CONVICTED (2024) | Kyle Vaughan, born 28 August 1997, of 100 Milltown Road, Lisburn BT28 3TZ – starved two dogs to a skeletal condition.
Vaughan, owner of vehicle valeting business K.V Carkleen, was convicted of cruelty to a Doberman-type and Husky-type dog.
The unnamed dogs were examined by a vet who found they were “suffering due to starvation”. Both had visible hip and rib bones and their spines were prominent.
The charges date back to September 2023 when a local authority animal welfare officer received a report of concern from council enforcement officers who had taken possession of the two dogs.
The dogs were taken into the care of a local animal sanctuary and nursed back to health. They have since been rehomed.
Sentencing | two-year conditional discharge; ordered to pay a total of £369 in legal costs and vet fees. Disqualified from keeping animals for five years (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Daniel Glancey, born 10 July 1989, of Eighth Avenue, Blyth NE24 2QE – allowed his pet Rottweiler to become severely malnourished.
Glancey admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the eight-year-old dog, known as Xena.
His cruelty came to light after Xena was found straying and picked up by an animal welfare officer from Northumberland County Council.
Xena was picked up by the local authority animal welfare officer as a stray and taken to a vet for examination. Photo credit: Northumberland Dog Rescue
Concerned about the dog’s extremely poor condition the officer took her to a vet where she was was given a low body condition score of 2/9. She weighed just 19kg and her hip bones, ribs, spine and skull were protruding through her fur. She was weak with overgrown nails and infected eyes.
Weighing just 19kg, Xena’s hip bones, ribs, spine and skull were visibly on show. She was weak, had overgrown nails and discharge to her eyes. Photo credit: Northumberland Dog Rescue
Xena was traced to Dan Glancey after he and partner Katie White placed ‘missing dog’ posts on social media. In one post Glancey described Xena as being “a little underweight” due to illness.
The animal welfare officer called Glancey to discuss their concerns about Xena’s condition. He fed them a pack of lies about Xena being under the care of a local vet practice after being poisoned by fertiliser. He later admitted she hadn’t seen a vet blaming lack of money and vets said her appalling condition was simply due to a lack of proper nutrition and diet.
Glancey relinquished Xena to the animal welfare officer who placed her in the care of Northumberland Dog Rescue to be nursed back to health. Following her recovery, Zena was adopted and is loving life in her new home.
Sentencing | nine-week custodial sentence, reduced to six weeks for his early guilty plea, suspended for six months; ordered to pay a surcharge of £154 and costs of £300. Disqualified from keeping all animals for ten years.
CONVICTED (2024) | greeder Robert Guy, born 27 September (tbc), of 17 Ballyfore Gardens, Newtownabbey BT36 6XY – severely neglected two dogs in his care; breached a previous ban for similar offences.
Charges were brought against serial dog abuser Robert Guy by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council under the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011.
An investigation was conducted in August 2023 by a local authority Animal Welfare Officer after receiving a report that Guy had dogs on his property, with indications suggesting the dogs had attacked each other.
Upon inspection, officers discovered two dogs with fur loss, filthy ears and puncture wounds.
A veterinarian confirmed that one dog was suffering from putrid wounds, while the other had very short cropped ears. Furthermore, both animals had visible skin lesions and were in a filthy state. Both dogs were treated for their injuries and condition, and were both successfully rehomed.
Guy was found to have breached a disqualification order imposed in November 2021, which prohibited him from keeping dogs for seven years.
Sentencing | four-month custodial suspended for 12 months. 15-year disqualification ban preventing Guy from owning dogs.
CONVICTED (2024) | illegal dog breeder Edith Nishanthy Nixon of Monkton Close, Stanhope, Ashford TN23 5ET – neglected multiple puppies in her care, leading to many dying through malnourishment.
Nixon was prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for illegally breeding dogs. The case was brought by Ashford Borough Council.
She was responsible for breeding at least 10 litters of Pomeranian pups between 2020 and 2022 without holding an animal activity licence for dog breeding.
She advertised her dogs through social media and also placed adverts on classified site Freeads.
After receiving a complaint from a buyer of one of the dogs, the council carried out an investigation.
Nixon admitted that a number of puppies had died due to a lack of milk, and demonstrated a lack of basic care or knowledge which could have prevented the suffering and deaths of the pups.
She failed to act promptly when the pups were first noted to be subdued and lethargic, with a lack of understanding of how to tell if pups were dehydrated.
There was also no process in place to monitor the pups’ healthy growth and food intake through regular weighing.
On 13 March 2024, Nixon pleaded guilty to the offences at Folkestone Magistrates Court.
Cllr Liz Wright, Cabinet Member for Communities and Health, said: “This case sends out a clear message that the council will not tolerate the flouting of licensing laws that regulate this sector.
“The checks, inspections, and monitoring associated with licensing help to ensure that premises are suitable for dog breeding, that the licensee is competent, and that the welfare of the dogs and pups is not compromised through the breeding activity.
“It also acts to give buyers confidence that the pets they purchase come from a reputable breeder, who is subject to routine and unannounced inspection.”
Speaking after the court case, RSPCA Kent Chief Inspector Nick Wheelhouse said: “Puppies have become a valuable commodity and, unfortunately, that has attracted people who want to exploit them in order to make profit.
“Sadly, some breeders do not prioritise the health and welfare of their dogs, and unsuspecting members of the public unknowingly buy puppies who are sick.
“We’d urge anyone who is thinking of getting a dog to consider taking on a rescue instead of buying a puppy. Anyone who is looking for a puppy can use The Puppy Contract to help them buy a happy, healthy dog.”
Sentencing | 100 hours of unpaid work; costs of £2,701.50 and victim surcharge of £114. No mention of a ban.
CONVICTED (2024) | notorious puppy farmer Eugene Daly, born 6 April 1982, of 88 Derryfubble Road, Dungannon BT71 7PW – transported very young and unwell puppies from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.
Company director Eugene Daly, operator of a dog breeding establishment (DBE) licensed for over 200 dogs by Mid-Ulster Council, was fined after admitting to a charge of ‘transporting a dog not fit for the journey’. The paperwork held by Daly was also inaccurate and fraudulent.
Daly, sole director of Hillside Kennels Ltd and Daly Transport Ltd, was prosecuted after a consignment of his puppies was stopped and examined at Belfast Port.
Puppy farmer and transporter Eugene Daly is pictured with dog groomer girlfriend Sandra Millar who is alleged to sell puppies on his behalf
The case arose as part of Operation Paws for Thought, a multi-agency initiative led by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) aimed at clamping down on the low-welfare trafficking of puppies between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Checks carried out on exports made by Daly discovered that destination addresses held for the puppies were false.
Veterinary examination of the puppies found that some of them were not eight weeks old.
Many seemed poorly socialised, had extended tummies and a pot-bellied appearance consistent with worm infestation.
The bedding in the cages appeared wet and quite heavily soiled. This contradicted Daly’s assertion that the puppies had only been loaded less than two hours previously.
Daly pleaded guilty and was fined £400 plus £15 offender levy.
Daly’s partner is Sandra Millar of Stiloga Road, Eglish, Dungannon BT71 7QH. According to the anti puppy farming campaign group Do Better DoneDeal Millar, a dog groomer trading under the name Happy Tails, sells farmed puppies on her boyfriend’s behalf, while lying that they are home-bred.
CONVICTED (2024) | Stephen Buxton of the Breach Cottage, Breach Lane, Sudbury, Ashbourne DE6 5HH, Susan Heath of 61 Foss Road, Hilton, Derby DE65 5BJ, and Oliver Lucas of Sudbury Park, Sudbury, Ashbourne DE6 5HU – ran an unlicensed puppy farm on which 28 dogs and puppies were kept in filthy and unsanitary conditions.
Susan Heath and Stephen BuxtonOliver Lucas
In 2020 officers from South Derbyshire District Council were notified that dogs were being bred at the family home of Stephen Buxton without the necessary breeding licence. When council officers contacted Buxton, he denied this but was reminded of the legal obligations.
In 2021 council officers received intelligence that dogs were being sold on social media by owners using different names, but all based at Buxton’s address. A court warrant was obtained by the council and officers visited the premises on June 7, 2022.
A total of 28 adult dogs and pups were found in agricultural buildings at the site.
Conditions were found to be cluttered and dirty, with extensive faecal and urine contamination. The premises was infested with flies and a dead rat was sighted .
The odour in the building was described as overpowering.
All of the dogs at the site were observed to be anxious, wary and in some cases afraid of contact with humans.
Using powers granted under animal welfare legislation, council officers seized the dogs and transported them to a local kennels. Veterinary examination determined that they had all been neglected for a lengthy period
Three weeks after the warrant, all of the dogs were signed over to the legal control of the local authority.
All of the animals were returned to full health and were found permanent homes.
Following the council’s investigation, three people were charged with offences relating to unauthorised breeding of dogs and animal welfare offences. All three pleaded guilty to these offences.
Stephen Buxton admitted one offence of causing unnecessary suffering, nine offences of failing to ensure welfare and two offences of breeding without a licence. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 190 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £114 victim surcharge and £5,000 contribution towards the prosecution costs.
Oliver Lucas admitted two offences of causing unnecessary suffering, three offences of failing to ensure welfare and one offence of breeding without a licence. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work, ordered to pay a £114 victim surcharge and £2,000 contribution to the prosecution costs.
Susan Heath pleaded guilty to breeding without a licence and was fined £180. She was also ordered to pay a £72 victim surcharge and £400 towards the prosecution costs.
District Judge Flint remarked that they had prioritised money over animal welfare and should be ashamed of the conditions in which they kept the dogs. . He held Buxton as most responsible and the chief protagonist, as it was his property and he clearly knew that he should have been licensed. The judge commented that if he had been found guilty after trial, he would have looked at sending him to prison.
CONVICTED (2024) | backyard breeder Simon Hobbs, born 19 September 1977, of 23 Davies Drive, Caerphilly CF83 3RG – kept neglected and malnourished dogs in inhumane conditions.
On 8 February 2024 Simon Hobbs pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to five dogs including a pregnant Belgian Malinois.
He was prosecuted following an investigation by Caerphilly Council’s Trading Standards team who executed a number of warrants, in June 2023.
Trading Standards and Gwent Police officers accompanied by a vet carried out a search of Hobbs’ home and found six dogs in the kitchen with three of them – French bulldogs – housed in a very small cage.
Conditions in the kitchen were cramped, overcrowded and uncomfortable with little room to play, toilet and feed.
The dogs shared one food tray and two bowls of water.
A pregnant Belgian Malinois was significantly underweight. She gave birth to eight puppies 10 days later.
An Akita was found in an outside lean-to wooden kennel in direct sunlight, with no soft bedding or enrichment. Temperatures recorded early in the day, exceeded 26 degrees, the maximum accepted temperature for dogs.
Three dogs were found with conditions which caused them unnecessary suffering due to a lack of veterinary intervention and management.
The dogs were removed and placed into the care of Hope Rescue with the Malinois and her litter in need of intensive care to ensure their survival.
Sara Rosser, Operations Manager of Hope Rescue Centre said, “We were pleased to be able to support the hard work of Caerphilly County Borough Council with this case. It was shocking to see so many dogs living in such awful conditions.
“The dogs needed vet treatment and specialist care – one of the dogs who especially touched and saddened us was the Malinois who we named Jinx.
“As well as being in an awful condition, she was pregnant. We were very concerned that she would not have the strength to give birth and care for her litter but thanks for the hard work of the Hope Rescue Team, all eight puppies survived, and Jinx is now thriving.
“We are delighted that most of the dogs have already found loving new homes.’
Sentencing | ordered to pay £8,388.73 in fines, costs and a surcharge. He was disqualified from keeping all animals for five years (expires February 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Nicola O’Neill, born 10 February 1984, and James McWilliams, born c. 2003, of Felden Place, Newtownabbey BT36 7FL – for the neglect and starvation of nine filthy bull-terriers who resorted to eating another already dead dog.
Evil backyard breeders James McWilliams and Nicola O’Neill abandoned 10 dogs with one being eaten by the others after dying
Mother and son Nicola O’Neill and James McWilliams admitted failures to ensure the needs of the severely malnourished animals were met but blamed a lack of money.
In March 2022 an animal welfare officer from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council attended the family home on the outskirts of north Belfast to investigate a report that a dead dog was being eaten by others.
The officer discovered a mixture of puppies and full-grown dogs, some severely underweight and kept in filthy pens without access to bedding or water.
“Through the fencing she could see a dead dog on the ground that appeared to be half-eaten,” prosecution counsel said.
Five pups, believed to be American XL Bully breeds, were being held in a crate in the kitchen area, covered in urine and faeces and with their ribs and spines clearly visible.
Some other dogs were in the back garden, close to the dead bull terrier.
Based on post-mortem examination and a lack of blood spattering on the ground, prosecutors believe he had already died when the others began to eat the remains.
All nine surviving dogs were seized and examined by the Council’s vet.
McWilliams later told the welfare officer he did not usually live at the property, but had previously helped his mother take care of the dogs.
He also claimed they were struggling for money to feed the animals.
Counsel added: “Before this incident he was advertising six-week old American XL Bully pups for sale on Facebook, believed to be the five puppies that were seized at the time.
With the costs of caring for the remaining animals now in excess of £2,000, they are all still alive and have gained significant weight since their seizure.
Defence barrister Jonathan Browne acknowledged the circumstances were “deeply unpleasant”.
“Any right-thinking member of the public will find the facts truly abhorrent,” he said.
Mr Browne told the court the dogs had belonged to O’Neill’s late husband James McWilliams Sr – a prominent member of paramilitary group the Irish National Liberation Army. The court heard that he lived elsewhere but visited every day to tend to the dogs.
After McWilliams Sr’s sudden death in August 2021 O’Neill “neglected to look after the dogs”.
He added that James McWilliams Jr had an emotional bond with the animals and felt that giving them away would be a disservice to his late father’s memory.
“It’s a romantic notion, but in reality it costs money,” Mr Browne submitted.
“He found himself wanting to care for them but financially not able to.”
Urging District Judge George Conner not to send either defendant to jail, Mr Browne predicted they will carry the stigma of offences with them for the rest of their lives.
Judge Conner told them: “For those who enter a responsibility to look after animals, a very high standard (is required).
“Unfortunately in this case you both failed very badly.”
Sentencing |
Nicola O’Neill: four-month custodial suspended for a year; £250 towards costs. James McWilliams: 100 hours of community service; £599 costs. Both are banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Ian Rosenberg, born c. 1964, of South Haven Close, Hamworthy, Poole BH16 5BJ – illegally bred and sold puppies.
Illegal dog breeder/dealer Ian Rosenberg (right) with one of his many traveller friends
Rosenberg, who has strong connections to the traveller community, is said to have earned £53,260 through his illegal activities, which he will have to repay.
An investigation led by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) into Rosenberg’s operations ran between October 2019 and July 2022, and involved a raid of his Hamworthy property in July 2021.
The warrant was issued by Dorset Police, welfare checks were done by the RSPCA and the council’s Animal Welfare Officers were able to investigate at his premises.
Rosenberg was found to be housing 50 dogs and five litters of puppies.
Trading Standards then carried out a financial investigation which led to the successful prosecution.
This was the first successful conviction by BCP Council in bringing an unlicensed breeder to justice.
In court, he was found guilty of breeding three or more litters of English Bulldog, French Bulldog and Cocker Spaniel puppies over a 12-month period.
He was also found guilty of selling the puppies without a licence.
Sentencing | two months in prison, suspended for 12 months; 120 hours of unpaid work; repayment of the money he benefitted from through his illegal activity, with £10,500 having to be settled within a three-month period. If any of the payments default, Rosenberg will face six months in jail.
CONVICTED (2024) | pet hoarder Anita J Cross, born 1958, of Tilgarsley Road, Eynsham, Witney, OX29 4PP – ordered to give up seven dogs, 14 cats and two kittens under animal welfare legislation.
Cross appeared at Oxford Magistrates Court on January 15, 2024, after an application was made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to remove several animals from her.
The application was made under section 18(15) which authorises an inspector or constable to take a protected animal into possession where a veterinary surgeon certifies that it is suffering or is likely to suffer.
After the hearing, it was ordered that the animals be removed and administered treatment. There were seven dogs, 14 cats, and two kittens.
Cross was also ordered to pay West Oxfordshire District Council £1,000 for the veterinary intervention costs.
