Puppy breeder who made £50,000 selling unhealthy dogs ordered to pay money back

Kenneth Purchase, of Allscott, northwest of Telford, sold "at least 321" dogs after placing a number of adverts of puppies for sale on the Pets4Homes website between March 5 and September 12, 2018.

Several owners, who chose to buy from Purchase due to the fact that he had a legitimate dog breeder's licence and thought he was a responsible person to buy from, found their beloved new pets were fraught with health problems including Canine Parvovirus - a highly contagious disease that affects a dog's gastrointestinal tract and has a mortality rate of up to 91 per cent if untreated.

A number of dogs sold by Purchase later died, and one owner described how she kept thinking about the sound of dogs howling when she visited the squalid conditions, and that the thought of a dog she left behind gave her "nightmares".

Purchase was told by Recorder Mr Anthony Hawks that his record keeping for the dogs including for their vaccinations was "a disgrace".

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that Purchase had been granted a licence to breed and sell from a maximum of 12 female dogs, each of which would provide one litter per year. A separate licence, known as a "pet shop licence", must be obtained for a breeder to be able to buy dogs from other sources and sell them on. The court heard that Purchase had applied for such a licence, but had never been granted one.

One of Purchase's customers said in a victim impact statement heard by the court that when she visited she was confronted with "a barn full of dogs", and that she chose to buy a West Highland Terrier puppy "to rescue it". The dog suffered from health problems. She said there was another one in the pen which "appeared lifeless", and said she "had nightmares" about the dog she left behind.

Another customer, who also bought a Westie puppy, took his dog to the vets to find out it had Canine Parovirus. It was hospitalised nine days after he bought it for £545. Purchase told him the dog must have caught the virus at the vets.

A third victim said she named her Bichon Frise pup Bonnie, after a friend who had recently died. The dog, which she bought from Purchase, also suffered health problems and had to be put down. The owner said the vet's bills meant she couldn't afford her rent and had to move house. "The whole ordeal was extremely stressful," she said.

Purchase, aged 68, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to one offence of engaging in a commercial practice which was a misleading action, contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and European Communities Act 1972.

His defence advocate appealed to the Recorder not to send him to prison due to Purchase's own health problems.

Recorder Hawks told Purchase: "I thought about sending you to prison. You deserve to go to prison." But, given the fact that sentencing powers would mean a short period in custody, and that Purchase's health issues would cause problems for prison staff, the Recorder chose to fine him £25,000 and order him to pay £25,000 in court costs.

Purchase was also told to pay £1,286 compensation to victims. "You chose to make money by deceiving people deliberately, so now you are going to have to pay," added the Recorder.

If he doesn't pay, Purchase will face 15 months behind bars.