CONVICTED (2020) | puppy farm dealer Marco Tondo, born 18/10/1987, currently of 18 Shawfield Court, Annan, Dumfriesshire DG12 6JB but with links to the Shettleston area of Glasgow, and partner Nadine Campbell, born 07/12/1988, of 39 Colston Avenue, Bishopbriggs G64 1SL – sold sick puppies and ran an illegal ‘pet shop’
[images of abusers removed as demanded by the ‘copyright holder’ Spindrift Photo but can be viewed on the linked articles]
Wannabe gangster and alleged drug dealer Marco Tondo kept several dogs in cramped conditions at partner Campbell’s address in Bishopbriggs in October 2018.
The Scottish SPCA said the puppies were suffering from a number of serious health problems, including worm and flea infestations, parvovirus and coccidiosis – a parasitic infestation.
Investigating officers determined they had come from “suspected puppy dealers”.
Five puppies were sold at the “pet shop” where eight other young dogs were kept.
Two dogs had to be put down, one of which had suffered organ damage. Other dogs there were also poorly and underweight.
Tondo, who shares a baby daughter with co-accused Nadine Campbell, was set to face trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court but pleaded guilty to a charge of causing “unnecessary suffering” to the puppies.
Tondo and Campbell both admitted to operating a pet shop without proper authority involving the selling of five puppies and having eight other young dogs.
The court heard Tondo put Jack Russell and Chihuahua puppies up for sale on Gumtree.
Two buyers came to the property in Bishopbriggs, where Campbell was living.
Tondo told them not to feed the puppy on the journey as it would be “sick due to travel.”
He claimed one dog had been wormed but failed to forward the paperwork to the buyers. It was later discovered that the puppy had not been wormed or microchipped.
The buyers paid £350 and Tondo did acknowledge that the puppy was “unwell” – it later vomited in the buyers’ car and its health deteriorated.
The puppy was taken to the vet for dehydration where its breathing became “laboured” and died.
Tondo could not be contacted and his phone appeared “out of service.”
The court heard of another incident when a vet and her daughter bought a dog from Tondo.
The vet noted that the dogs didn’t show typical puppy behaviour and were underweight – she also noted there was no food, beds or blankets for the animals.
The vet later bought the dog after discussing it with her daughter and was told by Tondo that the puppy had been vaccinated and microchipped.
The dog’s health deteriorated as it became dehydrated and was passing clear watery fluids.
The puppy was taken for veterinary treatment but did not respond to its medication.
A third puppy was then bought on October 21, 2018, at an address in Larbert, Stirlingshire.
Prosecutors said the dog – who also had fleas – then “collapsed, was pale and had a fever”.
Vets found it had signs of “organ damage”. The dog died on October 25, 2018.
A fourth puppy later sold also needed vet treatment.
The charge stated a number of puppies at the address in Bishopbriggs were “confined in a small cage” and others in a garden were “underweight”.
Despite all of this neither Tondo nor Campbell were banned from keeping animals, an outcome that the Scottish SPCA greeted with disappointment.
An undercover special investigation unit (SIU) inspector said: “Whilst we welcome and respect the court’s judgment, we would have liked to see Tondo given a ban on owning or keeping animals. His disregard for the welfare of numerous dogs led to several puppies becoming unwell and, in two sorry cases, passing away.
“We became aware of Tondo and Campbell following reports by concerned members of the public who had purchased puppies from them that had subsequently become very ill and, sadly in two instances, passed away.
“Working on intelligence we were able to determine that both of the accused were supplied puppies from an unidentified puppy dealer, but failed to keep any form of register of sales carried out.
“Our investigation led us to the home of Campbell. With a warrant, we discovered evidence to support that they were selling puppies on behalf of a third party without the appropriate licence.
“The pups have come from suspected puppy dealers. These people are driven by profit and often have no regard for animal welfare.”
The inspector added: “The puppies were suffering from a number of serious health problems including worm and flea infestations, parvovirus and coccidiosis, a parasitic infestation. Tondo’s failure to provide veterinary care for these animals would have led to immeasurable suffering.
“Not only did they put the dogs in their care at risk but due to the contagious nature of the diseases the puppies had, they put domestic dogs in Scotland at great risk.
“This has been heart-breaking for the families who bought the puppies from the couple. Not only did it result in large veterinary bills, but also a lot of stress and heartache.
“Tondo has overlooked the most basic welfare standards in order that they can profit at the expense of these animals.
“This case shows that not only are we targeting puppy farmers but we are also taking on those buying puppies from dealers with successful results. This is a reminder that we will not overlook anyone involved in this barbaric trade.”
Sentencing: Marco Tondo was ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work in the community while Nadine Campbell was tagged for three months for selling the pups from her home address without a licence. No ban on keeping animals was imposed on either of them.
Glasgow Evening Times
BBC News
Update April 2022
Marco Tondo was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to assaulting a man to his severe injury. Tondo and accomplice Danny Davidson attacked the man after he expressed anger about the former’s treatment of dogs. The man was left with more than a dozen fractures.
Graphic CCTV footage showed the thug pair tail the 36 year-old victim out of a pub in Annan, Dumfriesshire, before punching, kicking and stamping on him in the middle of traffic.
The daylight attack on July 31, 2020 came just months after Tondo was spared jail following a guilty plea to selling mistreated puppies from an illegal “pet shop” in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire.
Judge Scott Pattison jailed Tondo, of Annan, for six years and ordered he be supervised for a further two years on his release.
Davidson, of Gretna, was sentenced to five years and three months.
Tondo’s lawyer Paul Mullen said the thug was “disgusted and ashamed”.
Daily Record
