A dodgy dog dealer must pay a massive £4,075 for breeding a variety of different breeds without the required licences.
Lloyd Herbert, 29, of St Ive, near Liskeard, but previously of Plymouth, pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations at Plymouth Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
It is thought that he is the first person in Plymouth to be convicted under these laws which were only introduced in October 2018.
The court heard how Herbert, who used the business name “herbertsdogz”, owned over 20 dogs, with some on breeding terms (or living with) with other people.
After a complaint from a member of the public, the Council began to investigate and found Herbert to be breeding American Bullies and French Bulldogs for sale in Plymouth.
Between 1 October 2018 and 12 February 2020, he had made 287 Facebook posts to advertise puppies and dogs for sale.
Herbert had advertised at least 10 separate litters as well as buying and advertising another 42 separate dogs for sale, 18 of which were imported from Poland.
It was heard that two separate licences would have been required for these activities – one for breeding dogs and a second licence for selling animals as pets. The licences would have cost a total of around £730.
Herbert was fined £1,000 for each offence and was forced to pay £1,875 in legal costs. He must also pay a £200 victim surcharge.
Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet member for Customer Focus and Community Safety, said: "Licencing for animal breeding is in place for a reason.
"They require breeders, as well as those selling animals, to maintain a high standard of animal welfare and give the public piece of mind when buying a pet.
"The message to breeders is simple - get a licence, or pay a fine."
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.
The Council carries out inspections to ensure that license conditions are being met and that the animals are being kept in good health. When a license is issued, a star rating is given, which is 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.
You can check if a breeder is licenced by visiting our public register: www.plymouth.gov.uk/animalsandpests/animallicences/animalactivitieslicence