Landbeach Woman Fined For Breeding And Selling Dogs Without Licence

An unlicensed dog breeder from Landbeach has been fined – leading to a warning from South Cambridgeshire District Council that anyone breeding even one litter of dogs to sell may need to be licensed or could face prosecution.

The warning follows an investigation by the Council after a tip-off from the Police concerning a stable block in a remote area which they had raided. Police told the Council they believed stolen dogs to be housed there. When Council officers investigated, it was found there were 14 dogs - Dachshunds and Maltese Terriers - in the stable.
 
The owner was located and interviewed on the site, which was around three miles from where she lived in Landbeach, and claimed the dogs were rescue animals. However, further investigations on pet sales websites revealed she had been breeding and selling dogs since 2015.
 
The Council had previously contacted her in 2019 following a complaint about a puppy and had told her she needed a licence. However, she replied at the time that it was a one-off litter and that she was not breeding any more dogs.
 
She refused to attend for an interview and after pleading guilty to the court by post to the offences of breeding and selling dogs without a licence, she was fined and ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge.  All the dogs have been rehoused with good homes.
 
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 were put in place by DEFRA and are regulated by councils to try to tackle puppy farming and dogs living in poor, unsanitary conditions and being bred continuously purely for the owner to make money. It also aims to stop puppies being sold by third parties and being brought in from abroad to be sold.
 
Breeders are licensed to ensure that they keep good standards for the animals and adhere to the high standards in the legislation. This ensures that bitches are not overbred and kept in good health and conditions, and that puppies are raised in the correct manner giving purchasers reassurance.