An unlicensed dog breeder who kept his animals in squalid conditions has been banned from keeping pets indefinitely.
Jamie Phillips, 32, of no fixed abode, was sentenced by Plymouth Magistrates Court on Thursday, having previously pled guilty to both breeding and selling animals without a licence over a period of two years.
The court had previously heard how in July 2021, following reports on this activities, the Council, Police and RSPCA executed a warrant on an address rented by Phillips on an industrial estate in Estover.
Officers found six American Bulldogs in a dark shed, housed in cages that were far too small and with insufficient bedding.
A photo, shown to the court of dogs in small cages
None of Phillips' dogs had access to clean water or to a toilet area within their cages, and when the dogs were let out of their cages they were so desperate to drink that they drunk from a bowl of filthy water.
A large mound of excrement was present by the door to the shed, there was no ventilation, the air was hot and foul and the dogs were panting excessively.
Phillips ban forbids him from owning, keeping, living with, dealing in or transporting dogs for an indefinite period. Should he wish to do any of these things in the future, he will have to apply to the court.
He was also ordered to pay a fine of £160 for breeding without a license and another £40 for selling the dogs. He must also pay costs of £1,000 and a victim surcharge of £34.
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 were brought in to improve animal welfare.
Selling animals as pets, dog breeding, providing boarding for cats or dogs (this includes home boarding), training animals for exhibition and hiring horses are all included in the regulations.
A person requires a licence for dog breeding if they breed more than two litters in a 12 month period or if they make profit from the sale of dogs.
Buying dogs from a licensed breeder ensures that the dogs are properly looked after. To obtain a licence, the breeder and dogs are regularly inspected and the breeder must comply with set welfare standards.
When a license is issued, a star rating is given based on welfare standards found at the time of the inspection. The star rating system is a national system to provide customers with information about the animal establishments.
Councillor Richard Bingley, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: "This is a really good result for our environmental protection team whose hard work will have stopped animals from suffering in the future.
"Licensing is in place for precisely this reason - to maintain a high standard of animal welfare and give the public peace of mind when buying a pet.
"We will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who abuse or cause suffering to animals and we urge those acquiring pets to contact us if they suspect animals are being harmed by suppliers.”