CONVICTED (2018) | Jodie Pitt, born 12 May 1980, of Purton Place, Lydney GL15 5BD – sold puppies for puppy farms, lying to customers they were home-bred.
Mother of four and puppy farm ring member Jodie Pitt misled people into thinking they were buying puppies that had been reared in a family environment, when in reality she was selling puppies for puppy farmers.
Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court heard that the dogs had actually been bred on a commercial basis, but Pitt sold them from her home in the town as if they had been used to being around families and children.
That led to Pitt being prosecuted by Gloucestershire County Council’s trading standards department. It initially charged her with six offences of breaching trading regulations aimed at protecting consumers
Three of those charges were dropped, with Pitt pleading guilty to the other three.
Magistrates fined her £120 and ordered her to pay £800 costs and a victim surcharge of £30.
Prosecuting, Sarah Farooqi said people had bought puppies from Pitt thinking they were pets raised by her and her family but she had hidden the fact that they had been bred specifically for sale.
Adverts had been placed online by her, with one saying: “All pups have been raised in a family home and have been handled daily by my own children.”
The prosecutor said one couple bought a Golden Retriever puppy from her for £600 in August 2016 but were unhappy to find soon after that she needed treatment at the vets. They contacted Pitt and she initially agreed to help pay the £400 vets’ bill but then failed to respond to their further inquiries about her doing so.
Miss Farooqi said: “They said they would not have bought the dog if they had known it had been bred for the purpose of sale only.”
She added that another woman bought a puppy from Pitt for £700, having answered her advertisement that said the animal had been microchipped. When the buyer asked to see the puppy’s parents, Pitt said that was not possible because they were working dogs who were out at that time.
Miss Farooqi said Pitt claimed to have sold puppies on behalf of Leigh Hancock and Kerri Greenhorn and not to have known that she was doing anything wrong. Hancock and Greenhorn, who have strong links to the Awdry family (father Jeremy and offspring James and Ruth Awdry plus Ruth’s partner Gary Overthrow, as well as Andrew Bateman and Kelly Busby). were prosecuted separately.
Sentencing: £950 in fine, costs and victim surcharge. She was not banned from keeping animals as she faced no cruelty charges.
For want she did she should of had a prison sentence.what she was dealt is ridiculous.knowing those animals would fall ill.people should of been given back there money they paid out.and all her ascents given to charity.to much scum about.none of them gave a shit