A dog breeder who illegally reared dogs at a residential property in Heanor has today been fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £275 costs following a successful prosecution by Amber Valley Borough Council.
On 29 October, at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court in Ilkeston, Bryan Haslam pleaded guilty to keeping a breeding establishment for dogs at 17 Buxton Avenue, Heanor between 6 February 2004 and 23 March 2007 without having a licence granted by the Council under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973.
Council officials visited the property following a complaint from a member of the public. David Arkle, Amber Valley Borough Council’s Health and Safety Manager at the time, said “During our visit to Buxton Avenue in January, we observed 35 dogs from a variety of breeds kept at the premises, including Bulldogs, Lhasa-Apsos, Western Highland Terriers, Pugs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels,
“A person is considered to be running a business of breeding dogs for sale if five or more litters are born and sold within any 12 month period. This meant that Mr Haslam required a licence from 6 February 2004, the date of birth of the fifth litter within a 12-month period. Since then, until March this year when he last registered a litter with the Kennel Club, Mr Haslam has bred a total of 39 litters with 181 pups, which he sold through classified adverts.
“We advised Mr Haslam that due to the large number of dogs, litters and expectant bitches present at the property, he required a Dog Breeding Establishment Licence and would also most likely require planning permission. We consequently provided Mr Haslam with all the relevant paperwork needed to progress his application.”
In February 2007 Mr Haslam submitted a Dog Breeding Establishment Licence application form to Amber Valley Borough Council. This has been processed, but a licence has not yet been granted, pending an inspection by an authorised Council officer and a vet to ensure that the statutory requirements have been met. The Council is waiting confirmation from Mr Haslam that he is ready for the inspection.
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For further information please contact Lisa Garnham, PR and Communications Manager at Amber Valley Borough Council, on 01773 841655.
