A North Lincolnshire woman has been sentenced after she was caught breeding and selling puppies illegally without a licence.
Stacey Emma, 40, previously of West Butterwick, appeared at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 16 where she pleaded guilty to breaching the Animal Welfare Act by breeding and selling puppies without a licence to do so.
It follows a 17-month-long investigation by North Lincolnshire Council, Humberside Police and the RSPCA, which began when several complaints were made and a warrant was executed to search Ms Emma’s property.
Officers were able to confirm that since 2018, she had bred ten litters of puppies – including Dachshunds, German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers – without a licence.
Some puppies were advertised for more than £1,000 and bank statements revealed the defendant had made £8,000 in one month from selling the dogs.
(Image: Donna Clifford/GrimsbyLive)
Evidence was later obtained which confirmed that Ms Emma continued to breed and sell dogs after officers had visited her, changing her name on adverts to avoid detection.
She later moved out of North Lincolnshire but the council decided to continue the prosecution. It is the council’s first successful criminal conviction under new regulations in bringing an unlicensed dog breeder to justice.
Ms Emma was ordered by magistrates in Grimsby to pay a fine of £1,280, costs of £750 and a victim services surcharge of £512.
The total cost to apply for a licence to breed dogs with North Lincolnshire Council is £1,136, including vet fees. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 state that a licence is required where a person breeds three or more litters in any 12-month period, or where a person breeds and sells dogs in the course of a business.
In determining whether the activity is run in the course of a business, a key indicator is whether the person makes a profit from breeding and selling dogs.
However, it is often extremely challenging when it comes to proving acts of unlicensed breeding because it is solely reliant on complainants coming forward.
A spokesperson for North Lincolnshire Council said: “The council will continue to investigate reports of unlicensed breeders and take legal action when evidence confirms it is appropriate to do so. Unlicensed breeders risk a fine, imprisonment, or both.
“For more information on dog breeders and the licences required, please visit the licensing page on the North Lincolnshire Council website [www.northlincs.gov.uk/licensing/] or email licensing@northlincs.gov.uk.”
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
