The RSPCA made a heartbreaking discovery of 17 puppies who were bred for profits and kept in appalling conditions. The tiny pooches had no access to basic care or appropriate food and were all seized as a part of the investigation.
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‘They were covered in faeces and subdued’
Animal inspectors were horrified when they came across neglected puppies kept by a family of four in Buckinghamshire, England.
The pooches appeared to be a mix of Cocker and Cavalier King Charles spaniels. They were all of differing ages, from eight weeks to three months. There were no adult dogs on site.
Some of them were ill.
The RSPCA staff found the puppies living ‘in a white van’, in pens with dog crates covered in faeces, and without having their basic needs covered.
Hazel Stevens, prosecutor for the case opened by the animal welfare charity stated:
The crates contained no adequate bedding and were covered in faeces, some dirty water was available but the food that was available was adult dog food, not puppy food.
According to court documents, the five Cavalier King Charles spaniels were in the back of the van and they looked unclean and unhealthy, ‘covered in faeces and subdued’.
A cable around his neck
Sadly, one male cocker spaniel puppy who was just eight to nine weeks old had a cable fixed around its neck. It was so tight that the pooch had to be rushed to the vet on police blue lights because rescuers couldn’t remove it.
Due to the pressure from the cable, the pup’s neck was red, bruised, and sore to the touch and the tie was just starting to cut into the skin. Luckily, the vet was able to successfully remove the source of pain.
An estimated £62,520 worth of puppies
The police subsequently found adverts for cocker spaniel puppies priced as high as £1,300 on Pets4Homes. The irresponsible breeders assured potential buyers that the pooches were born to a ‘family pet’ and ‘had been health-checked, vaccinated, and treated for fleas and worms’. The advert said the puppies had been ‘raised in a busy household’.
Further investigations showed the scale of the crime and an estimated £62,520 worth of puppies - of different breeds - advertised between 7 April and 25 July 2021 using four different names, five different phone numbers, eight email addresses and physical addresses.
Evidence suggested that the family of breeders had been trying to fraudulently sell the puppies as home-bred, despite them being sourced from elsewhere, possibly illegally imported from Ireland.
Thankfully, all of the dogs were seized as part of an investigation. They have since been rehomed, and are doing really well with their new families.
Head to RSPCA's websiteto learn more about the charity and support their vital animal welfare and rescue work.
Sources used:
- The RSPCA: 'Family sentenced after sick puppies due to be sold found in unsuitable conditions'
