Gravesend puppy farmers made £500k while selling dying dogs

Wally Beaney, Louise Smith and Maria Smith, all of Beechwood Gardens in Meopham, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and animal welfare offences. 

Charlotte Byron, of Longfield Road in Meopham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud while Debbie Lampard, of High View in Vigo, admitted selling puppies without a licence. 

‘Horrible conditions’ 

The RSPCA launched an investigation after numerous buyers contacted them saying their puppies died within days of arriving at their new home. 

As a result of these reports, police executed a warrant at two addresses on Beechwood Gardens and one on Longfield Road and found dogs which were kept in “dark and smelly” conditions. 

RSPCA inspector Vikki Dawe said: “These dogs were all being kept in horrible conditions with very poor care which did not remotely reflect the expectations of buyers who saw the adverts placed for them."

The dogs were kept in poor conditions (Image: RSPCA)Thirty dogs were removed from one property on Beechwood Gardens in Meopham, including three which needed urgent veterinary attention. 

At another house on the same road police found five dogs inside wooden sheds - a shih tzu and a bichon frise, a cavalier King Charles spaniel and two Yorkshire terrier. 

These dogs had matted fur, skin and dental diseases. A vet’s opinion was that all of these dogs had been suffering. 

Other adult dogs at the property also had matted fur and were covered in their own filth. 

One of these was heavily pregnant and also had mild conjunctivitis and some dental disease. 

‘Puppies died after four days’ 

The RSPCA said their investigation revealed that Beaney had been purchasing large quantities of puppies of various breeds. 

Messages on his phone showed that he travelled to Wales to collect puppies, with one message saying: “Bought 20 last week, sold about four, I’m sweating. I got cockapoo westies and some other crosses, been slow this week… could do with going back into a good four month lockdown.” 

Inspector Dawe said: “The defendants conspired together to acquire and sell puppies through advertising them in such a way as to entice the potential purchaser into coming to see the puppy, where they inevitably want to purchase it regardless of any warning bells. 

“They advertised the puppies under different aliases and as a ‘private’ seller, making it appear as if the puppy had been bred from a family pet and not from somewhere unknown or farmed. 

“The puppies were then sold from the defendants’ home addresses and buyers were told that they had been bred from the family pet and were being sold from family homes.” 

The dogs were kept in poor conditions (Image: RSPCA)Three Golden Retriever puppies purchased form Byron’s address in July 2021 died within four days of being purchased. 

One of the puppies was collected by his new owner at midday on 17 July 2021 - and died at 4.45pm after being “quiet yet restless” and showing signs of dehydration. 

One would-be buyer gave a witness statement confirming she had visited the puppies on July 14, 2021, with a view to buying one. 

However, she received a message just days later saying that the puppy she was hoping to purchase had died from suspected parvo virus. 

The message was sent on July 17, 2021, the same day after two of the other puppies - who later died - had been collected by their new owners. 

Puppies rescued from the defendants (Image: RSPCA)A vet who examined the case said in a statement: “This suggests that the seller knew a litter mate was sick at the time of their sale. 

“Yet the other puppy purchasers were not notified, either at purchase that a litter mate was unwell or that a litter mate became unwell. 

“It is my opinion that the seller failed to protect the three pups discussed in this report by not sharing with the new owners that he had detected signs of disease in another litter mate. 

“These pups were likely to suffer as the longer the interval between acquiring the disease and seeking veterinary intervention, the greater the morbidity or risk of mortality becomes. 

“By informing the purchasers as soon as a litter mate became ill, not only could there have been a different outcome for these pups had they received rapid veterinary attention, but also their suffering could have been reduced.” 

The vet added that the test results from the puppies suggested that the litter were infected with the same bug: “The fact that three of the puppies from the same litter all died in such a short time frame, with one puppy confirmed to have had parvo virus, is highly suggestive this was the cause of death in all the pups.” 

Four and a half years in prison 

Beaney, 39, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison and was banned from keeping dogs for 10 years. 

Louise Smith, 63, and Maria Smith, 35, were each jailed for two years and four months and banned from keeping pets for five years. 

Charlotte Byron, 36, was sentenced to two years and three months in custody. 

Debbie Lampard, 63, was given an 18 month condition discharge. 

Following the sentencing, Inspector Dawe said: “This was a long and complex investigation and we are grateful to everyone who cooperated. 

“A particular thanks must go to Kent Police Rural Task Force for their assistance working alongside the RSPCA investigating animal cruelty. 

“Puppy farming has upsetting consequences for the puppy’s owners and the puppies themselves. 

“We'd always encourage anyone thinking of getting a puppy to adopt rather than buy, and to do lots of research first to ensure they source a dog responsibly.” 

All dogs removed during the search warrants were signed to RSPCA care and have since been rehomed. 

Sergeant Darren Walshaw, of Kent Police’s Rural Task Force, said: “Those convicted reaped considerable financial benefit by repeatedly breeding dogs, all the while failing to provide the animals and their puppies with appropriate medical care, such as worming medication and inoculations. 

They demonstrated cruelty and neglectful behaviour that ultimately led to numerous animals losing their lives unnecessarily. 

“A robust combination of custodial sentences and bans means the offenders will be unable to inflict any more harm on animals.”