A Darlington mother and son have been banned from keeping animals for five years after illegal dog breeding and selling.

They were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £3,380.

Lindsay Wright, 41, and Jacob Wright, 18, both of North Road, were found guilty in their absence of carrying out a licensable activity, namely breeding dogs/selling animals without a licence contrary to Section 13(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The case had been heard at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court in May and was adjourned until 23 July for sentencing, although the pair failed to appear in court, and were sentenced in their absence.

The court heard that an investigation by Darlington Borough Council’s licensing team found that they had both been repeatedly selling litters of pups of various breeds including Cocker Spaniels and Belgian Malinois, on internet selling sites since April 2022. The pair had made thousands of pounds of profit.

They were each banned from keeping animals for five years, fined £1,100 and ordered to pay £150 costs and a victim surcharge of £440.

The court heard that a licence is required if you run business that breeds and advertises dogs for sale, or if you breed three or more litters in any 12-month period. The HMRC threshold for this to be a business is £1,000 gross income. This is not about how much profit is made, but how much is made from the overall sale of the dogs, and generally at today’s prices one litter of pups will far exceed this £1000 limit.

Animal welfare inspectors for Darlington Borough Council have urged caution when buying dogs from internet selling sites as many of those advertising are not licensed breeders.

Those breeders who are licensed, go through vigorous checks to ensure extremely high animal welfare standards and buyers can be reassured they are dealing with a legitimate business.  When buying from unlicensed breeders, dogs can often be in poor health leaving some new owners with vet’s bills running into thousands of pounds.

If you are buying a puppy, you should make sure you see it interacting with its mother and siblings. Puppies must stay with their mother until they are eight weeks old. Ask to see photographs, microchip,s and vet records to show the person selling you the puppy has been involved in its care for the first eight weeks. If you have any doubts, walk away.

Councillor Amanda Riley, the council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “We would urge anyone with concerns or information about illegal breeders to contact the team, and encourage buyers to make sure they use a licensed breeder, who will have no issue showing you their licence when asked.

“We will continue to pursue those who flout Animal Welfare Regulations and seek to exploit animals for profit.

“If you are breeding and selling animals or intend doing so, I recommend you research the Animal Welfare Regulations 2018 or contact the Licensing Department at licensing@darlington.gov.uk for advice.”

If you or your business breeds dogs without a licence you could go to prison for up to 51 weeks and/or receive an unlimited fine.

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The process of licensing a breeder includes a visit by a qualified animal welfare inspector and check by a vet to ensure the animals are being treated well and living in appropriate conditions. They are also given a star rating enabling purchasers to make an informed choice when buying a puppy.

You can report an unlicensed commercial breeder by emailing licensing@darlington.gov.uk or call 01325 405888.

For more information about applying for a Dog Breeding Licence visit the animal welfare section of the website at: https://www.darlington.gov.uk/business-and-licensing/licensing/licensing-a-z/animal-welfare/