Telford puppy farm pair avoid jail after dogs died and needed vet care
Two fraudsters who ran a Telford puppy farm which sold dogs that later died or needed treatment, and who were linked to a £250,000 selling racket, have avoided jail.
Betty Chanelle Burton, 35, and Jeff James McDonagh, 38, were handed suspended prison sentences after farming dogs in Telford which were found to have stomach problems, parasites, skin conditions, and dirty coats.
They farmed the puppies and offered them for sale as home-bred.
Burton and McDonagh were charged after a police and RSPCA raid on McDonagh Lodge, in Arleston Brook, Telford, in November 2018, which found 55 dogs on the premises.
The pair, along with co-conspirator Luke Gillman, all of Arleston Brook, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud in February last year.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard earlier in the trial that the trio sold 42 dogs in the Telford area, with 15 of them dying and the rest needing care from a vet.
A welfare expert said there would have been "no way" they would be granted a breeding licence.
The court also heard that the dogs were linked to a Manchester-based puppy farming operation which sold 1,439 puppies for more than £250,000 over three years.
The jury was shown body-worn video footage from an RSPCA inspector who visited McDonagh Lodge.
It showed a variety of dogs including dachshunds and King Charles spaniels, with the inspector heard to be commenting on some of their dirty coats, mangy skin and irritated ears.
The footage also showed items at the property including a log burner, a wicker basket and a bowl, with the inspector pointing out similar items seen in some online adverts for puppies.
Burton and McDonagh, who have two children together, were present throughout the trial, while co-defendant Gillman was tried in his absence.
Their criminal wrongdoing came to light when several people contacted the RSPCA worried about the health of puppies they bought or were being offered for sale through adverts.
Investigations initially centred on addresses in Manchester and telephones to which Burton and McDonagh had connections. Gillman operated as their employee, living in a caravan at their home.
At a hearing last February, Judge Peter Barrie deferred their sentence for reports after Burton's defence counsel asked for them to be given time to organise childcare and get their affairs in order ahead of a likely jail term.
However, both avoided prison. Burton was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for a year, and banned from keeping dogs for two years. McDonagh was given a two-year jail term, suspended for two years. He was banned from keeping dogs for five years.
A warrant is out for the arrest of Gillman, 28.
