CONVICTED (2024) | puppy farmer Andrew Watts, born c. 1970, of The Oaks, Milton Damerel, Holsworthy EX22 7DQ – kept dogs and puppies in dark, damp and filthy conditions.
Watts, a breeder of Hungarian Viszlas and spaniels, pleaded guilty to 13 offences of breeding dogs without a licence following a prosecution by Torridge District Council. Officers found 18 dogs living in extremely unsanitary conditions on his premises. The stench of faeces and urine was so overpowering they had to take breaks every 10 minutes.
The council’s licensing team first received a complaint in August 2023 about an online advert for Hungarian Vizsla puppies, who appeared underweight.
In October 2023, members of the local authority licensing team attended Watts’ home with police officers, RSPCA officials, and a vet. There they found the Vizsla puppies and their mother, who was suffering from severe diarrhoea, and an unwell heavily pregnant cocker spaniel.
Many of the dogs had sustained burns to their paws, believed to be caused by prolonged exposure to urine that hadn’t been cleaned up. It was also found that some of the mother dogs had been bred twice a year.
People who had purchased puppies from Watts were unaware of the dire living conditions of the dogs, which were shown to prospective buyers in a well-maintained room inside the house. But some had noted the puppies they had bought suffered health issues, such as upset stomachs and worms.
Following the investigation, the dogs were removed and transferred into the care of various animal rescue organisations including The Dogs Trust, RSPCA and Margaret Green Animal Rescue.
Many of the animals needed months of care and rehabilitation before they could be rehomed.
All of the mothers and their puppies who were born in the care of animal charities have since been adopted into loving homes.
Watts, who in 2019 was fined £2,000 for causing a noise nuisance related to barking dogs on his puppy farm, walked free from court with a financial penalty and no other punishment, not even a ban.
Sentencing | ordered to pay a total of £16,000.