puppy farmers louise st john poulton and sean kerr Animal Abuser

CONVICTED (2017) | puppy farmers Louise St John Poulton (aka Phoebe Dobbs), born 6 March 1974, most recently of High Grove, St Albans AL3 5SU, and Sean Kerr (aka Bob Hulk …), born 5 December 1964, of Pastures Farm, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, near Solihull B92 0HH – involved in mass-scale breeding of sick and dying puppies.

Sean Kerr and Louise St John Poulton ran a puppy farm where the dogs weren’t allowed to bark Poulton pleaded guilty to six counts of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and three offences of failing to meet the needs of a number of dogs.

Her partner in crime and cruelty, Sean Kerr, was found guilty of six counts of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and three offences of failing to meet the needs of a number of dogs.

An RSPCA investigation was launched after heartbroken owners reported buying sick and dying dogs including  schnauzers, Westies and pugs from Poulton and Kerr.

RSPCA inspector Herchy Boal said: “Many of [the puppies] had fallen ill within just a few hours and, tragically, some of them died within just a few days.

“Not only did the new owners have to cover hefty vet bills but they also had to deal with the trauma and heartbreak of watching their new puppies die in front of their eyes.” On 22 December 2015, the RSPCA and police executed a warrant and raided a property in Solihull.

Puppy farmer Louise St John Poulton now of St Albans, Hertfordshire RSPCA inspectors discovered a number of different breeds at the premises, all living in appalling, filthy conditions A whiteboard on the wall gave a glimpse into the lives of the dogs on this farm.

There were instructions to keep the dogs quiet by squirting water at them, cracking a whip or shouting.

“The dogs were being kept in disgusting conditions and were absolutely terrified,” inspector Boal said.

“Some were being kept locked in rooms inside the house, including a frightened pregnant Shih Tzu who was being kept in a cold downstairs loo.

And four dogs – three of which were pregnant – had been locked in an outbuilding in total darkness, there was no light or ventilation whatsoever.

In fact, we didn’t even realise they were there until a few hours into our search of the property.

“All of the dogs were petrified.

The minute you touched them they froze from fear.” RSPCA inspectors discovered a number of different breeds at the premises, all living in appalling, filthy conditions Thirty-seven dogs and puppies were removed and 27 further pups were later born in RSPCA care.

Some of the dogs had injuries and health problems and officers also recovered the body of a dead Shih Tzu puppy wrapped in a plastic carrier bag in the footwell of a van, parked at the farm.

On one of the stables, officers found a whiteboard with instructions for the daily care of the dogs, including: ‘Keep puppies quiet, do not let them bark.

Squirt them or use whip to crack in yard.’ RSPCA inspectors found the body of a dead Shih Tzu puppy wrapped in a plastic carrier bag in the footwell of a van Paperwork found at the house tied the couple to the sales of puppies and 17 mobile phones were removed and analysed which revealed texts from some of the buyers who had contacted the RSPCA.

“The health and welfare of these dogs isn’t important to the sellers who see them just as commodities to be brought and sold,” inspector Boal added.

“The breeding stock are kept in inadequate conditions and used to produce litter after litter with little or no regard for their welfare.

And puppies are born with deformities or health problems as a result of poor breeding and don’t get the appropriate care in their formative weeks which means they can have serious health problems or behavioural issues.” Westie puppies Ben and Max had severe parvovirus and had to be put to sleep.

Most of the dogs rescued from the farm were fostered.

Two of the puppies born in RSPCA care were fostered by Tom Mather, who lost his two Westies (Ben and Max, pictured above) to severe parvovirus five days after buying them from Poulton.

Sentencing | Poulton was sentenced to 22 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and was disqualified from keeping dogs for life.

She was also ordered to pay £15,000 in costs.

Kerr was given a six-month prison sentence, ordered to pay £30,000 in costs and was disqualified from keeping dogs for life.

BBC News (Sean Kerr’s sentencing) 16/02/2017 BBC News (Louise St John Poulton’s sentencing) 03/04/2017 BirminghamLive 03/04/2017 Dogs Today Magazine – April 2017 Update | October 2022 Despite her previous conviction, Louise St John Poulton continued to sell puppies illegally.

On Monday October 17, 2022, she was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after being found guilty of one offence of conspiracy to commit fraud.

She was given a further four months to run consecutively for breaching her previous suspended sentence.

The RSPCA launched an investigation back in 2017 after concerns were raised by families who had bought puppies from her in London and the surrounding area.

Vikki Dawe, from the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit, said: “Poulton and an accomplice worked together to buy in, advertise and sell on puppies which were considered valuable in the market.

“Over a period of between six months to a year, 59 adverts were placed that we’ve been able to connect to the duo.

Each advert included an average of seven puppies – so that’s a total of more than 400 dogs.

“Poulton is believed to have defrauded the public out of £300,000 by selling these puppies to them as if they were family-bred, home-grown dogs of specific breeds when, in fact, they were neither.” The RSPCA spoke to 38 witnesses in the course of their investigation almost all of whom bought puppies from a house in Wimbledon.

Police searched the address in July 2017, finding two adult dogs and six puppies – all of different breeds and ages – inside.

In October that same year, more searches were carried out at Poulton’s home in St Albans and two other addresses in Finchley.

Phones seized in the raids showed text messages between Poulton and another woman about what breed to falsely advertise puppies as for maximum profit.

Inspector Dawe continued: “We know that Poulton and her accomplice were deliberately misleading the public in order to capitalise on the popularity – and value – of specific breeds by falsely describing puppies as cockerpoos and cavachons.” “One witness bought two dogs – both sold as cockerpoos – from the same litter.

Now they’re fully grown one is a liver-coloured spaniel and the other is a little, white bichon frise-type.

“Some of the puppies they sold were also very sick and were carrying nasty diseases.

One of the pups sadly went on to die.

“Although they were telling prospective buyers that they had been homebred – even using a male dog as a fake mum – many of the dogs had in fact been imported to be sold on.” My London Additional Information The following information, which we received via anonymous email in August 2020, is unverified and the information regarding Kerr’s unwillingness to pay his debts must be treated as an allegation: They both live in Spain now and sell horses and , I believe dogs.

Their address is: Hipica Rancho Alegre Urb.

Vista Alegre Camino de los Molares C41 Utrera, Sevilla 41710, Spain +34 635 479 435 [email protected] They also have some dealing with the address: Au Pernet 45B Estepona, 29688 Spain.

He is not above claiming that his partner is in hospital in a diabetic coma, if he is asked to provide a payment.

Louise St John Poulton used the name ‘magshappy‘ on the Pets4Homes website.

Another of her aliases was Margaret Hanson.

Her and Kerr’s other trading address were Link Farm, Wiggonholt, Pulborough RH20 2EL and New Barn, Lickfold Farm, Wiggonholt, Pulborough, RH20 2EL