A potential puppy buyer who reported them thought that was a “pretty pitiful” punishment, given what she saw during her traumatic visit to Balnamoon Farm.
“It’s awful. Of course, they should be in jail,” she said. “From what I saw alone they should have been in jail, never mind what I didn’t see, which was worse.
“It doesn’t seem right that they have only got a ban for 10 years and community service.
“How these poor dogs must have felt and how scared they must have felt … it really breaks my heart.
“I think it’s pretty pitiful what they got.
“It just makes me so sad and very angry.”
Absolutely Disgusting, keeping Animals in those conditions.
At least now their faces are out there and everyone knows who they are.
A 10 year ban? Why not for life?
The sentence does not fit the crime, such cruelty should result in a lifetime ban.
I don’t understand this sentence. Why not a meaningful prison term and a lifetime ban on keeping any animal? Since 2020, Scotland has had more robust laws on animal welfare, with the implementation of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act 2020. Under this Act, the maximum penalty for animal cruelty is now 5 years in prison, raised from 1 year previously. Also, under the Animal Health and Welfare Act (Scotland) 2006 the court has the power to apply a disqualification order (i.e. from owning or keeping animals) for as long as the court sees fit, so yes, there could have been a lifetime ban, which would have made more sense than 10 years.