Nicholas Storr is banned from keeping animals for 20 years after allowing the illegal ear cropping of two puppies.
Summary
In 2022, two puppies named Chaos and Millie had their ears illegally cropped while in the care of Nicholas Storr, of Dragonfly Crescent, Biddenham near Bedford.
Chaos, one of two puppies whose ears were illegally cropped while in the care of Nicholas Storr. Image: RSPCA.
Storr admitted allowing another person to carry out the procedure. Following an RSPCA investigation, he received a 20‑year ban on keeping animals and a suspended prison sentence at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court in July 2026.
Offender Overview
Name: Nicholas Storr Born: circa 1978 Age at Conviction: 47 Last Known Address: Dragonfly Crescent, Biddenham, Bedfordshire Occupation: Self-employed bricklayer
Summary of Offence
In 2022, Storr owned two puppies, Chaos and Millie, who initially had full, natural ears. At some point that year, their ears were cropped — an illegal procedure under UK law. Storr admitted that he allowed another person to carry out the cropping.
The RSPCA gathered intelligence and photographic evidence showing the dogs before and after the procedure. During the investigation, Storr told Inspector Hannah Nixon that he no longer owned any cropped dogs. He said that Chaos had been euthanised the previous year after attacking him, and Millie had been rehomed.
Millie, one of two puppies whose ears were illegally cropped while in the care of Nicholas Storr. Image: RSPCA.
Ear cropping is illegal in the UK and is considered a painful, unnecessary mutilation that causes significant suffering.
Sentence
Court: Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court Date: 24 July 2026 (sentencing) Conviction: Allowing another person to carry out an ear cropping on two puppies
Penalty:
34‑week custodial sentence, suspended for two years
20‑year ban on keeping all animals
250 hours unpaid work
£350 costs
£187 victim surcharge
Mitigation:
In mitigation, Storr’s solicitor stated that his client had been “struggling with his mental health” at the time due to “personal issues”, and that this contributed to the poor decisions he made regarding the puppies.
Nicholas Storr pictured at a construction site. Image sourced from his publicly available social media.
RSPCA Statement
Inspector Hannah Nixon said: “Ear cropping is a completely unnecessary process where the ear flap is altered or removed. Dogs need their ears to communicate and the sad truth is that ear cropping is a traumatic procedure which can cause a huge amount of pain and suffering.
“It doesn’t benefit the dog in any way and can actually be detrimental to their health, behaviour and welfare. We urge people to not buy into the trend; the only way to stop this is by not fuelling the demand for a cropped‑eared dog.”
Related Criminal History
No additional criminal history has been reported in the press.
CONVICTED (2026) | prolific backyard breeder, fraudster, and serial dog abuser Anton Marcus Boston, born 21 April 1994, originally from Splott in Cardiff but currently of 11 Heol Pant y Deri, Ely, Cardiff CF5 5PL – kept dogs in foul conditions and mutilated their ears.
Boston, who featured with others on a 2023 BBC Panorama investigation into the link between “extreme” breeders and organised crime, was charged with cruelly mutilating the ears of bull-breed dogs and keeping them in atrocious conditions.
The court heard Boston had previously been spared jail in 2020 after being convicted of illegal dog breeding and fraud. The court heard that soon after the end of his suspended sentence and ‘rehab’ programme for that offending, he returned to “his old ways”. Between 2020 and 2023, authorities issued six warnings to Boston over concerns about his bully breeding and his lack of a licence.
On one occasion, authorities found more than 30 dogs at his home.
Prosecutor Lee Reynolds said the “smell from the property was so bad that someone had reported a dead body might be within.”
Local authority investigators found that Boston had been selling bullies through his Instagram page, including 19 with cropped ears: a cruel and illegal procedure common in dog-fighting and intended to give “a fearsome look”.
On September 7, 2023, officers attended Boston’s home in Ely and found him there with his partner and one-year-old child.
“Dog faeces was all over the floor and there was a strong smell of urine,” said Mr Reynolds.
Outside, the patio was strewn with dog mess, broken cages and rubbish. But the most disturbing scenes were in the kennels, the floors of which were “thick with faeces and urine”.
Mr Reynolds continued: “The dogs had no choice but to stand or lay in it. There was no bedding. It was hard to stay in the area because the smell was so strong. It was described as chokingly putrid, and the officers found it hard to breathe.”
Food containers in the kennels were found to contain dog faeces and maggots.
Of the six dogs being kept, four were so neglected they could not walk properly. All six had cropped ears.
Boston initially claimed the dogs’ ears were already cropped when he bought them at dog shows. But he later admitted that the dogs had been mutilated at his instruction.
Boston’s lawyer, Adrian Kayne, pleaded with the court not to send his client to jail as he was “disabled” with Crohn’s Disease. This was dismissed after the court heard that Boston had fought in a boxing competition as recently as November 2025.
Sentencing Boston to immediate imprisonment, Judge Eugene Egan told him: “You could either be the good father you aspire to be, and lead a life on the straight and narrow, or you could go back to your old ways and reoffend”.
“You took that latter course with your eyes wide open, knowing full well the custody threshold would be passed if you offended again. “These animals’ ears were cropped in order for you to sell them for a higher price. You were trading animals you had caused to suffer through an illegal procedure”.
Sentencing | 36 weeks in jail. Banned from owning or keeping dogs for 15 years (expires January 2041).
CONVICTED (2025) | backyard breeder and pet peddler Emma Marshall, aka Emma Woods, born c. 1986, previously of Blinkbonny Road, Hallglen Falkirk FK1 5DA but at date of conviction reportedly living in Anderson Drive, Denny FK6 5DY – kept 18 starved and neglected dogs inside her tiny council house.
Mother-of-two Marshall kept the 18 dogs including XL Bullies with cropped ears, chow chows, bulldogs, crossbreeds, and a dachshund at the property, not even letting them go out to the toilet.
Marshall had purpose-built dog kennels in her garden. Source: Facebook
Scottish SPCA inspectors attended the address in Blinkbonny Road with social workers on May 14, 2023, and were met with an overpowering stench of ammonia. Inside, they found dogs in a skeletal condition and afflicted with untreated skin and ear diseases as well as eye injuries, broken bones, orthopaedic issues and pressure sores. Their coats were ungroomed, matted with faeces and soaked in urine, One animal was so starved and ill she was unable to stand.
Abused dogs were kept in insanitary conditions. Source: Facebook
One dog died in her cage within half an hour of being admitted to care and a further 11 of the rescued dogs had to be destroyed.
There were unverified claims on social media that Marshall had dumped sick and injured dogs in a freezer to die, with the bodies of 11 dogs, including a chow chow, reportedly found in there.
Following the raid Marshall reportedly fled the property, taking with her two French bulldogs and two American bullies she had hidden from the authorities. One of the American bullies, Misty, was later recovered by her previous owner, Amy Rose, from a property in Linlithgow, West Lothian, following a tip-off but there was no trace of the second dog, Luna.
Misty had already suffered shocking neglect during her short time with Emma Marshall but was rescued before she could come to more harm. Sadly, a second American Bully in Marshall’s care has seemingly vanished without trace.
“I could see Misty through the window, I burst into tears — the door was open so I just went in to rescue her and I managed to help another one to safety.
“There were another six dogs in there. It was horrendous.
“The place was a dive, the dogs hadn’t been watered or fed and they’d been eating their own poo.
“I took Misty to the vets and she had the worst health score possible regarding weight and skin.
“She can’t even be walked as her pads are too soft and burnt from all of the urine.”
Four of the rescued pets have since been found new homes while three remain in the care of the SSPCA.
Marshall pleaded guilty to 18 charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the animals, contrary to the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act.
Her lawyer, Gordon Addison of Nelsons Solicitors in Falkirk, laughably described his client as “a vulnerable person”. He then gave an implausible account about how Marshall had been coerced by armed men into allowing her house to be used as “a dumping ground” for sick and injured dogs.
Marshall’s lawyer Gordon Addison claimed his “vulnerable” client had been forced to take in poorly dogs by armed men.
He said she had been invited to look after a friend’s boyfriend’s dog while they were on holiday.
Addison said: “This gentleman turned up at night after dark with two dogs. A fortnight later he came back, she thought to collect the dog, but with another two dogs and another man, and said ‘Can you keep these as well?’ and that’s how it progressed.
“On one occasion they were armed, so she was given no choice in the matter.
“She was the dumping ground for dogs that were unwell.
“To have that number of animals in such a small house must have been absolutely brutal.
“These gentlemen would turn up always after dark, and sometimes they would deliver some food, and when it ran out, it ran out.
“She was terrified. She’s had to move four times and has had the assistance of the police in those moves. She is afraid to name these people.
“She wasn’t able to take one or more of these dogs to the vet, because it would have opened a can of worms.
“Fear is the dominant theme in this whole case.”
Sources close to Marshall claim that this account is pure fabrication and query whether the court was provided with any evidence to back it up.
Shockingly Sheriff Neil Kinnear said he accepted Marshall was “coerced by others she was scared of”. While stating that it was the worst case of animal cruelty he had ever encountered, he allowed Marshall to walk free from court with a punishment that amounts to little more than a slap on the wrist.
CONVICTED (2025) | terrierman Daniel Eldridge, born c. 1964, of Tye Green, Glemsford, near Sudbury CO10 – failed to get veterinary treatment for his dog’s severe facial injuries.
Badger baiter Eldridge admitted two animal cruelty charges in relation to a Patterdale terrier called Spud after the little dog twice suffered severe facial wounds.
The court heard the dog had been deliberately put into “digs” and had probably been injured in fights with badgers.
Patterdale terrier Spud suffered major injuries to his jaw consistent with bite wounds from a large mammal such as a badger.
Prosecutor Joel Wootton said the severity of the injuries would have been “obvious to any reasonable owner”.
Despite Spud needing facial surgery and being in a “substantial level of pain”, Eldridge failed to call a vet or obtain appropriate pain relief.
The offences date back to 2021 and 2023 and occurred at Marshland St James, near Wisbech.
A vet, who stood as a witness, said messages from Eldridge suggested Spud was being used in hunting activities involving digging.
The same vet concluded the injuries were avulsions – where skin is ripped away – of the lips and chin, with Spud suffering lack of pain relief for about three days.
A second witness vet told the court: “These injuries and their severity would have been obvious to any reasonable owner.
“I regard torn, crushed and infected wounds like these as extremely painful.
“The failure to seek veterinary treatment has resulted in him experiencing unnecessary suffering for a period of at least four days.”
The third charge against Eldridge related to him removing part of the tails of six puppies, which was documented in both videos and messages.
Eldridge initially denied animal cruelty but later changed his plea to guilty on the day of a planned trial following an RSPCA investigation.
He also admitted illegal tail docking of terrier puppies between May and June 2021.
Nine dogs in Eldridge’s care were voluntarily signed over to the RSPCA.
Spud had injuries consistent with being forced to fight with a badger but recovered in the care of the RSPCA..
As part of a plea deal, prosecutors offered no evidence in two further charges of causing suffering to a second Patterdale terrier called Sam and the possession of parts of a dead badger, a protected series.
Piers Walter, mitigating, said “these dogs were his life” but that he now admitted injuries “were not dealt with in the way that they should have been”.
“This is a man who had loved and cared for dogs for 40 or 50 years with no incidents at all,” he added.
“He was struggling with cultural shifts over the rules and culture of hunting. He does recognise that he has done wrong.”
Following the conviction, Will Mitchell, RSPCA chief inspector, said: “The court heard how this dog had been deliberately put underground and his horrific injuries were likely caused by a badger.
“Not only does badger hunting involve barbaric cruelty against wildlife, but also results in traumatic injuries to the dogs involved.
“On this occasion the dog didn’t receive the correct veterinary treatment and was left to suffer.
“Eldridge also docked the tails of puppies, a painful and unnecessary procedure.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with rehabilitation days and 120 hours of unpaid work; £1,000 towards costs. Disqualified from keeping dogs for just two years (expires September 2027).
CONVICTED (2025) | organised crime gang/extreme breeders Alexander D Johnson, born 26 January 1990, of 53 Elmsmere Road, Abbey Hulton ST2 8EF, Holly Marie Dunn, born 4 May 1995, of Dentdale Close, Longton ST3 7RL, Amanda Whitehouse, born c. 1969 of 52 Barry Avenue, Bucknall ST2 8AD, Charlotte Bailey, born 3 June 1996 and Thomas Taaffe, born October 1995, both of 7 Causeley Gardens, Bucknall ST2 9HN – for illegally cropping puppies ears.
Clockwise from left: Alex Johnson, Charlotte Bailey, Holly Dunn, Tom Taafe and the dead one Aaron Wareham
The five defendants were brought before the courts by the RSPCA. All were members of a ruthless organised crime gang involved in the illegal trading of bulldog puppies, including XL Bullies callously mutilating their ears to make them more sellable and inflate their value.
Extreme dog breeders Aaron Wareham with Tom Taaffe traded as Balaclava Bullys and Highgrade Bullz
Ringleader Aaron Lee Wareham from Chell, who traded under the names Balaclava Bullies and Highgrade Bullz, died from cancer in May 2025 (how sad) before he too could be brought to justice.
Wareham recruited self-described “icon in the dog world” Alex Johnson (a serial dog abuser) to crop the ears of tiny puppies for £450.
Serial criminal, serial abuser. So-called icon in the dog world Alex Johnson, who has long been rumoured to also be involved in organised dog-fighting, has received a lifetime ban on having anything to do with animals for a second time.
The RSPCA investigated Wareham and his associates after his illicit money-grubbing activities were exposed on a BBC Panorama episode entitled ‘Dogs, Dealers and Organised Crime’, which was broadcast in January 2023. Undercover footage proved that Wareham was arranging for ear cropping despite the practice being illegal in the UK since 2006.
Cruel streak: dead extreme breeder Aaron Wareham also had a taste for illegal bloodsports.
RSPCA prosecutor Hazel Stevens told the court: “This act has been illegal for nearly 20 years and there is no breed of dog that’s permissible to crop. This cropping is done because it’s thought to make the animal look more fearsome, to increase the financial value and for kudos for breeders who do this.
“These are status dogs meant to look mean and aggressive, it’s like tattooing a baby for the sake of aesthetics. The pregnant dogs were moved to different addresses to give birth.
“Johnson sees himself as an icon in the dog world and doesn’t see the problem with cropped ears. He enjoys fame in the media.”
Single mother of one Holly Dunn, who apparently works in care, is also banned from having animals for life.
Johnson pleaded guilty to causing a prohibited procedure to be carried out on a protected animal and breaching a lifetime disqualification order by keeping a dog.
David Farley, mitigating for Johnson, told the court that Wareham had recruited his client to crop the ears of pups whilst he was on licence after serving prison time for the very same offence.
Lyla was one of the dogs whose ears were cropped
The court heard Johnson was not a trained veterinarian, has no qualifications or any insight into the the long-lasting health effects on the pups.
Mr Farley said: “He did provide anaesthetic and pain relief. Mr Johnson never intended to cause cruelty to any animals. This was an unnatural procedure and something he regrets doing, but he managed to carry out the procedure without infection or harming the dog’s general wellbeing.
“Other than the condition on the photos we’ve seen, he seems to have done it with some skill despite the lack of training.”
The other defendants also played a part in the evil trade, with Holly Dunn and Mandy Whitehouse both found with dogs with illegally cropped ears.
Single mother Dunn, a long-term associate of Aaron Wareham and his business partner Tom Taaffe, admitted causing a prohibited procedure to be carried out on a protected animal and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. An unearthed text proved that she had given the go-ahead for a puppy’s ears to be cropped. She later lied to the authorities that the dog had been imported, even going so far as to create false documentation..
Mitigating for Dunn, Anis Ali said: “Whatever the scale for the commercial enterprise, it remains her role was extremely limited and was borne out of misguided loyalty by individuals associated with those cruelly instrumented shears. She was convicted of her own confession.”
Mandy Whitehouse, the aunt of Tom Taaffe, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Rain’s ears had also been cruelly mutilated by her criminal breeders.
The court heard she was the only defendant to admit wrongdoing at the first opportunity and had shown genuine remorse. She said she was promised she could keep pregnant bully bitch Lyla if she was a fosterer for the cropped-ear pups.
Tom Taaffe with Charlotte Bailey and her mother Joanne Statham (believed to be a breeder in her own right).
Charlotte Bailey and her violent partner Tom Taaffe (he has a conviction for beating her) both pleaded guilty to multiple animal cruelty offences and will be sentenced on 4 September 2025. Taaffe is believed to be Aaron Wareham’s partner in Highgrade Bullyz and Balaclava Bullys.
Bailey with her mother..
Sentencing Johnson, Dunn and Whitehouse, Judge Robert Smith said: “On January 23 2023 BBC Panorama aired with the title ‘Dogs, Dealers and Organised Crime’. It showed the late Mr Wareham, and after it aired there were complaints to the RSPCA, who I commend for their tremendous and detailed operation.
“The investigation revealed the alleged activities were just the tip of the iceberg. Ms Dunn you had a dog’s ears cropped whilst it was with you. A criminal enterprise was being done. Ms Dunn and Ms Whitehouse, you played a part in that and you Mr Johnson, were the ear cropper – a significant role.
“Mr Johnson, you say you’re an icon in the dog world, and you told a pack of lies to the police interviewer, saying you’d never done it before when in fact you had been imprisoned for the same offence. You had complete and utter disregard for the puppy named Rain, whose ears are scarred for life after your mutilation.
“Even when performed properly by a vet using anaesthesia, that does not make up for long-lasting pain after removing half a puppy’s ears.
“Text messages showed, Ms Whitehouse, you knew full well Lyla had had her ears cropped and you showed disregard for Lyla’s welfare. You pleaded guilty – the only one who had the courage to plead guilty, which in my judgement shows genuine remorse.
“In this case this was more a small business of criminality. Unlike others where victims have a voice, the dogs mutilated in this case cannot speak; they have no words, they cannot write a victim impact statement and they cannot tell the effect of their quality of life with cropped ears. It can make a dog distrust their owner when they arrange a visitation for such a procedure.
“This is a vile trade and in my view, anyone involved should go to prison. These offences are absolutely abhorrent to any right thinking individual, and I would be failing my public duty if I didn’t send to prison the very people who take part in this awful and cruel procedure.”
Sentencing | Alex Johnson: 12 months in prison. Lifetime ban. Holly Dunn: 23-week custodial suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work; £500 costs; Lifetime ban. Mandy Whitehouse: nine-week suspended sentence. 10-year ban.
Stoke couple Charlotte Bailey and Thomas Taaffe were sentenced for their part in an organised extreme breeding ring where the ears of puppies were mutilated.
Thomas Taaffe and Charlotte Bailey have been sentenced . Both admitted multiple animal cruelty offences. ,
Taaffe was jailed for 12 months, and Bailey was given a 16-month sentence that was suspended for two years.
Bailey was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation requirement days.
They were each given a lifetime ban, preventing them from keeping animals,
Judge Robert Smith said Bailey had only avoided immediate imprisonment as she was the primary caregiver to the pair’s three young children.
He told Bailey: “You deserve every single day of a prison sentence, but your young children do not deserve to be separated from both parents.”
Mr Smith commended the RSPCA for their “thorough and detailed” investigation, and the BBC Panorama journalists for their work.
Unlike other acts of criminality, he said, the dogs the pair mutilated were unable to speak out about the pain and suffering they had endured.
Addressing Taaffe, he said: “You showed a lack of empathy towards the animals.
“You are not really remorseful for what you did. You demonstrate very little empathy. You are only remorseful for being caught and the punishment you will receive.”
He told the pair they had run a “sophisticated criminal enterprise,” and had “lied through your teeth” about fraudulent paperwork relating to the dogs.
He described their behaviour as “wholly sickening and inhumane,” and said it was wholly unacceptable in civilised society.
On 23 January 2023, BBC Panorama aired an investigation into the links between organised crime and extreme dog breeding. The programme revealed that dogs are becoming the commodity of choice for criminals, with a detrimental impact on dog welfare as well as communities.
Reporter Sam Poling spent eight months investigating the dog-breeding underworld.
She identified a convicted “county lines” drug dealer who appeared to be selling American Bully puppies from prison. Thomas Peter Rayment, born October 1990, of Warrington, Cheshire, was jailed in 2021 for running a heroin and crack cocaine gang.
His Facebook messenger account was used repeatedly to set up a deal with Ms Poling.
The account says he runs the UK arm of a major breeding business called Muscletone Bullys UK, based in Hindley, Wigan.
His business partner Ryan Howard aka Ryan James Crowe, born February 1981, said Rayment was brokering the deal from prison, although he later denied this when contacted by the BBC.
Howard is not licensed to breed and sell dogs but in undercover footage, he told Panorama he had a “huge network” of around 120 dogs.
He explained that most are “co-owns”, in which a dealer gets someone else to house the dog and pays them a percentage from its sale. It means a dealer can have a network of dogs without the authorities having any idea how many they have.
An animal welfare investigator spoke about the connection between organised crime and extreme dog breeding.
The investigator, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s a massively lucrative trade. The big breeders… the majority are criminals, drug dealers, organised crime gangs. It’s exactly the same business model as selling drugs. But we’re talking about dogs.”
Panorama also went undercover at the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC) UK show, with Ms Poling witnessing a parade of extremely bred dogs with illegally cropped ears.
At the show she’s forced to rub shoulders with unsavoury characters including dog breeding clinic owner Nathan Stevens from Stockport, who was jailed for attacking a man with a glass, and convicted fraudster Anton Boston of Boston Bullies based in Cardiff.
She manages to capture on camera two 10-week-old pups with freshly cropped ears at the Stoke-on-Trent home of Aaron Lee (aka Aaron Wareham or Aaron Casson), owner of Balaclava Bullies and an ABKC judge.
Ear cropping is a practice the RSPCA calls “appalling”.
Panorama identified another breeding business, not connected to organised crime, but producing English bulldogs with extreme features, even though the owners had recently been successfully prosecuted.
Karl Shellard and wife Victoria of Bonvilston, South Wales, were convicted of animal welfare offences and fined £19,000 each last year. When the police raided their home they found 27 dogs. They were selling their extreme breed of English bulldogs for up to £20,000 each on social media.
The programme found the Shellards are still in business with Karl boasting of making up to £100,000 in one month.
To learn more about the issues raised in the programme, check out this article by Naturewatch Foundation.
Disclosure: The Dog Dealers
Sam Poling produced a parallel report for BBC Scotland’s current affairs programme Disclosure, with a focus on extreme breeders north of the border. The programme exposed the nefarious activities of the men behind the American Bully Kennel Club UK (ABKC UK), namely convicted heroin trafficker William Byrne, from Wemyss Bay, and Glasgow man Sean Main. In July 2017, Main was cleared of running a £6m drugs racket. Heroin was found in 160 boxes of dog food delivered to his wife’s grooming parlour but a jury found the charges against him not proven.
Footage gathered by BBC undercover journalists at an ABKC UK show in Manchester showed hundreds of dogs paraded with cropped ears. Ear
Sam also confronted Gary Hemming, an Edinburgh man with multiple convictions for violence spanning 20 years. Hemming uses the name Gari Ferrari to breed hairless French Bulldogs..
Disclosure: The Dog Dealers is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer here.
CONVICTED (2025) | prolific backyard bulldog breeder Quarn Gonzales, born 22 April 1993, previously of Colwyn Place, Ingol, Preston, and more recently 307 Shelley Road, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston PR2 2EJ – for neglecting the needs of puppies and cropping their ears.
Gonzales, who in partnership with William Farish and others, traded under the name North West Bullys/North West Bullyz, pleaded guilty to eight offences contrary to the Animal Welfare Act.
The RSPCA launched an investigation after spotting incriminating posts on Gonzales’ Instagram and Facebook accounts showing young bully-breed dogs with cropped ears.
Earlier footage had shown the same dogs with their ears intact, indicating they had undergone the painful and illegal procedure while in his care.
One such dog, named Medusa, was shown with mutilated ears in an image uploaded two months after one in which her ears were intact.
Posts dating from 2020 to 2022 revealed multiple dogs—such as Huncho, Prada, Yager, and Beethoven—bred by Gonzales and later appearing with cropped ears. Listings on a breeding website further linked the dogs to his name.
Nine dogs and eight puppies were discovered at Gonzales’ home at Colwyn Place in Ingol, when the property was raided by police, RSPCA officers and vets in September 2022.
Several dogs were housed in unsuitable conditions with seven found to have illegally cropped ears. Other dogs were injured but had received no veterinary treatment.
Two enclosures both contained four puppies with urine-soaked bellies and paws.
One of the dogs was much smaller than the others and was observed to be lethargic, quiet and struggling to walk.
Describing one of the pens, RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Carl Larsson said: “The pen was an open-topped, black metal cage with a plastic floor. The plastic tray was soiled with faeces and urine with no bedding, newspaper, puppy pads etc to soak up the urine.
“As a result the dogs were walking around in their own urine and their coats were wet with urine when picked up. There was no food or water for them.”
Two bull breed type dogs were found in further enclosures, and one of them had no suitable resting area, whilst the other was too small for the dog to comfortably lie down and stretch out.
Additionally, three bull-type dogs, two with cropped ears, were being housed in a pen off area under the stairs, which was poorly lit with next to no natural light.
All the animals were removed from the address on veterinary advice, seized as evidence by the police and taken for urgent examination and treatment by the RSPCA.
One of the vets gave written evidence in the case and said seven of the adult dogs had illegally cropped ears, all of which were healed with mature scar tissue.
Another dog had an untreated injury to his lower front limb that was at least five days and others had bilateral inflammation of ear canals, skin disease, pressure legions, conjunctivitis, a deformed tail and historic bite wounds.
The puppy with the stunted growth was found to have marked neurological abnormalities, which were thought to have been caused by congenital spinal malfunction.
With Gonzales’ consent, she was euthanised on welfare grounds by the vet to prevent further suffering.
Quarn Gonzales’ associate Will Farish did not face prosecution on this occasion despite being named on social media as a partner in the illicit breeding business.
The court was told he had repeatedly denied ownership of any of the puppies and claimed they belonged to someone else, but had failed to provide a name or any contact information.
Speaking after the case had concluded, Deputy Chief Inspector Larsson said: “I’d like to thank my colleagues who painstakingly gathered many months of intelligence and to Lancashire Police for their support with this long-standing case involving serious animal welfare offences.
“Ear cropping is a painful and unnecessary procedure in which a dogs’ ears are removed or surgically altered.
“It does not benefit them in any way and can actually be detrimental to their health, behaviour and welfare, but sadly, many owners think the look is glamorous or makes their pet look tough.
“Whilst this practice is illegal in the UK, it still happens, and dogs can still be legally imported into this country having had the procedure done overseas.
“We’d urge anyone looking to buy a dog to remember that this is a barbaric procedure which has hugely negative impacts for the animals themselves.”
The dogs were taken to a number of RSPCA animal centres, including the Blackpool and North Lancs Branch, which looked after three of them.
A confiscation order was also imposed by the court, allowing the RSPCA to legally take possession of any other animals still owned by Gonzales.
PC Sean Dalby, from Lancashire Constabulary’s South Rural Task Force, said: ‘We will continue to investigate and target animal cruelty offenders and support the RSPCA with this work throughout the county.”
Sentencing | 20-week custodial sentence, suspended for two years; ordered to pay £2,000. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years but can appeal after five years (expires August 2035).
CONVICTED (2025) | backyard breeder Moheiz Adam, born September 1986, of 24 Cromwell Road, Newport NP19 0FZ – arranged for dogs’ ears to be cropped.
Self-professed “dog whisperer” Moheiz Adam, who bred bull-breed puppies under the name Sons of Adam, carried out “barbaric acts of cruelty” on multiple puppies by arranging to have their ears cropped. He then falsified canine passports to allow buyers to claim their dogs had been imported to the UK with their ears already cropped.
Prosecutor Lee Reynolds told the court the defendant claimed he could make between £40,000 and £60,000 per litter, and he had had about six litters that year alone.
Adam’s greed, illicit and cruel activities were exposed in a 2021 BBC Wales documentary called The Hidden World of Designer Dog Breeding. In it, he was shown telling an undercover reporter posing as a potential buyer that he could arrange for puppies’ ears to be cropped to give them a “striking” look.
He offered to sell the reporter a puppy for £13,000, adding that the dog would be available from six weeks old.
He then told the reporter he’d “got a guy” and added: “All of my dogs have been done by him”. He added: “If any questions are asked, say you bought it from an Irishman, brought from Europe”.
Mr Reynolds said: “It was clear Mr Adam was talking about ear mutilation… He knew the procedure was unlawful and he knew it was causing suffering to the dogs but he put profit before the welfare of these animals.”
On July 12, 2022, Newport Council officials attended Adam’s home where they found evidence of mutilated puppies and fraudulent pet passports. American Bulldogs, including one with cropped ears, and a pregnant French bulldog were found in poor conditions at the address and were seized under the Animal Welfare Act. All of the rescued dogs were transferred into the care of Hope Rescue.
Adam, who has nine previous criminal convictions including drug dealing, knife possession, drink driving and burglary, pleaded guilty to fraud and causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
In mitigation, David Pinnell said his client had “made steps to rebuild his life” and wished to move forwards.
Sentencing, Judge Eugene Egan said: “You selfishly prioritised your financial interests over and above the welfare of the dogs in this case. You engaged in barbaric acts of cruelty of these dogs and unnecessarily caused them pain.
“You lined your pockets in a grotesque, cruel and wholly needless way and the welfare of the dogs were ignored because of your avarice.”
Sentencing | 80-week custodial suspended for two years; 240 hours of unpaid work; 15 days of ‘rehabilitation’; £2,300 court costs. Disqualified from keeping animals for 15 years (expires July 2040).
CONVICTED (2025) | backyard breeder Toni Stephanie Worster, aka Tee Williams, born 23 August 1999, of Martock Crescent, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 5QJ – left six injured dogs to live in their own filth in her garden.
Backyard breeder Toni Worster is no stranger to police and is affiliated with gangs in Bristol and London.
Worster, who has a 2019 conviction for child abduction and has links to gangs in Bristol and London, was found guilty of three animal welfare offences, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
The animal charity was called to Worster’s address to investigate reports that dogs living in the garden at the property had been fighting with each other.
An initial visit was made by an inspector, who made arrangements for her to take her injured dogs to the vet. After she failed to attend the appointments, police were called to carry out a welfare check on the dogs.
Investigating RSPCA Inspector Jo Daniel said: “The garden appeared extremely muddy and I could see a shed that appeared to be in poor repair.
“I could not see any appropriate sleeping area where the dogs would be comfortable and protected from the elements and no bedding or water.
“We called out and the front downstairs window of the flat was opened by Worster,
“I introduced myself and explained the reason for my visit.
“She stated that the two injured dogs, Ivy and Coco, had not been taken to the vet as she had no money. She said that she had registered the dogs with a charity and showed me an email but no appointment had been booked.
“From my observations, the living conditions for the dogs were still unacceptable and the injured dogs had not received veterinary treatment.”
Six dogs were removed by police. Five were placed in RSPCA boarding, with one dog, who is a suspected banned breed, placed in police boarding. The two injured dogs were seen and treated by a vet.
Ivy, a pale tan bull terrier type, was found to have obvious issues with both her eyes. Her left eye had matter around it and she was often squinting. Her eyelids appeared swollen and her eyelashes appeared to be interfering with her eyes. Her right eye had scabs around it and there were several scabs over her face.
Coco, a blue cane corso, had deformities to her ears which appeared to have been cropped and the right ear in particular was swollen, crusty and appeared infected. The areas under both her ears were very swollen and appeared inflamed. The area under her neck was similarly swollen and inflamed. There appeared to be puncture-type wounds in the area and a large area of bruising.
Alongside the two injured dogs, there were also three puppies and an adult dog living outside in the dirty and muddy garden.
In their report, the vet said: “In my opinion, the wounds around the eyes of Ivy would have been painful due to the inflammation and trauma caused when they were initially damaged. After the initial damage on the day of the fight, they would then have become uncomfortable and irritated, due to continued inflammation and low-grade infection.
“This suffering would have been for 3 days, since the fight. I would expect a reasonable dog owner to seek immediate veterinary attention once aware that their dog had been fighting and sustained such wounds, especially if they had been advised to do so by an RSPCA Inspector, and in my opinion that would be deemed good practice.
“For Coco, the neck and chest wounds would have been significantly painful both at the time they were caused and would have remained so as they became more swollen and bruised. The wounds were extensive and involved a large area of skin and muscle. Had these wounds continued to be left unattended then I believe they would have become infected and that Coco would have become ill in herself.
“The right ear infection should have been obvious to any reasonable owner paying regular attention to their pet. The ear would have felt sore and irritated due to the ulceration present.”
Sentencing Worster, District Judge Dickens said the dogs were kept in horrific conditions and whilst initially she intended to keep them in acceptable conditions things deteriorated. She said she had denied the dog’s medical treatment, despite being warned by the RSPCA they needed urgent care.
CONVICTED (2025) | backyard breeder and former professional dog walker Lee Arran Fazakerley, born August 1994, previously of Elm Close, Pinxton, Nottingham NG16 6LW and now of Wagstaff Lane, Jacksdale, Nottingham NG16 5LN – arranged for his Doberman’s ears to be illegally and painfully cropped to make her look “scary”.
Fazakerley, who operated a dog walking and training business under the name FK9 Services (company name FK9 Kennels and Services Ltd – since dissolved) admitted causing a banned procedure contrary to Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The court heard he had paid £400 to an individual in Birmingham to mutilate the ears of the dog, Cartel. This had caused the Doberman to suffer “extreme pain”
In mitigation, it was said the defendant had poor mental health and that his dogs acted as a support. He had a life-time caring for dogs and had learned his lesson.
Handing down a four-month suspended jail term, Recorder Jonathan Lee told Fazakerley: “This was not a spur of the moment event. This particular dog was mutilated as a macho status symbol, by making her look scary.
“If you have had custody of dogs for as long as suggested by your counsel, you would know that your actions would cause her extreme pain and that what you were doing was illegal.”
After sentencing, Caroline Richardson, an inspector for the animal cruelty charity, said: “This individual has been heavily involved in the ‘dog world’ for years – owning, keeping and training many dogs.
“He should have known better than to pay someone to cut his dog’s ears off, purely for cosmetic reasons. I am glad the courts thought it was necessary to ban him from keeping dogs for the next four years.
“We hope this sentence prevents others who are considering putting dogs through this unnecessary, painful procedure from going through with it. Ear cropping is not only painful at the time and during the healing process – which involves putting posts in dogs ears for breeds such as Dobermans. It can also have life long effects on the dogs.”
Reports of ear cropping incidents have risen by 707 per cent since 2015, according to the RSPCA.
Sentencing | four months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years; 200 hours of unpaid work; 20 days of rehabilitation. Banned from keeping dogs for four years (expires March 2029).
CONVICTED (2025) | Nicholas W Johnston, born c. 1964, of 153 Norbury Avenue, Thornton Heath CR7 8AP – left a malnourished XL bully in severe pain with infected cropped ears.
Nicholas Johnston’s dog Raynor was put to sleep after being found in an emaciated condition and in severe pain and distress with diseased cropped ears.
Johnston was convicted in relation to an XL bully called Raynor who was found in an emaciated condition and in considerable pain and distress when he took her to a PDSA clinic in February 2024.
The PDSA first saw Raynor in June 2023, when she was presented with an infection that had left her ears thickened and inflamed. She was put on steroid medication but Johnston failed to attend a follow-up appointment the following month and was not seen again for eight months.
Sadly, her condition had now deteriorated to the point where euthanasia was deemed the most humane option.
RSPCA officer Yalina Blumer attended the PDSA clinic and said the dead dog’s ribs and spine were clearly visible and her cropped ears looked “very inflamed”.
The dog was given a body condition score of two out of nine, which is very underweight.
In a statement to the court, a PDSA vet said Johnston initially brought Raynor to be examined on June 23, 2023, as the dog had been troubled by sore ears for six months.
Raynor was found to have cropped ears, a procedure which is illegal in the UK.
The vet prescribed steroids and antibiotics, and in a phone check-up on July 7, Johnston reported the dog’s ears were improving.
The defendant asked if the canine could undergo surgery to remove both his ear canals, but was told the procedure was too high risk.
The vet stated: “During this appointment, the owner raised a concern that he felt Raynor was losing weight so he was prescribed further steroid medication for 30 days and advised to have a recheck in three weeks, but the owner did not arrange, nor attend, any further appointments until February 2024.”
The vet added that Johnston was unable to explain what he fed Raynor, but claimed that “neighbours would sometimes throw food over the fence into his garden for the dog to eat”.
An examination showed evidence of long-term changes to the dog’s ear canals, which had narrowed with thickened tissue to such an extent the vet could not use an otoscope to inspect them.
“I am of the belief that Raynor undoubtedly suffered for a period of at least three months as the defendant failed to take reasonable steps to ensure she had a suitable diet and failed to protect her from pain, suffering and disease,” concluded the vet.
In mitigation, the court was told Johnston had housing and mental health issues and was remorseful for his actions. He had not been responsible for the illegal cropping of the dog’s ears, it was said.
Inspector Blumer said: “Pets are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy.
“Owning an animal is a privilege – and ensuring appropriate veterinary care when they need it is a key part of the responsibility we have towards them.”
Sentencing | eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months; four-week curfew; 15 days of rehabilitation. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years (expires March 2035).
