CONVICTED (2017) | breeder Margaret (Maggie) Ann Mary Peacock, born 26 January 1953, of Cove Road, Farnborough GU14 0HQ – killed eight newborn puppies after stuffing them into a freezer Maggie Peacock callously killed 8 newborn puppies by stuffing them in a freezer Maggie Peacock, a Crufts-winning dog breeder and former director of Maggie Peacock Working Dogs Limited, stuffed the blue merle border collie puppies in a freezer and beat another to death with a tin opener. Peacock feared the puppies might have genetic mutations because their parents had been sister and brother. She made two phone calls to vets threatening to kill the pups herself if they would not help her. In a third call the breeder informed the receptionist that the puppies were now in the freezer because they had refused to put them down. The following day, Peacock, who spent 14 years in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, arrived at the surgery and handed over a bag containing eight puppies. One was still alive but had to be put down. Prosecuting, Andrew Austin told the court none of the pups showed any signs of having genetic defects, despite being inbred, and this was why vets had refused to put them down. RSPCA officers performed an inspection at Peacock’s home where they found a ninth puppy, which was part of the same litter, lying on its side in a kennel. An examination revealed it had suffered a blow to the head – which officers later found was from a tin opener. Fiona Taylor, defending, told the court Peacock had been distressed during the birth and after the vet refused to put the puppies down she felt the only solution was to take matters into her own hands to prevent the mum becoming emotionally attached to her pups. In court, magistrate Dr Susan Dadlani said Peacock’s previous good record of keeping animals meant they would not be disqualifying her from continuing to do so, despite what she had done. The Kennel Club, which operates the national register of pedigree dogs in the UK and acts as a lobby group on issues involving dogs, subsequently struck Peacock from its register for 10 years. An RSPCA spokesperson said: “This was clearly a very upsetting case and one in which we are pleased that the court convicted the defendant of animal cruelty offences following the prosecution case brought by the RSPCA. “The sentence imposed was a matter for the court to decide and we respect that decision.” Sentencing: two concurrent 12 week jail terms, suspended for 12 months; ordered to pay £830. SurreyLive Mirror Update February 2023 Peacock was jailed over a dog attack on a visitor Margaret Peacock was jailed for two years and six months for failing to control her pet Belgian Malinois. The dog, named Mako, mauled a visitor causing her “significant” injuries and distress. Peacock was convicted by a jury at Salisbury Crown Court of being in charge of Mako, who was dangerously out of control, causing severe injury to Natasha Turner. Judge Richard Parkes KC also banned Peacock from owning dogs. He told her: “You have shown no remorse whatsoever for what happened, indeed you continue to protest even today that Miss Turner turned up at your door having already been attacked by some savage stray. “The only real mitigation in this very serious case is the fact that you are elderly and suffering from multiple sclerosis, a condition which plainly requires long-term treatment.” The judge also ordered that Peacock’s two collie dogs and another Belgian Malinois – which is in the same herding group as the German shepherd – be seized by police. Dr Candy d’Sa, animal behaviour consultant, told the court that she inspected Peacock’s home and found it unsuitable for keeping dogs. She said: “The environment is absolutely unsuitable for animals, especially intelligent and active dogs. It was dangerous, barren and it was filthy.” Sian Beaven, prosecuting, told the trial that Miss Turner had visited the home of the defendant in Farnborough, Hampshire, to do some DIY, and to visit her own dog, Bobo, which was staying there, when the attack happened. Giving evidence, Miss Turner said she had visited Peacock, who is registered disabled with multiple sclerosis, on February 1, 2021, to move her bed to another room so it would be nearer to a woodburner because of the cold. Miss Turner said that Peacock helped her to get the dog off but was bitten herself in the process, before the defendant managed to put the dog back behind the gate where it was normally kept. She said that Peacock asked her afterwards not to contact the police because she was worried the dog would be put down, and also bought her gifts in an attempt to stop her from reporting the incident. The defendant had denied that Mako carried out the attack and told the court that Ms Turner arrived injured at her front door having been attacked by a stray dog elsewhere. The contract required Mako to be kept under control when visitors were at the property. Ms Beaven added that Mako, which had been subject to a dog behaviour contract because of two previous incidents, had since been euthanised because of health problems. BBC News