A Carlisle man has been jailed for 14 weeks and banned from keeping animals for 15 years after puppies were found semi-comatose after having their ears cropped illegally.
Michael Nolan, 31, of Victoria Road, was one of three men who appeared at Cannock Magistrates’ Court this week.
Nolan admitted being responsible for a puppy and another person carrying out a prohibited procedure – the cropping of ears on the animal and permitting it to happen.
At 7.30pm on November 10 2020, Staffordshire police received a report of a group of men who were transporting a crate of puppies into a flat in Hanley.
Officers attended the address and Nolan, Ryan Woodward, of Hanley and Alexander David Johnson, of Abbey Hulton, both Stoke-on-Trent, were inside with six Staffordshire Bull-type puppies aged between eight and 10 weeks.
Officers also found an operating table and bag containing cash and medical equipment in the flat.
PC Rebecca Tyler, of Stoke North Local Policing Team, said: “This is something that my colleagues and I will remember for the rest of our careers.
“Two puppies were found bleeding with stitches in their ears and were hardly breathing. Another puppy was found with the same injuries hidden behind a sofa. A further three puppies were in the property but had not had the procedure.”
Woodward, Johnson and Nolan were arrested and the RSPCA took over ownership of the investigation.
RSPCA inspector Jenny Bethel said: “In an independent expert veterinary report, which was presented to the court, it was stated that the cropping of the ears of the puppies would have caused them to suffer unnecessarily even though they were anaesthetised during the actual procedure and they suffered considerable amounts of unnecessary pain and distress after the procedure.”
There were two pairs of black latex gloves and bloodied kitchen roll tissue all in separate sealed evidence bags and there was a black men’s cosmetic bag containing multiple veterinary objects.
“The bag contained syringes, needles, surgical scissors and blades, three empty 10mg bottles of Sedivet for horses, one empty bottle of ketamine, empty vaccination bottles, pliers and a staple gun with blood on it,” said Insp Bethel.
There also was a brown envelope filled with items.
“Inside the envelope was a black rucksack. Inside the rucksack there were surgical masks, an opened box of latex gloves, syringes, needles, stuture, stitching with a bloodied needle attached, Panadol tablets, surgical tape, tie wraps, marker pen, nail clippers and an empty rabies vaccination bottle,” said Insp Bethel.
All puppies were examined and given a health check, vaccinations and were microchipped, with the three who had their ears cropped the night before were given pain relief and antibiotics.
The three ear cropped pups went on to have their ears operated on and restitched at RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.
Insp Bethel added: “None of the defendants claimed ownership of five of the puppies who were signed over to the RSPCA – where they were found loving homes. The sixth dog was signed over to the RSPCA a few months later and was also found a forever home. They have been named by their new owners as Diesel, Moose, Jed, Vera, Lyla and Peanut.”
The three men pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing and were sentenced on Wednesday.
Nolan was jailed for 14 weeks and ordered to pay £400 costs; Johnson was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £775 costs and Woodward was jailed for 19 weeks and ordered to pay £775 costs.
All three were disqualified from keeping dogs – Johnson for life and Woodward and Nolan for 15 years – and all were served with deprivation orders meaning they have 21 days to rehome any dogs still in their care.
