CONVICTED (2018) | Teresa Wade, born 04/05/1959 of Ship Lane Travellers Site, Aveley, South Ockendon RM15 4HQ, and Victoria Montgomery, born 05/12/1961 of Marne Road, Dagenham (previously Melford Avenue, Barking, London IG11) – kept dogs and puppies in dire conditions at a puppy farm in Essex. Cruel and deceitful puppy farmers Teresa Wade (left) and Victoria Montgomery duped customers into thinking their puppies were home bred. The reality was quite different Wade and Montgomery, who are Irish travellers and part of a notorious gang of puppy dealers with previous convictions, both pleaded guilty partway through a trial for a string of animal welfare offences. The pair admitted keeping dogs and puppies in dirty, unsuitable conditions following an RSPCA  investigation. The animal charity launched an initiative called Operation Excel to investigate the breeding and selling of puppies in Essex in 2014 after receiving numerous calls from members of the public who had bought puppies that had become extremely sick or, in some cases, even died. When the RSPCA and police executed a warrant at the Ship Lane travellers site in Essex – and two other residential addresses, one in Essex and one in London – officers found 76 dogs and puppies, including poodles, cocker spaniels and some of the popular designer crossbreed types such as cavachons, cockerpoos and golden doodles. RSPCA officers found 76 dogs and puppies, including poodles, cocker spaniels, cavachons and cockerpoos at Ship Lane travellers site. The dogs were advertised as being ‘home-reared’, but were actually kept in small cages in dark sheds at the site. The dogs were seized and placed into the RSPCA’s care and a number of pregnant bitches went on to have 27 puppies in the charity’s centres. Of the 103 dogs in total, four sadly died, but courts ordered for the remaining 99 dogs to be rehomed ahead of the court hearing. RSPCA inspector Carroll Lamport, who led the investigation, said: “After a number of calls from people who had bought puppies that had fallen ill we became suspicious of a gang who appeared to be selling a large number of puppies. “The dogs were being bred on an industrial scale at a site in Aveley and were kept in disgusting conditions in makeshift kennels and pens in outbuildings. “When it was time to sell the puppies – for hundreds of pounds each – they would be moved to two houses being used as front addresses to sell the puppies from. The staged houses to gave the impression that the dogs were much-loved family pets. The reality was far from that. “These dogs were kept in dark, damp pens covered in filth. They were in terrible conditions, riddled with worms and fleas, with matted, dirty coats. Many of them were extremely poorly with campylobacter and giardia – both serious and potentially deadly parasitic illnesses.” RSPCA investigations determined that while many of the dogs were being bred on-site, a number of puppies were also being imported from abroad. “These dogs were being kept in horrendous conditions, it must have been hell for them,” inspector Lamport added. “Sadly, we lost a few of the pups but, thanks to the wonderful dedication of our animal centre staff and fosterers, the rest have all flourished and are now happy, healthy dogs in loving homes. “Many of them still carry the scars – both mental and physical – from this part of their life, though. Some have ongoing health problems caused by the conditions they were kept in while others have developed behavioural issues because they were not properly socialised as pups.” “It’s clear that this gang didn’t have a care in the world for the welfare of these dogs. All they saw when they looked into their dark, sad eyes was a way to make thousands and thousands of pounds.” Sentencing: Teresa Wade pleaded guilty to three animal welfare offences and was given a five-month prison term, suspended for 11 months. She was also ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £115 victim surcharge. She was disqualified from keeping dogs for 10 years.  Victoria Montgomery admitted one animal welfare offence and was given a three-month jail term, suspended for 11 months, and was also ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £115 victim surcharge. No ban on keeping animals was imposed by the court. Your Thurrock BBC News Previous/related BBC News 05/10/2016 BBC News 01/02/2017