Breeders with six malnourished and deformed puppies spared jail

Stephanie Boyd, 42, and Daniel Jordan, 35, were hit with the ban and given suspended prison sentences at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Friday, after they each pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

The six puppies were taken to a rescue centre in December 2022, by a man claiming his child had found them abandoned on a street. He did not provide his name but left Jordan’s telephone number.

Two of the dogs died overnight and the other four were treated by a vet as they were severely malnourished with deformed spines.

One of the puppies was put to sleep by the vet, but the other three have made a full recovery and been rehomed.

The RSPCA was alerted and it issued an appeal for information. A member of the public responded and named Boyd and Jordan as the breeders.

When the pair, who lived in Uxbridge Grove, Hull, were questioned by RSPCA inspectors, Boyd claimed the dogs had been rehomed in December but she did not know the owner’s name or have his contact details.

In a statement, the vet who treated the dogs said they were emaciated, with no muscle mass.

“All of the puppies had a hunched posture, appearance of curved spines and malnourishment and some live fleas were visible in their coats,” she said.

“I suspected that the postural deformities shown in these puppies was due to malnutrition and limited exercise over a prolonged period.

“In my opinion the puppies were suffering for a minimum of two weeks to get into the condition they were in, but likely longer, possibly up to two months.”

RSPCA inspector Claire Mitchell said: “They claimed the puppies had been found abandoned, but what actually happened was that Boyd and Jordan had bred them and then did not give them the proper nutrition and exercise required, resulting in them becoming ill.

“It is sad that three of the puppies did not survive. However, the three surviving puppies went onto new homes and now have new lives.

“We’re grateful to the members of the public and the rescue centre for their help in bringing this case to court.”

Boyd and Jordan were both given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, banned from keeping animals for life and ordered to pay costs of £400 each.