Puppy smuggling gang from Milton Keynes jailed

Puppy smugglers Milton Keynes

Members of a puppy farming gang in Milton Keynes have been jailed for a total of more than 18 years after masterminding a large operation to traffic sick puppies into the country to be sold on to the public.

In total, thirteen people appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court on Wednesday and Thursday (4 and 5 August) for sentencing.

Ten of them pleaded guilty to fraud and nine of those also admitted animal welfare offences, and a further three pleading guilty to animal welfare offences.

Seven were handed immediate jail terms totalling more than 18 years; the longest combined prison sentences an RSPCA investigation has ever seen.

The gang would smuggle several dogs into the UK a day

After the sentencing, lead RSPCA investigator Michelle Hare said: "This follows a large multi-agency investigation into a sophisticated and complex puppy farming ring in the Milton Keynes area. This operation was led by the Cawley family who were illegally breeding and importing puppies to supply to third parties - or frontmen - to be sold to unsuspecting members of the public on their behalf.

  • Annalise Cawley (DoB: 23/03/1999) of Willen Road travellers site, Newport Pagnell, pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 10-year disqualification order on all animals;

  • John Christopher Cawley (DoB: 18/08/1996) of Willen Road travellers site, Newport Pagnell pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received three and a half years in prison and a 10-year disqualification order on all animals;

  • Joseph Cawley Snr (DoB: 10/02/1977) of Willen Road travellers site, Newport Pagnell pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received three years and nine months in prison and a 10 year disqualification order on all animals;

  • Joseph Cawley Junior (DoB: 04/12/2002) of Willen Road travellers site, Newport Pagnell pleaded guilty to animal welfare act offences and received a 24-month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 150 hours of unpaid work and a 10 year disqualification order on all animals;

  • Margaret Cawley (DoB: 01/11/1974) of Willen Road travellers site, Newport Pagnell pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received three years and nine months in prison and a 10-year disqualification order on all animals;

  • Michael Cawley (DoB: 17/07/1980 of Reeves Croft, Hodge Lea, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received two years and three months in prison and a 10-year disqualification order on all animals;

  • Rebecca Elizabeth Lorraine Hall (DoB: 13/12/1990) of Grangers Croft, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received four months suspended for two years, £750 compensation and a 10 year disqualification order on dogs;

  • John Paul O’Brien (DoB: 29/09/1971) of Grangers Croft, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received 13 months in prison and a 10 year disqualification order on dogs;

  • Wendy Jane Ann O’Brien (DoB: 04/04/1989) of Grangers Croft, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to animal welfare act offences and received three months suspended for two years, three-month curfew order, £1,000 compensation and a 10-year disqualification order on dogs;

  • Austin Charles Paice (DoB: 04/04/1989) of Whaddon Way, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to fraud and received a 13 months prison [animal welfare offences have been remitted back to the magistrates’ court];

  • Mary Ward (DoB: 25/10/1989) of Reeves Croft, Hodge Lea, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to animal welfare act offences and received three months suspended for two years, 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a 10-year disqualification order on all animals;

  • James Yeboah (DoB: 27/08/1977) of Avon House, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received nine months suspended for two years, 150 hours of unpaid work, £1,000 costs and compensation, and a 10 year disqualification order;

  • Daniel Yeboah (DoB: 13/06/1976) of Avon House, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to fraud and animal welfare act offences and received three and a half years in prison and a 10 year disqualification order on all animals.

The judge warned consumers to be vigilant when buying dogs from the website Pets4Homes Credit: RSPCA

The court also issued destruction orders for 10 seized mobile phones and forfeited £16,000 of seized cash which will be distributed to the victims.

Six dogs who remain in RSPCA care can now be rehomed and costs of £100,357.63 were awarded to the RSPCA. 

Between June and November 2019, the RSPCA and Trading Standards received a large number of complaints about the sale of puppies from different addresses in the Milton Keynes area.

Some of them had become sick and others had undisclosed health issues.

Three of the puppies died and many had been sold with fraudulent vaccination cards.

Initially these cases were investigated in isolation but, as statements were gathered, it became apparent that the addresses were linked and the RSPCA joined up with Milton Keynes Council’s Trading Standards department to investigate. 

In March 2020, RSPCA officers joined Thames Valley Police as they executed warrants at six addresses, one storage unit and a number of unregistered vehicles at the Willen Road travellers’ site and Avon House.

Police seized 54 dogs including Cocker Spaniels, Schnauzers, Chihuahuas, Springer Spaniels, Labradors, Beagles and Poodles.

In her witness statement, Inspector Hare said: “As I made my way onto the site it was clear that there were a very large number of dogs and puppies present. Other than a couple of dogs running loose on site, the rest were all being housed in lorry bodies and storage containers situated on the site. 

"Some of the dogs had untreated health problems and conditions including fur loss, ear infections and dental disease, and they were all being kept in wholly inappropriate environments,” Inspector Hare added. “The trailers had been split into pens and all of the dogs were being kept in poor conditions. The kennels were dirty and smelt strongly of ammonia, while one of the pens was full of hazards including nails sticking out, sharp metal mesh and wires hanging down. There were holes in the walls and floor that appeared to have been caused by the dogs trying to chew out of the space.

"We removed four pregnant bitches and a poodle cross who had recently given birth, along with five poodle cross puppies who were just 48-hours-old. Police seized a total of 51 dogs and a further four litters of puppies were born in our care."

All of the dogs were cared for by the RSPCA and in foster homes and can now all be rehomed.