CONVICTED (2022) | puppy farmer Julie Elizabeth Newcombe, born 28 January 1978, of Pen-Ay-Byd, 1 Trefil Road, Tredegar NP22 4ET – kept 90 dogs in atrocious conditions contaminated by faeces and urine.

Newcombe, who traded under the name Unigryw Francesca’s Fluffy Frenchies, subjected dogs to horrendous cruelty – depriving them of food and water – while also having the bodies of decomposing puppies at her home.

She had denied failing to take steps to ensure the needs of 90 dogs were met but was found guilty after a trial.

She was found to have:

• accommodated the animals in a filthy environment contaminated by faeces and urine;
• failed to provide an adequate quantity of fresh clean drinking water;
• failed to accommodate the animals in accommodation of sufficient size;
• failed to enable the dogs to express normal behaviour patterns;
• failed to provide required veterinary treatment;
• failed to provide adequate nutrition for the animals’ needs;
• failed to provide adequate and clean bedding.

On 1 September 2020, RSPCA inspectors were asked by Gwent Police to attend a property on Trefil Road in Tredegar.

Police had found a vast number of dogs there and had already called out a vet who had given treatment where it was needed.

The vet on the day estimated 60 adult dogs and approximately eight litters were inside the property, with various breeds including Dachshunds, Labradors, French Bulldogs, Poodles and Bichon Frise.

RSPCA inspector Darren Oakley said he was confronted by “horrendous” scenes when he arrived.

Inspector Oakley said: “The dogs had no food or water, the only few that did have water were the ones with outside access due to the rain.

“When food and water was placed down for the loose dogs, they ate/drank ravenously. The conditions inside the house were horrendous; the floors were covered in faeces with dogs in cages living in their own filth.

“Every room contained more dogs and pups, the whole house had become one large disgusting kennel. The smell and sights were clearly having an affect on the police who were in attendance.

“The outbuildings were worse than the house. On entry the stench coming from them was overpowering. It was hard to see into any of the outbuildings due to no lighting. The noises from inside them were horrific.”

Police secured the property and RSPCA officers attended the following day again as part of a police warrant.

On that day 95 dogs were seized by police. One dead dog was also found in the property.

That evening the first of the dogs were transported to vets/kennels. This operation continued the following day. One of the dogs – a dachshund – died at the vets that day.

In a written statement RSPCA inspector David Milborrow said he assisted in handling and loading of the remaining dogs into RSPCA vehicles for transport to their boarding facilities.

He said: “When it came to the removal of the dogs from the outbuilding on the top tier of the garden I spent 90 minutes inside the building passing each dog in turn out of the missing window to an officer waiting outside.

“After that length of time in the building my overalls were smothered in dog faeces and, despite sticking my head out of the window whenever possible, I began to feel nauseous and the onset of a headache.”

In a written witness statement from RSPCA inspector Simon Evans, who had also been in attendance, described what he saw in two rooms in particular that contained a large number of dogs who were trying to get their attention through the bars of child-proof gates.

He said: “The conditions within these two rooms were by far the worst in the entire house and were, perhaps, amongst the worst I had encountered in my 20 year career within the RSPCA.

“The room to my left was in darkness with apparently no electric lights working.

“Inside was a chocolate labrador bitch and five puppies. The floor was covered in a thick layer of faeces; there was a plastic basket for the dogs to sleep in but this too was completely covered in faeces.

“The puppies’ coats were crusty with dried faeces and their underbellies were soaked in urine.”

In the second room behind him he said it appeared to be a utility room but unlike the last, there was lighting available.

“The room was alive with dogs,” he said.

“Loose in the room, which was full of faeces, flies and rubbish were three adult French Bulldogs. There was an empty cage in the room, open access and which was soaked in urine and faeces with no bedding provided whatsoever.

“At the back of the room were four more of the pod kennels stacked two on top of two. In the top left hand kennel were two dachshund puppies, one black and tan, one tan.

“In the kennel next to it, were two white, bichon frise type dogs with coats stained black due to the faeces the dogs were being forced to live amongst. In the lower kennels were a single blue coloured French Bulldog and next to it, a black French Bulldog.

“I found the conditions within these two utility rooms to be completely overpowering. I was soaked with sweat and, due to the high levels of ammonia in the air, my throat began to get sore.”

Inspector Evans in his statement states that on September 6 he was contacted by one of the vets who had been looking after some of the dogs, to say that a puppy had developed symptoms of parvo virus and had deteriorated to the extent that it needed to be put to sleep.

Three other puppies were also suspected of coming down with the disease. Inspector Evans informed Ms Newcombe and, having spoken with the vet dealing, she authorised the euthanasia of the sickly puppy.

Over the next few days a number of other puppies became sick and either died, or were put to sleep to prevent suffering.

Two litters were also born, one with five puppies and a labrador had a litter of eight puppies, one of which sadly died.

Shortly after the dogs came into RSPCA care numerous litters of puppies were born leading to the animal welfare charity having a total of 137 dogs which included all the pups born in their care.

Alex Weller, defending, said Newcombe had been suffering from “horrific” personal circumstances and had been a victim of domestic abuse around the time the offences took place.

He said she would be in a difficult position to pay any costs from the trial due to the fact she wasn’t working and received income support and disability living allowance.

He disagreed with prosecution concerns that Newcombe would be at risk of breeding dogs again, adding that she had had some cats returned to her after the offences took place.

“If there was [a] risk to animals, then the cats would not have been returned to her,” he added.

However, in finding her guilty, the judge said he struggled to accept that she was compelled to fail to look after the dogs’ needs and had to consider if a reasonable person in the same situation would have done the same.

Sentencing | 12-month probation order with 20 days of women-specific programmes. Ordered to pay just £1,000 towards the RSPCA’s estimated costs of £200,000. Banned from keeping dogs for five years but can apply for a review after 12 months.

South Wales Argus
BBC News
Wales Online

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Update | August 2023

Newcombe appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday 25 August 2023 to appeal against her conviction and her sentence. Her appeal was dismissed and she was ordered to pay £1,200 in court costs.

Wales Online