Unlicensed Dog Breeder Prosecuted Following Investigation

An unlicensed dog breeder from Caerphilly county borough has pleaded guilty to a total of five offences, following an investigation by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Trading Standards team. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Claire O’Keefe of Fleur-de-Lys, Blackwood was taken to court after Trading Standards investigated complaints from customers who had purchased French bulldog puppies from O’Keefe between December 2015 and June 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The complainants had responded to adverts posted by Ms O’Keefe on the website Gumtree about the sale of puppies, and had visited her home where they purchased puppies, unaware that she was an unlicensed dog breeder and that she was operating as a business while purporting to be a private seller. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Investigations revealed that between August 2014 and July 2016, O’Keefe placed over 60 advertisements on Gumtree advertising French bulldogs, pugs and crossbreed pug puppies. A similar number of advertisements were also placed by her on the Pets 4 Homes website during this period. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In the course of the investigation, O’Keefe admitted to officers that she had bred some of the pugs offered for sale, and that some of the French bulldogs were imported by a third party which she subsequently sold on. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Claire O’Keefe appeared at Newport Magistrates Court on Friday 3rd February 2017 where she pleaded guilty to a total of five offences; one contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and four offences contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. She was fined £750 – £150 for each of the five charges – and ordered to pay a £2,000 contribution to prosecution costs and a £30 victim surcharge. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet Member Cllr Nigel George said, “We need to ensure that members of the public are protected from those traders who seek to hide from their legal responsibilities. Any residents who believe someone is illegally engaging in unlicensed dog breeding activities, or purporting to be a private seller when they are in fact operating as a business, I would encourage them to contact our Trading Standards team to confidentially report this”.
Caerphilly Trading Standards can be contacted by email tradingstandards@caerphilly.gov.uk or by calling 01443 811 300. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​