DOG BREEDER BANNED AFTER DOGS FOUND IN MISERY
An illegal dog breeder from Ceredigion who left puppies languishing "close to death" has been banned from keeping animals for four years.Richard Jones, 31, from Llanwnnen, near Lampeter, was convicted of two counts of illegal dog breeding and 21 counts of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs following two raids last June.
He was given a nine-week suspended sentence at Aberystwyth Justice Centre.
The prosecution was brought by Ceredigion council.
The court heard that Jones did not have a license for breeding, and during inspections, some of the dogs in his care were discovered in complete darkness with advanced chronic skin conditions.
One young puppy was so thin that it was close to death.
Jones had been operating a licensed premises known as "The Shed" near Lampeter with over 70 dogs since 2010.
The license was renewed annually until 2015 when the local authority chose not to renew it due to concerns.
The licensing application was for 70 dogs to breed 40 litters annually.
In 2016, instead of applying for renewal, Jones continued breeding without a license.
Inspections revealed 56 dogs at "The Shed" and an additional 38 puppies and 19 dogs at Moelfre farm, totaling 113 animals suffering.
The vet described the animals as mentally stressed, with no exercise or social contact, many kept alone, and some dangerously thin, with one suffering gangrene and septicaemia close to death.
Jones's defence claimed he was devastated after the license was not renewed in 2015, having invested heavily in "The Shed," and felt he was treated unfairly by the authorities.
The court ordered all dogs to be removed from his premises by 2 March.
